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Rex Ndengeya

Education Correspondent
PUPILS studying secondary school mathematics in Zimbabwe can look forward to improving their performance in the subject, thanks to a new mathematical e-learning platform that helps them target and improve areas of weakness.

Developed by a team of Zimbabweans based in the UK, Wagona Maths, uses a diagnostic algorithm to identify areas of weakness and directs pupils to focus on topics and question types that they struggle with rather than plough through all materials.

Rex Ndengeya, Education Director for Wagona Maths and also a Mathematics teacher at a high achieving academy in Nottingham, said the platform could help improve Zimbabwe’s ‘O’ Level Maths pass rate, which was a lowly 26 percent in 2015.

“It is crucial for students to understand where they fall short and how much effort they need to invest in those challenging areas in order to grasp the concepts and improve their performance in the subject.

“With Wagona Maths, pupils can take tutorials and tests independently, and teachers and parents can monitor their progress through dynamically generated tracking statistics.

This targeted, focused approach is what we at Wagona Maths call Smart Learning,” a passionate Ndengeya explained.

And his passion is not misplaced — he has seen the same approach work in his role as a specialist teacher in the UK. Ndengeya has over the past six years led on intervention strategies aimed at assisting pupils at risk of failure. His academy enjoys an average pass rate in Maths of 77 percent. Using the same diagnostic approach, Ndengeya believes Wagona Maths can yield the same success as he has had with his pupils.

So well received has the e-learning platform been that it has been nominated for an Innovation Award at this year’s edition of the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards, which will be held at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London, on May 7.

“Our platform is particularly relevant today when there is a shortage of teachers, books and other teaching resources throughout the education system.

Wagona Maths is unique in that it is specifically designed for Zimbabwe, as it follows the Zimbabwean curriculum for both zimsec and IGCSE. So, as Zimbabweans we are confident that we have created a platform that best meets our specific needs as a nation,” Ndengeya said.

The innovative e-learning platform also comes at a time when the Government, through Prof Jonathan Moyo’s Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, has adopted the promotion of STEM subjects as a human capital development priority for the country.

The Government has offered free education to pupils that register for Advanced Level science subjects at public schools. As of March this year, over 3 000 pupils had registered for STEM, with the Government spending over $700 000 in school fees for them.

“To complement this policy thrust, Wagona Maths cuts through challenges such as the shortage of trained teachers and textbooks, and can help to raise the pass rate so that we have more pupils taking up STEM subjects at ‘A’ Level,” Ndengeya explained.

But in a country where e-learning is yet to take root, is Ndengeya hopeful that Wagona Maths will gain traction with pupils, parents and teachers alike in Zimbabwe?

“Internet penetration in Zimbabwe is on the rise and so we have the basic platform we need to promote innovative e-learning in the country.

“We are developing an app version of the platform in order to reach a wider audience, since most people access the Internet via mobile devices.

“The app will increase access to our platform by 90 percent given that the country enjoys a 97 percent mobile phone penetration.

“Entry level smartphones are affordable and mobile service is readily available throughout the country,” he explained.

Currently, Wagona Maths is being used by pupils and schools that have access to computers, tablets and the Internet.

The platform has subscriptions for individuals as well as schools and will be more widely available through the use of mobile phone devices with the launch of the mobile app in a few months’ time.

• Users can register for a trial at http://www.wagona.com