Generative artificial intelligence is currently used for disparate purposes, including education, particularly concerning STEM disciplines, among which Mathematics is prominent. Given the importance of both mathematical and digital skills in the world today, it is useful to inquire about the impact of this novel AI form on the didactics in Mathematics, by considering it in conjunction with accustomed technologies for more effectiveness. A survey directed at more than 60 teachers instructing at military academies and universities in several European Union Member States allows us to investigate the relationship between using generative AI and performing certain teaching choices under the methodological domain. Furthermore, we assessed the tandem between AI and traditional digital tools, both as a feature itself and in terms of repercussions on the methodologies instructors adopted. Quantitative analyses of scaled responses, performed by means of both descriptive and inferential statistics, are considered along with reflections on the qualitative answers, in the spirit of a mixed methods approach. As main outcome, we found that teachers’ use of generative AI is associated with paying more attention to specific mathematical skills during lectures, and with using teaching practices possessing a solid methodological base. Additionally, we detected interesting insights concerning integration with the use of other digital tools, resulting in instructing practices being favored by both kinds of technology, thus confirming AI as a complementary tool, rather than a replacement. The study was conducted within the framework of the DIMAS project, an international initiative aimed at deepening learners’ interest in Mathematics and taking advantage of digital tools to provide students with more manageable mathematical problems and applications.

Mathematical and digital skills are recognized as key competencies for lifelong learning. In Mathematics education, identifying appropriate methodologies and tools to increase motivation and engagement is crucial, particularly in interdisciplinary contexts such as security and defence. Through a survey administered to 2,000 students and teachers at military academies and universities in several European Member States, this study investigates the role of technology in promoting students' motivation to learn Mathematics in this field, including non-STEM majors. The research also examines the perceived effectiveness of various teaching methodologies and digital tools in teaching Mathematics from different perspectives. The study follows a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses of the responses to the survey through statistical inference techniques. Findings indicate that digital tools positively impact students’ perception of Mathematics, supporting self-assessment and interactive problem-solving. Additionally, both students and instructors favor practical methodologies such as problem-solving, learning by doing, and collaborative learning, while the integration of gamification and AI-based tools remains limited. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of best practices for teaching and learning Mathematics in security and defence contexts and provide insights for future research in other interdisciplinary and applied fields. Our analysis took place in accordance with international partners from the European project DIMAS, which aims at increasing interest in studying Mathematics in the field of security and defence and at providing more understandable Mathematics problems and Mathematics applications using digital tools.

Digital technology has become essential in teaching and learning, thus requiring of both teachers and students the possession of digital competencies. In education, technologies and methodologies are intertwined, and, as a consequence, all the stakeholders need to be competent in the specific sense, which goes further than being confident with digital tools in a general sense. This prompted institutions to propose initiatives favoring the use of digital in education, such as the European project DIGICODE, devoted to the security and defence context, featuring the participation of both universities and military academies. In this paper we investigate the possibility of designing and implementing effective training activities in order to allow teachers, and subsequently students, to develop digital skills. We consider two events, namely a staff training reserved for teachers and an international school involving both students and teachers. By analyzing teachers' and students' questionnaires, we track the variation of their digital competencies, along with students' perception of effectiveness and appreciation of the activities proposed, which carefully combined the theory with more engaging aspects such as interactivity and practical applications. Furthermore, we discuss our findings in light of a framework including different dimensions (pedagogical, human, technological, institutional), which have proved to be strongly related to each other, allowing us to set a methodological base on which to build such actions. In this setting, we show as well the importance of collaboration and ideas exchanged, both at the interdisciplinary and the interinstitutional level.

Distance and online teaching and learning have become common forms during the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the change of pedagogical and didactical approaches from residential to virtual and online settings. Given that these novel forms of teaching and learning possess advantages beyond the needs of this contingent situation, it is reasonable to suppose that they will be used also after the end of the pandemic. In light of this, it is important for all the stakeholders to possess digital skills fine-tuned to education, in order to teach and learn at best, even more so in international contexts such as those regarding security and defence. This is in accordance with the more general setting of future skills, that considers personal development related to what the world is requiring. In this paper, we investigate changes from before to during the pandemic in the perception of teachers working in programs or courses concerning security and defence on several aspects, such as the relation with their students and the time required to carry out various tasks. Our investigation, conducted through the analysis of an online anonymous questionnaire, triggers the suggestion that teachers need a specific training in digital skills, since they experience difficulties in relating with students and in performing tasks without excessive time consumption. Our analysis took place in accordance with international partners from the European project DIGICODE, which aims at improving the security and defence education quality by using digital tools in the didactic activities and by developing teachers' digital competencies.

The outbreak of a pandemic in the middle of the academic year unavoidably brought severe consequences to universities' educational organizations, since it disrupted timetables and programs that are usually designed months in advance. With millions of students around the world unable to physically attend lectures and other activities at universities, distance learning soon became a pivotal solution to allow studying from home. On the other hand, online resources as a complement or alternative to physical attendance have been part of the academic context for more than a decade. Still, they were usually not intended for replacing in-person didactics in an emergency setting. In this paper, we consider a module in Linear Algebra and Geometry at the University of Turin. The module was originally intended as blended, with lessons and activities in presence supported by asynchronous remote activities, but it had to be redesigned as purely online a few weeks after the beginning of the semester. The use of a Digital Learning Environment, with technologies and methodologies, which already proved crucial in a blended setting, was fundamental in giving an immediate response while transitioning to distance during these pandemic times. We discuss this transition using students' answers to two questionnaires and through the analysis of students' activities in relation to their exam results. The outcomes are generally positive, highlighting confidence in the course and the students' preparation, even in such a challenging context.

Mathematics plays a pivotal role in most scientific disciplines, being them meant both inside and outside academic contexts, with applications in a large part of the jobs nowadays, and also in several situations of everyday life. If on one hand this is well recognized, as an expression like the queen of the sciences show, on the other hand it is usually not among the students' preferred subjects, both from the liking and the interest points of view. Furthermore, it is still partly believed that Mathematics cannot be properly learnt by everyone, since it is perceived that, for really mastering it, a specific personal attitude is necessary. Considering all this, we designed a course in which the approach is considerably devoted to applications, being it directed at students of a scientific bachelor program not mainly focused on Mathematics, and problem solving, that is the contextualization of problems in real life situations. For this purpose, we made use of technologies such as a Learning Management System integrated with an Advanced Computing Environment and an Automated Assessment System. It has been observed that the students, which are taking a program in Biotechnology, gained curiosity and interest in the subject, thus allowing in turn a better proficiency. Since interaction between learners is promoted, the students are made active users of the contents, and their learning paths can be adapted according to the personal needs. They have been able to improve also the self-consciousness of their skills. This has been an important achievement especially for (but not limiting to) their future as scientists, considering the role transversal skills play in science, such as teamwork or flexibility. Finally, the students were specifically able to recognize how the problem solving approach will help them in both university and job careers, and how the use of the software has been helpful too.