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Youth develops learning app as re-opening dates uncertain

Tuesday, May 19th, 2020 22:19 |
Daniel Kuria, developer of Smart Edoo app, at his office in Nairobi, yesterday. Photo/PD/Kenna Claude

They say necessity is the mother of invention and as the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, Daniel Kuria, a 25-year-old aeronautical engineer, has developed an education application where learners can get learning materials as they await the reopening of schools.

 “Everybody is uncertain about the exact date of schools reopening. Despite the government trying to contain the disease, numbers are getting higher each day.

This is why I saw the gap and decided to come up with this app, not for monetary gains but to respond to the pandemic which has brought everything into a standstill,” he says.

Despite the innovation of the app costing him close to Sh1 million, it will be available for Sh5.

Dubbed ‘Smart Edoo’, the web application caters for pre-primary to Class Eight learners and it is based on the competence-based curriculum design for Pre-Primary One to Grade Four and the old syllabus system for Class Five to Eight.

Keeps track

 Kuria said the platform contains video teaching sessions, notes and a smart quiz at the end of every lesson.

“ We have designed this app in way that at the end of the quiz, the results will be automatic where one will not have to wait until the next session to know their score.

For subjects such as  Mathematics, we have videos where the teacher will show the learner where they went wrong,” he said.

Furthermore, the app keeps track of every score through a dashboard.

For candidates, the platform offers a mock test after every three smart quizzes.

Kuria says the app has incorporated a creative intelligence course where learners will be taught different skills, including making of drones, music and animation.

 Schools have remained shut for 56 days now since they were closed in mid-March to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

While appearing before the National Assembly Education Committee on Thursday last week, Education Cabinet  Secretary  allayed  fears expressed by thousands of parents and guardians that the government sponsored e-learning programmes would create inequality given that underprivileged students may not have devices to access the content.

“In order to be fair to all the children, who in my opinion, must be treated equally, when schools re-open we shall ensure that the children cover what they have lost,” he said.

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