Hello. We are Realworld, a playable content platform. In the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution where big data and AI are hot topics, mathematics and mathematical thinking are becoming increasingly important. Moreover, since mathematics is closely connected not only to natural sciences and engineering but also to social sciences like economics and statistics, being good at math can open up opportunities to explore various academic fields.
But what comes to mind when you think of mathematics? Many of you probably recall your school days being tormented by difficult symbols and complex formulas. Mathematics seems to be just as challenging now as it was before, and you can easily find articles stating that while Korean students rank among the world's highest in mathematical achievement, their interest in math ranks among the lowest.
How can we make students interested in mathematics? Wouldn't math feel more approachable if math education could be enjoyed in a playable way? That's why Realworld is taking on this challenge. We're introducing a new concept of playable math education content that Realworld has prepared together with the Geochang Mathematics Experience Center under the Gyeongsangnam-do Office of Education.
Empty classroom reborn as 'Math Research Lab Semtory'
UniqueGood Company, the operator of Realworld, has been collaborating with the Geochang Mathematics Experience Center since early this year to renovate an empty escape room. We aimed to transform this space into a next-generation experience space that incorporates digital elements and aligns with the latest trends, allowing students to enjoy math experiences in a more fun way.
Realworld was given a space of approximately 198㎡ (equivalent to 2 classrooms and a hallway). After intense deliberation and meetings on how to utilize this space, we decided to transform the existing area into 'Math Research Lab Semtory,' a mysterious space dedicated to researching the joy of mathematics. This was designed to provide elementary school students, who are the main visitors to the Geochang Mathematics Experience Center, with an extraordinary and fantastical space that even students who struggle with math can approach without resistance.
Once the math research lab concept was approved, construction began immediately. As the empty classroom transformed into a fantastic math research lab, Realworld members also visited the Geochang site to arrange props and accelerate the finishing work. Are you curious about the completed Geochang Mathematics Experience Center? We'll now reveal it to you.
This is how Math Research Lab Semtory was reborn. We created various themed spaces where children's creativity and mathematical curiosity can flourish, and placed props that complement each space. In this mathematical world, Math Research Lab Semtory, children will receive various stimuli and come to realize that mathematics is not a difficult subject but closely related to real life.
Three types of content at Math Research Lab Semtory
Is it enough to just decorate the space nicely? Of course not. What matters is what you can do in that space. Based on the expertise gained from operating Realworld Seongsu, Realworld has planned three types of content that can be enjoyed at Math Research Lab Semtory: 'Math Impossible,' where you become an agent from a movie to solve cases; 'Math Investigation Research Club,' where you learn about mathematics in daily life that we weren't aware of; and 'Torus of the Strange Lab,' where you explore a mysterious space like Alice in Wonderland.
Students can play each content independently within the single space of Math Research Lab Semtory, allowing them to enjoy various content simultaneously without worrying about spoilers. While exploring the space and finding clues like in an escape room game, mathematical concepts will become a little closer to students.
To provide fresh stimulation to students who visit Math Research Lab Semtory each year as they advance grades, new changes are necessary. However, modifying the space every time requires time and cost. But by adding content, Math Research Lab Semtory can transform into a new space.
Realworld can create virtually unlimited content through our proprietary content creation platform 'Realworld Studio,' and Math Research Lab Semtory can always present itself in a new way to students. Moreover, adding new content is cheaper and requires less work than changing the physical space, which is another advantage.
Bringing vitality to regions lacking experiential content
This project is not limited to simply creating a space for math experiences. It's also related to regional revitalization that can bring vitality to areas that relatively lack experiential content.
As of September 2024, according to data from 'Korori Escape Room,' which provides information on escape room themes nationwide, about 67% of the 426 escape room cafes across the country, or 285 stores, are located in the metropolitan area. For students in rural areas who don't live in the metropolitan area or major regional cities, even visiting an escape room cafe once is difficult in reality. In this situation, if the Geochang Mathematics Experience Center becomes a hub for experiential content in the region, it can provide Geochang's children with experiences that go beyond just math learning.
Realworld, which provides solutions to regions through spaces and content, will spread experiential content to various areas starting with the Geochang Mathematics Experience Center. We now support the newly reborn Geochang Mathematics Experience Center and hope that many students in Geochang will be able to feel the joy of mathematics with their whole bodies. Thank you.