EduFocal provides more GSATready resources
Published:Wednesday | May 20, 2015 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill
The partnership now makes EduFocal the largest online GSAT content provider in Jamaica. EduFocal combines study with play, and it's the first tool of its kind created for students at the primary and secondary level in the Caribbean. Students benefit from friendly group interaction with their peers from other schools and it assists them with subjects that they have challenges with.
According to Gordon Swaby, CEO and founder of EduFocal, the GSATready content is very comprehensive and is aligned to the curriculum that is developed and maintained by prominent education practitioners who understand the concepts related to the examination.
test items
"The test items include not just questions for recall, but they are also concept-based and include different levels of questions that allow students to think critically," Swaby said.
"GSATready gives top value for money and does not short-change the students. Unlike other programmes where students get only what they can afford to pay for, this cutting-edge programme offers a level playing field where all students are given equal access and opportunity," he added.
With the partnership, the expanded database provides more than 23,000 questions and answers for all subject areas except communication tasks, in addition to detailed study guides covering the full spectrum of content for grades four to six. Students preparing for the Grade Four Literacy examinations can also access the EduFocal website to obtain resource material that will assist them in their preparations.
Robert Smith, principal, Chetolah Park Primary School, in endorsing the partnership, said students from grades three to six now want to use GSATready. Smith said they have seen a remarkable transformation from the frowns, excuses and multiple distractions that are seen in traditional learning by textbook.
"With GSATready, the students don't even realise that they are learning. The pool of questions in the study programme includes recall, inferential, application and analysis, all of which help to improve the students' mental ability and critical-thinking skills," he said.
EduFocal will also partner with ACT to provide the ACT Workkeys programme called EduFocal WorkForce powered by ACT. ACT WorkKeys is a job-skills assessment system that helps employers select, hire, train, develop, and retain a high-performance workforce. This series of tests measures foundational and soft skills and offers specialised assessments to target institutional needs.
"As part of ACT's Work Readiness System, ACT WorkKeys has helped millions of people in high schools, colleges, professional associations, businesses, and government agencies build their skills to increase global competitiveness and develop successful career pathways," Swaby told The Gleaner.
The EduFocal programme has remained sustainable over the years through the support of Rainforest Seafoods and British Caribbean Insurance. In recent times, EduFocal has also partnered with the Government of Jamaica through the Tablets in Schools programme.
In July, EduFocal Awards, to be renamed the EduFocal Excellence Awards, will take place and will acknowledge not only top students on the platform, but also companies and individuals that are innovating in education.
For more information on EduFocal and its offerings, visit www.edufocal.com.