With most day-to-day activities going online — banking, shopping, and social interaction— education too has followed suit. Today, a number of platforms that deliver content to students across different subjects, languages and geographies, and products such as Khan Academy and Coursera (among other MOOCs), have revolutionised the pedagogical landscape in a short span. One click and you can register to learn a new skill/sharpen an old one, co-ordinate with students from across the globe and all of this, free of cost.
One challenge, however, is that the content on most of these platforms is not structured in sync with the curriculums of school students across geographies and hence do not directly assist school students unless students actively seek interest.
The school teachers, and in many cases the tuition teachers are primary sources of knowledge. Statistically, in India, Math is one subject that most students dread and struggle with. Problems range from lack of infrastructure, incompetent teachers and even peer pressure.
Math can never be mastered by reading theory alone. Application of the math concepts and problem practice is the only way one can master the subject.
A technology that helps a student attempt a solution to a math problem just as how he would use pen and paper, would be the perfect solution to address this issue. Such a tool would be indispensable for both students, as a practice platform to learn math, and for teachers, as a tool for imparting effective math tutoring to their students.
Online platforms such asTutrr seek to utilise technology to help students practise and learn mathematics. The student can enter a step-wise solution to a problem and then ask for it to be graded.
In addition to text-based problems where a student enters solutions in linear steps, an online interactive platform supports construction and graph-related problems, where a user is expected to construct figures. The user-friendly interface (UI) is easier for students to practise math on, and a quick hint guide assists the student to solve a problem successfully.
The jitters before a math exam or incessant fear of calculations and numbers can be kept in check by practising maths regularly on a platform that knows the minds of its users. The relevance of math in higher studies and its equally important role in cracking many employment-related tests is undeniable. Practice promotes performance and sharpens talent, which is precisely what the online interactive platforms can provide to the students.
The writer is COO and Co-Founder, Mettl
