Feb07

Smartick: When Technology Supports and Improves Traditional Education

Technology

Smartick is much more than math practice or mental calculation. The method is also based on essential values for the integral development of children. Below we explain the fundamental pillars of Smartick that combine the best of traditional education with technology.

When technology supports traditional education

Effort. Even though it only takes 15 minutes a day, Smartick is extra math practice, something that puts children who do it in a minority compared to millions of others whose families consider it more important to focus on extracurricular activities, sports, or languages, but not on the skills that math develops.
Consistency. Smartick is not a miracle method, nor does it promise to teach math instantly through playing. It’s a method that requires daily practice in order to work, which encourages the development of good study habits and discipline.
Concentration. Children are at the absolute limit of their concentration during the 15 minute sessions, with their attention fixed on the exercises. The fight for children’s attention is the great battle of the digital age, and Smartick focuses this attention on math exercises.
Self evaluation. Children see whether their answers are correct or incorrect immediately, which encourages them to push themselves and improve day by day. Smartick therefore achieves the essential internal motivation: the purpose of learning and improving.
Frustration tolerance: Children see where they make mistakes, and are given the opportunity to watch a tutorial, understand the concept, and improve. With the platform being adapted to each child, it’s normal for them to make mistakes when they begin each new concept, and they have to learn to overcome this.

When technology improves traditional education

Personalization of tasks. Thanks to artificial intelligence, Smartick ensures that each child works at the correct level they need to be at to face new challenges with the confidence that comes from what they already know. This means that children can advance ahead of their class, or receive the help they need to not fall behind.
Gamified environment. Smartick isn’t a game, but, thanks to its online presence, it can create an environment in which children feel more motivated to earn diplomas, ticks, and access their own virtual world after their daily session.
Data analysis. Access to thousands of responses to daily exercises allows the designers of the method to detect interesting patterns and continue improving certain types of problems. Being an open method, unlike a textbook or exercise booklets, makes it possible to incorporate new methodologies after the pedagogical team studies them.
Practice in specific areas. At Smartick, we know when and how a child has learned a new concept. This allows us to perfect the learning cycle, which starts with learning a concept, understanding it, and practicing it until mastering it. Smartick ensures that the cycle is completed successfully.

Technology