Genius Aussie app idea you'll wish you'd thought of first
When it comes to screen-time, the amount of time that kids spend on their phone has parents worried.
So the idea to force kids to do maths and English problems in order to unlock apps on their phones seems like an obvious solution, now that someone has thought of it.
Sydney entrepreneurs Isaac and Ann Elnekave have turned that idea into a reality through the app 1Question, which they trialled on their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa.
Of the trial, Alyssa said, ‘At first I wasn’t too sure about it.’
‘I didn’t want my friends to blame me if their parents made them get it,’ she continued.
‘But, once I started using it I realised it doesn’t take that long to answer a question and it’s actually pretty cool.’
Research has found that almost half of kids between six and 13 either own a phone or can access one. With the majority playing phone games or using apps like YouTube for an average of five hours a day, the Elnekaves hope to use that time for good.
‘Much like sneaking veggies into cake, the 1Question app seamlessly leverages screen habits to create micro learning moments,’ Mrs Elnekave said.
‘Engagement is the holy grail of educators - if only kids were as motivated to learn their times tables as they are their TikTok moves.’
‘We created a solution that blends screen time and study to maximise your child’s valuable engagement,’ she explained.
With a monthly $2.99 subscription, parents can download the app onto their child’s phone, choose their grade and curriculum subjects, and monitor their progress on a dashboard, showing each correct answer they answer to open a game or app such as YouTube.
Mr Elnekave said, ‘We designed the user experience to be really simple, but underneath the hood is our incredibly intelligent AI engine.’
‘As your child learns, so does the AI, which seamlessly deciphers each child’s area of strength and weakness and autonomously charts a customised path for their learning.’
With a base of 12,000 questions developed using the Australian, British, and American primary school curriculums, there are plans to expand the app to cater to high school students, including those taking the HSC.
Since the trial launched, Mr Elnekave said they had been ‘inundated with requests for more topics almost daily.’
The potential global growth of the app helped the entrepreneurs secure support from the Australian Tax Office, which granted the app Early Stage Innovation Company status.
To help the app take off on a global scale, the couple are looking to crowdfund $1.5 million on the OnMarket website.
Their target? To emulate the success of language learning app Duolingo, which has been downloaded 300 million times and is valued at $US 2.4 billion.
The Rozelle couple have also garnered support from their neighbours including actor Gary Sweet. Echoing the thoughts of many parents, he said, ‘Bloody oath. Where was this app a few years back!’