Math-Whizz 2.0, a brave new world of math!

Launching in Spring/Summer this year, Math-Whizz 2.0 is the result of over 18 months worth of research, planning and development to both migrate the Math-Whizz lessons from flash to HTML5 (an essential with the imminent demise of flash), and the improvements we’ve made to the student experience to ensure our students are engaged and motivated to learn through our online math tutor, Math-Whizz.

Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been in the user testing phase of the HTML version of Math-Whizz. The response has been overwhelmingly positive! One of our tester school Headteachers reported that the students were ‘buzzing’ – not the usual response to a school math lesson! Some students even wanted to stay on during break and lunchtime to do more…yes, more!

Why go to all this trouble?

We’ve known for some time that the days of flash are numbered, and we have committed to making every corner of Math-Whizz mobile and tablet-friendly. The migration project has presented us with an opportunity to not just migrate our existing lessons but to enhance and develop the whole experience – Math-Whizz needs to not only function well on all devices and be educationally powerful, but also to use the latest design technology for maximum effect.

“I really don’t like math at all, but I love Math-Whizz” (student at one of our tester schools last month)

As any student on Math-Whizz will tell you, there is more to the online experience than the lessons alone. Over the past fifteen years, more than a million students have immersed themselves in a rich learning environment that includes everything from rewards systems and virtual pets to leader boards and challenge modes.

We have worked tirelessly with our users, inviting students into Whizz Towers, visiting schools globally, listening to our fellow Whizzers to understand their needs, preferences, and vision for future learning. There was clearly a need to improve, and we have fully embraced and committed to the whole redevelopment process.

What’s new?

Here are some of the enhancements you can expect to see:

Avatars as individual as you are!

Our brand new avatar tool is truly global, and based on consultation with all our international territories – students can select their avatar’s clothing and accessories from an eclectic mix of options. The avatars are displayed on social leaderboards, earning students more visual prominence among their peers. They are also incredibly fun to play with…the possibilities are endless; every avatar truly is as individual as you are!

A new guide

The Whizz Professor has now officially retired making way for a new generation of exemplar Professors. The first of these, is an android inspired by our students’ own designs and with universal appeal, which bodes well for when Math-Whizz spreads to intergalactic quarters (because aliens deserve individualised learning, too!).

Brave new worlds

The design for the new student experience began with a blank canvas, which soon became sprinkled with students’ ingenious ideas, including the concepts of world themes. We’re launching with two themes – Space and Jungle – with others to follow. Students will have to work hard to unlock new themes, each of which has the same navigation but its own look and feel, as well as items specific to that theme.

A mathometer to reward consistency

We’ve all heard of summer learning loss and we know that students are motivated when they can track their own progress, so with this in mind, we’ve introduced a mathometer to incentivise longer term progress. Students achieve a status that corresponds to their progress in each of the past eight weeks, rewarding their consistency, and shared on leaderboards for their peers to envy.

Mobile-friendly

Last and by no means least, the new student experience has been designed with tablets and smartphones in mind. Along with the lessons themselves, students can now enjoy all aspects of Math-Whizz in the palm of their hands (or, if they still prefer, on any laptop or PC).

At Whizz Education we see these developments as a new beginning and a positive commitment to continuous improvement of Math-Whizz for students worldwide. We are excited to receive students’ feedback and experiences, and are ready to keep adjusting and improving to ensure their needs and preferences are met at every turn.

If you’re already a customer, you’ll be hearing from us soon with news of when the new Math-Whizz experience will be live for you. Want to have a sneak peek? Click here to enjoy a taster of what’s to come….

If you’re not already a customer, take a look at our subscription options.