Magrid : the major technological support for children

The start-up Magrid, present at the heart of the incubator of the University of Luxembourg, has won the prestigious distinction of the WSA (World Summit Awards). A unique rewards system, which selects and promotes local digital innovation to improve society. Let’s discover Magrid, this start-up like no other, with Tahereh Pazouki

Explain to me the genesis of the project
Magrid is the result of a tandem Ph.D. project of myself (Tahereh Pazouki) and Véronique Cornu at the University of Luxembourg, in Luxembourg Centre for Educational Testing (LUCET), with the support of our supervisors from the University, the Service for the Coordination of Educational and Technological Research and Innovation (SCRIPT) and the National Research Fund (FNR).
The initial idea was to research the development of numerical abilities in young students to find a solution for training these abilities in second-language learners who are not familiar with the language of instruction. In Luxembourg, in cycle 1 (students who just start schooling), over 60% of students are not familiar with the language of instruction which is Luxembourgish. Second-language learners are at risk of obtaining a poor mathematical foundation and lagging behind their native peers already at the pre-school level. Magrid was developed to close the performance gap between native and non-native speakers and provide all students with equal access to high-quality math education.

The application is intended for children aged 4 to 8 years. Is there an evolution planned for the older ones ?
Yes, absolutely. We are envisaging further development of the Magrid program for the following age groups.

Versions in French or in other languages ?
Magrid is language-neutral, meaning that no matter where the students are coming from or which languages they speak, they can all fully and equally benefit from the learning program. The language-neutral property of Magrid removes the language barrier in learning math and provides equal educational opportunities to all learners, including the typically unserved population of second language learners, hearing impaired, and language disorders.

What is your outside help ?
My startup LetzMath, which launched Magrid is hosted in the University of Luxembourg Incubator. And Magrid is supported by the Service for the Coordination of Educational and Technological Research and Innovation (SCRIPT) and the National Research Fund (FNR).

Should children be prepared before using the app ? Should parents be by their side ?
Magrid was launched in all public schools of Luxembourg on March 4th, 2021. For the moment, Magrid is for school settings with the teacher leading the program.
This is due to the fact that The Magrid program consists of tasks performed on the tablet, as well as small books to adapt the work to the school context. In this way, the teacher in the classroom can individually support each child and guide the learning process.
However, we are working on the home version of Magrid to be launched at the beginning of 2022.

What advice would you give to future entrepreneurs ?
I am still learning in this domain, and I am not yet an expert to give pieces of advice. Although I like to tell them that they should believe in themselves, do what they care about, and find good people with positive vibes around them.

Interview conducted by Sébastien Yernaux
Thanks to Tahereh PAZOUKI (Magrid) and Ielizaveta SHLIAKHOVA (Université du Luxembourg)