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 Classchat

The backchannel app for your classroom
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Hi there. My name’s Basia. I’m an educator in Japan, and I’ve taught students from 5 years old to 85 years old in Canada before that. Teaching such a diverse age group has taught me that there are some challenges particular to the formal education environment, and especially among teens, that no amount of friendly banter will overcome.

If you went through school at a time when the lecture system was still common, you likely familiar with this sound:

. . . . .

Silence. You’re probably also used to hearing that and seeing no reaction from your students whenever you ask them if they have any questions. The reality is this scene is still common in many countries around the world, such as Japan. When asked about this, students often say it is because they are shy, embarrassed, feel social pressure to conform, or simply don’t know when it is okay to ask. They may have not been paying attention and missed critical information. With pressure to match pace with other teachers of the same course, teachers have sometimes had to forego explicit comprehension checks in their lessons because of time constraints and curriculum demands. Students often say they will ask the teacher or their friends after class, but if their lack of understanding compounds throughout a content-heavy lesson, or they must rush to their next class, those misunderstandings will never be cleared up. What’s worse, they may be common to many students in the class, and teachers may move on without realizing that their students are struggling until the next assessment.

"Students need a chance to speak without making a sound, and teachers need a way to hear through the silence. That’s where ClassChat comes in."

ClassChat is a backchannel chatroom,
initiated and monitored by teachers, live during classes.

 

During a lesson, students can ask questions,

answer each other,

and communicate without disrupting the lesson, via their mobile phone.

 

It is an easy to use and secure way for teachers to

see their students’ ideas,

answer difficult question at points where they are comfortable to do so, and create a comfortable atmosphere

without putting anyone on the spot.

THE APP

Here’s the thing: backchannel apps are not new. Students have used their phones to talk about homework and text in class for years:

So what makes ClassChat different?

Well, lots. One is security. Lots of apps will ask students to create an account with their email or mobile phone number before they can proceed, and students often need to share that with each other to be invited into mutual chats. We believe that’s personal information. This leads to small, breakout groups of students, and no opportunity for the teacher to participate in the discussion. ClassChat is optimized for classrooms.

It has dedicated server space for each school that joins, and two-factor authentication: the student’s school login, as well as a unique numerical and QR code generated at the beginning of each lesson that students can input or scan to gain access to the chatroom. Its UI is simple enough for technologically-inexperienced teachers, with robust features and support for those who wish to dabble more.

The simplicity of this tool means that individual schools or entire school boards with internet access can use it for their needs.

So, What's Next?

Here's what we need to move forward

Software Programmers

This is a BIG venture, and I’m one person. I have some experience with making apps for Android, but it’s not my strength, and I’ve never coded apps for Apple devices or tablets before. In the future, we want to make this app robust for seasoned users, and with a smooth learning curve for new users. I can help with the design to keep the learning curve with a low floor and high ceiling, but I need someone who knows the javascript nuts and bolts inside and out to be my partner in making this vision a reality.

Interpreters

We’d love to market this internationally eventually, but for now, let’s work on Japan.  It’ll be easy to translate the UI, but the teachers, schools, and students using our service are going to be looking for technical support and providing content feedback in Japanese. I need people-people who can field their concerns with understanding and professionalism, and consolidate their feedback for our development team to work into future updates.

Financial Investors

This is a business venture after all. It’s a big undertaking, and we believe our team should be seeing the same level of support for themselves that we provide to schools. In order to get this system off the planning table and into the market, we’re asking you to put your faith in us.

CONTACT

If you are interested in partnering with us about ClassChat, send us an email using the contact form. For other inquiries, email:

​

k*****b@gmail.com

Tel: 080-25277-2428

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