How a Math Algorithm Could Educate the Whole World — for Free | Po-Shen Loh | Big Think

TL;DR

Expii is an innovative project that aims to provide free, accessible education to all individuals by turning smartphones into virtual tutors.

Transcript

About three years ago I became the national coach of the United States International Math Olympian Team. I was very happy for a day thinking this is very interesting. But the next day I started to think that maybe I should do something with this. And I decided that I wanted to focus not only on training an elite group of students but trying to do a... Read More

Key Insights

• 😒 Expii aims to use mathematics and algorithms to democratize education by providing free access to a virtual tutor.
• 👤 The virtual tutor on Expii's platform adapts to the user's understanding level, providing personalized learning experiences.
• 💪 By aggregating user-contributed content and using voting mechanisms, Expii ensures that the strongest educational materials are available on its platform.
• 💅 The goal of Expii is to cure both boredom and confusion in education by providing engaging and tailored learning experiences.
• 🎓 By turning smartphones into virtual tutors, Expii aims to eliminate financial barriers and provide accessible education to everyone.
• 👻 Expii's approach is based on the analysis of knowledge as interconnected concepts within a network, allowing for personalized learning paths.
• 🤳 The system suggests explanations to users who struggle with specific concepts, encouraging self-directed learning.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Expii plan to deliver free education to the world?

Expii plans to achieve this by developing a system that uses mathematics and algorithms to self-organize and provide free education content. By aggregating user-contributed questions and explanations and licensing them under the Creative Commons, Expii can offer a wide range of educational materials for free.

Q: How does Expii determine a user's level of understanding?

Expii uses a question and answer system to assess a user's understanding of various concepts. By analyzing their responses, Expii's algorithms adjust the difficulty level of the questions and provide targeted learning materials to improve the user's understanding.

Q: Can Expii's virtual tutor replace the need for human tutors?

While Expii's virtual tutor aims to replicate the benefits of a human tutor, it acknowledges that it may not be as effective in certain aspects. However, by making education more accessible and affordable, Expii can bridge the gap for many individuals who would otherwise not have access to tutoring services.

Q: How does Expii address the issue of equity in education?

Expii believes that by providing free access to its virtual tutor on smartphones, it can address the equity issues in education. Regardless of their location or financial resources, individuals can benefit from Expii's educational content, ensuring equal opportunities for learning.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The national coach of the United States International Math Olympian Team, joined by a colleague, founded Expii to enhance math education across the country.

• Expii's goal is to create a virtual tutor that can be accessed for free on smartphones, eliminating the financial barrier to tutoring services.

• By using mathematical concepts such as probability and network theory, Expii aims to analyze a user's understanding of various math concepts and customize their learning experience accordingly.