Global Mathematics Education Experts Gather in Nairobi for International STACK Community Conference
More than one hundred researchers, educators, software developers and assessment specialists from five continents are gathering in Nairobi this week for the International Meeting of the STACK Community 2026, marking the first time the global international conference has been held in Africa.
Hosted in Kenya from 27–31, July, the conference celebrates the rapid growth of the international STACK community while showcasing pioneering work by African educators in transforming mathematics and STEM education. STACK is the world's leading open-source system for the assessment of mathematics and STEM, enabling students to answer mathematical questions online while receiving sophisticated automatic assessment and meaningful feedback. Used by universities, schools and colleges around the world, STACK supports millions of assessment attempts every year and has become a cornerstone of digital mathematics education.
The 2026 conference is chaired by Dr Michael Obiero Oyengo of Maseno University, whose leadership reflects Kenya's growing influence in educational technology and mathematics education across Africa.
One of the highlights of this year's meeting is the innovative work being undertaken by Kenyan educators to use STACK in schools through a competency-based mastery approach. Rather than focusing solely on examinations, this approach enables learners to practise until they demonstrate genuine understanding, receiving immediate feedback that helps them identify misconceptions and build confidence before progressing to more advanced topics. This aligns closely with Kenya's Competency-Based Curriculum and demonstrates how digital assessment can support high-quality teaching while keeping teachers firmly at the centre of learning. "The work taking place in Kenyan schools is world-leading, and attracting positive international attention," said conference organisers. "Educators here are showing how technology can support mastery learning while maintaining the highest educational standards."
Delegates are attending from across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania, with a particularly strong pan-African presence representing universities and schools from across the continent. The meeting provides an opportunity for researchers and practitioners to share ideas, develop new collaborations and strengthen an international community united by a common goal: improving mathematics education for all learners.
Since its creation over two decades ago, STACK has been developed as an open-source, community-led project, bringing together mathematicians, educators and software developers from around the world. This collaborative model has enabled continual innovation while ensuring that the software remains freely available to educational institutions worldwide. The conference will also explore the responsible use of Large Language Models (LLMs) and artificial intelligence in mathematics education. Rather than replacing teachers, the STACK community is developing approaches that use AI to enhance learning and support educators, while ensuring that teachers, mathematicians and subject experts remain firmly "in the loop" to maintain the highest standards of educational quality, accuracy and academic integrity.
As demand for high-quality digital assessment continues to grow worldwide, the STACK community has expanded rapidly, with new institutions adopting the platform each year and an increasingly diverse international network of contributors. The Nairobi meeting reflects both this remarkable growth and the important role that African institutions are playing in shaping the future of mathematics education.
Further information about STACK is available at https://stack-assessment.
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International Meeting of the STACK Community 2026
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