Focus on education, and numeracy specifically, is very high in the Indian household. Traditionally, tutors have played the role of supplementing what is taught in schools, and India has in fact a thriving tuition market. Over the last few years, with variable tutoring quality, increasing Internet penetration and its adoption as a channel of education more and more parents, schools, and students have begun to explore online education solutions. Some advantages of online education:
Creating the "best" content
The founders realized that focusing on creating world-class content, could be a long lasting differentiator. During the initial years, thus, the objective was to create superb content. Here, the HeyMath! team employed many different methods- from sitting in class rooms in high performing school systems to observe the way math is taught, to tying up with Cambridge University. Their model is also highly collaborative as they have always involved teachers in the content creation process.
In addition, there was a lot of emphasis on making the content interesting for kids. Thus, HeyMath! uses a lot graphics to make the problem solving more appealing. Not only that, through animations and interactive activities, they have made concepts easier to understand. It is no surprise therefore that, in a recent study done by the company, children who checked out their program gave it a unanimously high rating for helping understand and retain concepts and visual attractiveness.
And there is more. Taking advantage of Web 2.0 features, HeyMath! allows teachers to add their own questions and notes while a moderator from HeyMath! validates relevance.
- You get 24/7 class room with a highly qualified instructor
- You don’t have to step out of your house to get tuition
- You can study on your own at the time of your choice
- You can schedule your class according to your convenience
- You can proceed at your pace
"Few pressing issues like a serious shortage of good math teachers, math phobia among children, the explosive growth of Internet use, and India’s emergence as a recognized global brand led to the creation of HeyMath!"
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Creating the "best" content
The founders realized that focusing on creating world-class content, could be a long lasting differentiator. During the initial years, thus, the objective was to create superb content. Here, the HeyMath! team employed many different methods- from sitting in class rooms in high performing school systems to observe the way math is taught, to tying up with Cambridge University. Their model is also highly collaborative as they have always involved teachers in the content creation process.
In addition, there was a lot of emphasis on making the content interesting for kids. Thus, HeyMath! uses a lot graphics to make the problem solving more appealing. Not only that, through animations and interactive activities, they have made concepts easier to understand. It is no surprise therefore that, in a recent study done by the company, children who checked out their program gave it a unanimously high rating for helping understand and retain concepts and visual attractiveness.
And there is more. Taking advantage of Web 2.0 features, HeyMath! allows teachers to add their own questions and notes while a moderator from HeyMath! validates relevance.
"In a recent study done by the company (HeyMath!), children who checked out their program gave it a unanimously high rating for helping understand concepts and visual attractiveness."
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Over time, what has helped HeyMath! stay at its innovative edge is the team that works behind the scenes. Attracted by the unique concept that has found a mention in Tom Friedman’s bestseller “World is Flat”, Math and Engineering graduates from prestigious universities across the globe, teachers from the US, and not to forget, bright mathematicians from India, have become a part of the content team.
The University of Cambridge continues to provide research and development inputs. The collaborative approach to content creation also optimizes cost.
HeyMath!’s customers are schools as well as individual students. Some of the most reputed schools including Raffles Institute, Singapore, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan and Vidya Mandir, Chennai rely on HeyMath! to augment their math curriculum. HeyMath! is also used by Massachusetts Department of Education and Westport Public Schools, Connecticut in the US.
"Some of the most reputed schools including Raffles Institute, Singapore and Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, Chennai rely on HeyMath! to augment the math curriculum."
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The feedback from users is great. Children (and their parents) who use HeyMath! are its biggest ambassadors. Spurred by the initial success, the HeyMath! team has ambitious plans. This includes geographical expansion as well as introducing a direct-to-consumer model in India.
Their aim is to reach out as wide as possible because, as their tagline says, every child counts!