Free High-Tech Learning Software for Low Decile Schools
Low decile secondary schools are set to receive free high-tech learning software, as the New Zealand developers behind
the innovative EdTech want to make learning accessible for all Kiwis.
QuickSense is used in everyday teaching, improving students’ learning by tracking their achievement and delivering targeted
lessons.
The programme integrates seamlessly with both NCEA and Cambridge curricula and is being offered to decile 1 to 3 New
Zealand secondary schools for free.
Co-founder Vivek Kumar says the cloud-based software works by tracking a student’s progression through a subject, using
the data to tailor lessons to individual strengths and weaknesses.
He says the programme follows existing lesson plans, giving real-time feedback so teachers - and students - do not have
to wait until formal tests to gauge student achievement.
“We are not looking to disrupt the classroom, what we are doing is working within the current class structure to improve
student achievement,” he says.
Kumar says QuickSense allows students to work at their own pace as they focus on the content tailored to their
individual needs.
“Students can study at their own pace because they only need to focus on the content they are less advanced in. Regular
tests on QuickSense help students and teachers understand their strengths and weaknesses against learning benchmarks.”
The software is available from $15 per student, but QuickSense wants to give it to decile 1 to 3 schools for free.
“QuickSense was founded because we want to make learning accessible to all. By giving it to lower decile schools, no one
misses out.”
The software has been trialled at three secondary schools around New Zealand, and improved the learning outcomes by 22
percent compared to controls.
St Peter’s College mathematics teacher, Amir Razjou, says his students were more productive and their achievement
improved during the trial.
“QuickSense provided relevant tasks for my course and in a very productive way for my students. Within the first year of
using it, I saw improvements in student grades when students used the software.”
QuickSense came about after Kumar failed his high school maths courses, despite studying hard.
“I failed my Year 12 maths course so I set out on a quest to figure out why, and how, to stop it happening to other
students who, like me, had followed their classes and done their study.”
The other QuickSense team members are Vineet Chauhan, Rupesh Raitilal and Hamish Parbhu.
QuickSense has already won a number of accolades, including being a winner of the ATEED Ideas Starter and a finalist at
the University of Auckland Velocity programme. It is now working with the Callaghan Institute-backed incubator,
Astrolab.
The education technology and software sector, referred to as EdTech, is predicted by one report to grow to a value of more than $350 billion by 2020.
QuickSense is eager to work with any New Zealand secondary schools, and can be contacted via www.quicksense.org.
ENDS