Science experiments for curious kids by subscription
We’ve already seen Amabam use the subscription model to help adults pursue a new hobby with monthly learning boxes, so surely the same could be done for kids? genius.box has answered that question, with the aim to get children completing projects related to STEM subjects on a regular basis. READ MORE…
In Brazil, vacant classroom spots offered at reduced cost to poorer students
Learning can be expensive, and we’ve already seen startups such as Raygun try to help college students in US save money. But what about those who can’t even afford a basic education? Brazil’s Mais Estudo is hoping to get more young people into university by offering vacant classroom spots at reduced prices. READ MORE…
App turns teachers’ smartphones into automatic exam graders
Platforms like GoSoapBox already harness mobile technology to glean information about student performance, but judging their work still relies on long marking sessions out of hours. Quick Key is a new app that makes grading multiple choice papers quicker and easier, enabling teachers to spend more time fine-tuning their teaching plans. READ MORE…
Digital pinboards group educational media resources
The social web has broadened the possibilities for informing and educating, and we’ve already seen sites such as Kroupys, a Q&A platform for higher education students to share knowledge. Now, Learnist is a Pinterest-style site which enables users to collate their online resources by theme. READ MORE…
Site translates news into three levels of English proficiency
We’ve already seen Duolingo provide a way for language students to learn by translating content for the web, but our latest spotting recognizes that it’s often too much of a challenge to throw people in at the deep end.News In Levels provides current affairs stories in English at three levels of difficulty to help people learn. READ MORE…
PC math game responds to kids’ emotions as they learn
It’s long been known that a spoonful of sugar helps the proverbial medicine go down, and perhaps one of the best illustrations is the use of gaming in education. Canadian SMARTeacher has now come up with a novel twist on that concept, by developing a PC math game that not only recognizes children’s emotions as they learn, but also adapts the game accordingly. READ MORE…
Analytics platform lets instructors monitor students’ use of course materials
There’s no doubt technology can be a useful tool in education, whether to help analyze classroom data or simply to make sure students attend. Whereas most such efforts focus on the classroom, however, California-based CourseSmart now offers new insight into the homework process by giving instructors a way to monitor pupils’ use of electronic course materials. READ MORE…
Controllers make educational games accessible for physically disabled kids
We’ve already seen projects such as Limbs Alive use gaming to enable recovery for stroke victims. Focusing instead on those with life-long conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the Splash range of games uses special controllers to make it easier for kids to play, while also offering education in an array of subjects. READ MORE…
Citizen volunteers help paleontologists analyze ancient mastodon remains
Following swiftly on from our recent story covering ClicktoCure’s crowdsourced approach to cancer research comes word of a like-minded initiative in the world of paleontology. Now under way at the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI), the Mastodon Matrix Project is putting citizen volunteers to work by getting them to analyze samples of the dirt surrounding ancient mastodon remains. READ MORE…
Students learn computer-building skills while fulfilling government requests
With many world governments facing cutbacks in the wake of the global economic crisis, it’s no wonder we’ve seen initiatives encouraging citizens to help out their country – such as Egypt’s Cairo Transport App Challenge, which we covered recently. Similarly, the SMKN 3 Mataram vocational school in Indonesia doesn’t have a budget to allow its computer engineering students to practice their skills on actual hardware, and is now taking building requests from regional authorities in exchange for the components. READ MORE…
