Educators at the Arizona State University and Smart Sparrow have come up with a bold idea to answer academic’s biggest question: how does technology improve education? Their innovative solution can help those struggling at school by creating an online program that will help students complete their college course.
Inspark Science Network is a state-of-the-art online technology that helps students with their science coursework and can help to guide them in the right direction.
Developers believe that general science education is a big factor behind college completion, and giving students an interactive tool to help them pass their college assignments is a bold step in the development of the education sector.
Smart Sparrow is widely respected in global education circles, first receiving prominence and recognition in Australia, then developing and expanding in the United States.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supported the initiative with a 4.5 million USD cash grant to honor Smart Sparrow for taking the first step in this breakthrough in digital education.
There are now more than 50 universities and colleges in the United States using the program and this figure is expected to rise to over 100 by 2017.
The initiative has already kicked off its first online study aid, called Habitable Worlds, which “focuses on the study and finding another habitable planet should the earth fail to provide life to mankind.”
Now that the course is proving successful in the United States, the program is set to go global after education boards in Australia have shown interest in testing the program.
The Deakin University of Australia is planning to introduce the Habitable Worlds program followed by the “BioBeyond” section which focuses on whether we are alone in the universe.
So, as this online tool helps promote critical thinking and raises questions about the ultimate purpose and meaning of life, the science community can benefit from the many new minds interested in the sciences.
It is bold ideas like these that give students the extra push they need to help them through their difficult college years, and to open their minds to many bold ideas and possibilities
