The Galway Science & Technology Festival are delighted to bring access to the WhizzKids Online Academy to students throughout the county for the festival this year. Access will last for one month, so students will have plenty of time to develop a range of new digital skills, as well as participate in the Galway Science & Technology Festival 3D Design Challenge.
So, what does this mean & how would it work?
The team at WhizzKids have been busy creating 16 different tech courses, covering everything from Animation to Web Design, Game Development to Machine Programming, etc. These online courses are all designed & recorded by experienced teachers, however, the teachers have been transformed into their ‘avatars’ and animated to present the lessons in a more engaging fashion for students. We believe that this new online learning platform will be the first of its kind in the world, not only for its methodology but also for its content. Other online platforms teaching IT normally restrict content to coding lessons, ignoring the more creative aspects of technology. WhizzKids.io on the other hand, blends the creative aspects of technology with more traditional aspects of coding to help children develop a full suite of digital skills.
WhizzKids will set up individual accounts for each participating student, listed under their teacher’s account. This means that the Learning Management System will keep track of your students’ progress as they develop tech skills in a range of areas. The students earn badges & XP points as they progress through the programmes & we can show a Leader board, which keeps them motivated. They will also earn Certificates of Completion once they have finished each course, so they could use these for their school portfolios.
The lessons can be accessed anytime, anywhere as long as they have internet access, so the show can go on even in the event of another lockdown. Another benefit, from a teacher’s point of view, is that there are reporting tools inbuilt, so that teachers can monitor the progress of their students.
The 3D Design Challenge is to recreate the Galway Cathedral in 3D using SketchUp. Students can learn how to use this software free of charge on the Academy.
