SkillTrack!

SkillTrack! is a learning application that supports the practice, development and self-assessment of 21^st Century or Transversal Skills (e.g. collaboration, communication, creativity, problem-solving) in the K12, Higher Ed or Corporate space by bringing together innovative pedagogy and supportive technology.

These skills, believed to be critically important to both students and employees, are articulated, defined and considered foundational in cultures of growth learning; as such, global focus has turned towards the regulation, standardisation and measurement of these skills. However student/employee understanding of these skills is not being addressed; there is a demand for assessment of the skills without the pre-requisite focus on the ‘teaching,’ ‘learning’ and ‘doing’ of the skills.

SkillTrack! addresses this challenge by supporting expectations around these skills and their development by cultivating skill literacy, cognition and reflection while creating an explicit, gamified, context for use.

Skilltrack made the shortlist for the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards 2015

Features

Native app for Windows 8 tablets (e.g. Surface Pro 2)

Hybrid app for iOS and Android

Teacher Dashboard

Novel design features of SkillTrack!

• VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL MOBILITY:

In a K12 or Higher Education context, SkillTrack! can be used across year/grade level and content areas as opposed to being year/grade or subject specific. Similarly in a corporate context it is applicable to skills across positions and departments as well as for a wide range of organisations from small manufacturing firms or retail organisations to multinationals such as those in the IT, banking and pharma sectors.

• NOT ACTIVITY SPECIFIC

SkillTrack! is more than a ‘once-off’ activity having longevity and breadth to it as opposed to being a singular activity that a user (student/teacher/employee) only interacts with once

• AUTHENTIC CLASSROOM/WORKPLACE DYNAMIC

SkillTrack! fits within the authentic classroom/workplace dynamic and becomes an extension of regular classroom or workplace practice as opposed to being something that interferes, prohibits or breaks up the standard class or work day.

• ACTIVATES USER (STUDENT/EMPLOYEE) SKILL LITERACY:

SkillTrack! facilitates student/employee understanding of transversal skills (21^st Century Skills) by focusing on the ‘teaching’ and ‘learning’ and ‘doing’ of the skills and not just providing a standardised ‘hard’ assessment.

• BASED IN EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

SkillTrack! does not force a context for skill usage; the pedagogy is rooted in the user’s naturally occurring learning experience (a pseudo experiential learning situation) as opposed to a situation contrived for the purpose of app usage

• OFFERS FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

SkillTrack! is not summative in its experience or assessment, the design allows for an assisted continuous practice and development of skill meant to promote metacognitive and deep learning while providing the user opportunity to grow in skill understanding and usage.

Core Technologies

• Self Assessment
• Learning Analytics
• Natural Language Processing

Industry and Research Partners

• TCD
• UCD
• NUIG
• Microsoft