Belfast tech firm company Komodo Learning said it has seen a fourfold increase in global demand for its math learning tools, since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Founded in 2015, Komodo is a learning system for children aged five to 11 to supplement primary school maths at home.
It provides animated video guidance and short practice exercises that can be accessed on smartphones, tablets and computers, with learning individually tailored to each child’s needs by a maths teacher.
Before the coronavirus crisis, the company said it already had over 5,000 families using its website around the world, including in all 50 US states.
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Former maths teacher and Komodo founder Gerard McBreen said the current lockdown in many countries has resulted in increased interest from parents looking for resources they can trust.
(c) BT
He commented: “Komodo has been helping parents to support their children's maths learning for years but since schools have closed, we’ve been called upon by even more parents who have had to become their children's sole educators. It is not how we expected to grow the business but we are responding to the rise in demand.
“Komodo was never intended as a replacement for school, but with schools closed it can provide a structured learning programme to develop maths skills. It’s designed for 'little and often' learning in 15-minute sessions, which means kids aren’t kept at the screen for a long time and parents can fit them in between their own work.
“We’re helping new and existing subscribers who are experiencing financial difficulties and we have also made a lot of resources available free of charge on our blog. There is a lot of information online, but it can be really hard to navigate and find what works for your children if you are new to it or not confident in your own maths ability."
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Gerard also advised parents to not be too hard on themselves when it comes to home-schooling.
He continued: “It’s never going to be the same as school but you can find a way that works for you - remember that learning can be found in the most unusual places. With young children, 20 minutes is a realistic time to spend on one learning activity - if you can organise three or even two of these per day you’ll be doing well.”
Gerard also expressed his empathy with fellow start-up founders who are struggling in the current climate, “having built Komodo from the ground up.”
He added: “We have so many innovative, resilient, high calibre founders here in Northern Ireland that I’m confident the sector will continue to thrive when this crisis eases.
“We want to continue to play our part in growing that ecosystem. Parents are becoming more aware of the importance of maths as a gateway to STEM career opportunities but often do not realise their child's maths ability isn't predetermined. Anyone can do well in the subject provided the foundation is strong enough.”
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Source: Written from press release
