Introducing Grammatikus, a tale which unfolds in the fictional Kingdom of Gramadach, where life was one of harmony, drawn from a spiritual book of ultimate knowledge that led to perfect communication between all. But when one of two authors of this powerful tome became corrupted by pride, wrecking havoc within the realm; a hero was called. Grammatikus embarks on a quest to repair the damage done and calls for a band of heroes, which he recruits from the real world. Here, students are drawn into the story and, equipped with a customisable avatar; they join as Determiners, to make the world right once more.
Grammatikus is a web-based game with RPG elements, built around the eight parts of speech and structural concepts of English. It engages students with incentives, rewards, and a narrative based on the conflict between Good and Evil.
Sarah Sharp and Michèle Fitz-Gerald had a vision to improve the communication skills of our youth after identifying a need while teaching in the classroom. Five years ago, they created a solution with aims to raise the literacy bar in Australia. After months of research, they conceptualised and developed an educational tool with a difference.
“We chose game-based learning because it is a powerful tool. It not only allows for individualised learning and teaching, it also blends engagement and motivation, which are all key factors contributing to effective learning.” Michèle explains passionately.
“And we chose the digital platform, because it is today’s reality. Students expect to use the Internet and a range of digital tools, and so they should, as when they enter the workforce, the skills that they will be required to master will not be based on rote memorisation, but on their ability to navigate the online world.”
“It was a steep learning curve involving many hours, months and years, of research,” explains Sarah. “Everything was a challenge”, Michèle continues, “From deciding on a business model, to protecting our IP. Developing the concept was a gargantuan ask. It took vision, sound project management skills, determination, tenacity and endurance.”
Having a background in teaching, the pair knows that for teachers the benefits will be huge; Sarah explains some key points: “A recent study shows that on average, teachers dedicate 78% of non-teaching time to research, planning, preparation and assessment. For full-time teachers, this equates to over 23 hours a week! Grammatikus can dramatically reduce this time. It automatically provides content, marks worksheets and tests online, allows for homework tasks and generates progress reports indicating where students are excelling to areas that need a little more attention.”
“Teachers today are not just incredibly time poor,” Michele adds, “they are also often required to teach subjects that are outside of their area of expertise; Grammatikus is a solution for them. It provides them with video tutorials so they don’t need to be experts in grammar; ready-made activities that are based on contemporary learning theories, aligned with the National Curriculum and can easily tie in with any school’s learning objectives.”
Sarah goes on to explain that “the real power of Grammatikus is that students work at their own pace; the game adjusts content and delivers it at each student’s individual level of achievement. Also, students don’t fear any judgment if they answer incorrectly. In fact they get rewarded with a new opportunity to earn more points …”
With growing Global awareness in Grammatikus, Michele and Sarah are excited about helping many more schools locally and globally become aware of how easy to use and effective in results Grammatikus is for everyone involved.
Contact Grammatikus on 1300 728 481 or visit: www.grammatikus.com
Education Technology Solutions would like to apologise for the spelling error which appears on the Grammatikus Advertorial (pg 82) in the print version of the magazine (issue #61).
Latest posts by Education Technology Solutions (see all)
- BenQ Launches First EDLA-Certified Interactive Displays for Education with Google Mobile Services (GMS) - November 17, 2023
- How AI technology is unlocking new opportunities for educators and pathways for learning - October 11, 2023
- A Strategic Implementation of Contemporary Digital Technologies - July 11, 2023
You must be logged in to post a comment.
There are no comments
Add yours