SmartStudy app aims to sharpen pupils for PEP
Published:Friday | August 18, 2023 | 12:09 AMSashana Small/Staff Reporter
Students preparing for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) examinations next year will be able to access additional academic support through the EduHub SmartStudy app.
The app, which will be available in September, is equipped with practice tests and mock exams. It is also integrated with artificial intelligence technology to facilitate personalised learning and provides analytics to track students' progress.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, founder and CEO of EduHub Company Limited, Davia Bryan-Campbell, described the app, which she said is the first of its kind dedicated to PEP preparation, as the ultimate exam and study companion.
She said that the app covers all subject areas from grades four to six, and parents, teachers, and principals can access progress reports. A key component of the SmartStudy app is its gamification features, which aim to make the learning process fun.
“This is a groundbreaking application,” Bryan-Campbell said. “Our only goal is to provide solutions to problems facing the education system.”
In applauding the innovation, Dr Kasan Troupe, acting chief education officer in the Ministry of Education, noted that the SmartStudy app has provided the technological space needed for more self-directed learning.
“It means that you understand what you need to do as a learner in the process. We have not been able to do that, somewhat, in Jamaica. Our learners are somewhat dependent because of our model; we are teacher-centred,” she said. “So no longer will we say, 'Go and find your book ... . [We will now say,] 'Go and log on to the app!'.”
Troupe noted that the app and its varying features would also aid in enabling differentiation learning.
PERFECT TIMING
Describing the EduHub Smart Study app launch as “perfect timing”, she said it would fit well into the Government's push to integrate more technology into the school system.
“Schools are now enabled. Our students are exposed to technology, and what I want more from this experience is what we are struggling with as a ministry – to move our students into self-paced, self-directed learning,” she said.
Meanwhile, Bryan Campbell, who won the National Innovator of the Year award in 2022 for creating EduHub Teach, a platform that enables teachers to access and share resources with each other, told The Gleaner that as a former educator, she understands the needs of the classroom.
And the app, she said, through its intersection of modern technology, personalised learning, and comprehensive exam preparation, will be fulfilling a number of those needs.
“I understand teachers' pain points. What I do is that I meet with teachers and I find out what their needs are, where the gaps are ... . We have focus-group sessions, interviews ... and then [examine] how it is that we can fill these gaps,” she said.
She added that the app would also be available offline and is compatible with Android devices. Persons with iOS devices can access it via its website.
Bryan-Campbell shared that the SmartStudy app can be purchased for between $4,500 and $6,000 per student for the year.
Reverberating her passion for technology in education, she said that she strives to continue creating impact.
“I believe that I can have a far firmer, stronger impact on education, [more] far-reaching than just being in a classroom. I was impactful in the classroom, but not as impactful as I want to be, where we can make changes to what is happening in the system and impact the students in a different way,” she said.