A GROUP of innovative learners at St Columba’s High School in Bulawayo has developed a digital learning platform designed to help teachers to quickly identify areas where students struggle and improve the overall learning process.
Upper Sixth student Michael Dube said they created the software after realising that teachers often took a long time marking books, but struggle to pinpoint exactly where students go wrong.
He said the platform, called MindSpark Ultimate, used artificial intelligence (AI) to set and mark tests according to the syllabus.
It then provides teachers with a dashboard showing each student’s performance and the exact concept they failed to understand.
Emmanuel Sibanda, a Form Two student, highlighted that the project was inspired by the challenges teachers face due to heavy workloads, which leave them with little time to analyse learners’ mistakes.
“The research, carried out by the team, showed that many wrong answers in tests are caused by incorrect order, grammar or syntax,” Sibanda said.
“The platform was designed to help teachers to quickly identify such problems and explain concepts more effectively.”
Headboy Donnell Mutoredzanwa said the initiative was a progressive step towards academic excellence and institutional growth at the school.
- Harvest hay to prevent veldfires: Ema
- Public relations: How artificial intelligence is changing the face of PR
- Queen Lozikeyi singer preaches peace
- Public relations: How artificial intelligence is changing the face of PR
Keep Reading
“The project is aligned with the principles of Education 5.0 as it integrates technology into learning, encourages research and equips students with digital skills needed in the modern world,” he said.
Another student, Mphoemi Moyo, said the team took note of concerns about students misusing gadgets at the school and developed safeguards within the system.
“The platform includes monitoring features that allow teachers to track students’ activities during lessons and block them if they attempt to leave the learning application,” Moyo said.
St Columba’s High School teacher and Robotics Laboratory patron Denise Masuku said the application assisted teachers in identifying key areas where learners are lagging behind.
He added that the platform helped learners to practise more on difficult topics and provided remediation, which is often difficult for teachers to offer on a one-to-one basis.
Another teacher and Robotics Club patron, Belinda Ncube, said the application allowed teachers to analyse trends in learners’ performance.
“The system gives insight into specific topics and concepts that learners struggle with, making it easier for teachers to improve their teaching strategies,” she said.
