TAK-TAK-TAK System: Personalized education through ICT

A lack of a minimum quality education, deteriorated educational strategies, and lack of use of Information Technologies (IT), produces social and economic divides that prevent children from disadvantaged backgrounds from fulfilling their potential. Before the pandemic, In Mexico, we were already facing a learning crisis, since around 80% of students in primary school didn’t reach the expected knowledge in reading comprehension and mathematics.

The COVID-19 pandemic interruption in the educational system affected almost 1,600 million students around the world; 94% (United Nations, 2020). 

In México low-income people were the most affected, according to INEGI for the 2020-2021 school year, the number of enrollments decreased to 32.9 million and 5.2 million did not enroll due to financial complications. It is estimated to have negatively affected the education of 25.4 million basic education students (UNICEF, 2021).

The pandemic changed the landscape of education with the fast emergence of virtual and blended education, which will perdure even after the pandemic is over; still, a large portion of students don’t have the technology nor the knowledge needed to adapt properly to this trend, and the insufficiency of the national education system is still a pending issue. 

Now that schools have reopened it is urgent to reach this population that has suffered a delay in their development of skills and competencies. We are sure that educational transformation must be carried out hand in hand with teachers, since they play a key role in training processes, especially in ICTs. If they do not have access to these technological resources, or do not know how to apply them effectively, learning will not improve according to the needs of the 21st century. 

That's why we offer an intuitive Teaching Management System for teachers that generates data for them to make decisions based on their needs in order to improve their students' learning, while using educational video games.

The TAK-TAK-TAK system allows children to learn through video games and digital content, and  teachers and parents to improve their own lesson planning through a wide range of digital resources previously revised and classified to enrich teacher´s lessons.

TAK-TAK-TAK video games include subjects such as: Math, Reading, Grammar, Spelling, Science, Values, Economic Inclusion,  Arts, and they also reinforce social-emotional and digital skills. They have been developed based on the comprehensive basic education curriculum ( K-6) and in accordance with most national curricula, the American Common Core, and Skills of the XXI century defined by UNESCO. 

The students play and learn, and while doing so the information on their performance and the actions they take within the site are saved. With this information the site guides students, through predictive algorithms towards the video games that best suit them according to their academic performance and areas of opportunity. Each video game has several indicators linked to the gameplay that allow knowing the learning progress of girls and boys; these are later reported in the teachers’ platform. These video games promote the use of new technologies and help children reinforce their learning through play. Currently, based on the analysis of the data generated by each user, we are designing more detailed algorithms for each of the subjects to which video games belong, in order to give more specific suggestions according to users’ learning needs. We are also looking forward to developing more video games to cover the complete K6 curriculum; currently we have developed 100 video games.

As we implemented the TTT video games in schools we recognized that guidance increased the impact of learning. This led us to design LabTak, to comply with the teachers' needs. This platform integrates educational content to improve lesson planning and quality, through a wide range of curated digital resources; tools for planning and managing classes; real time student reports; training for teachers through MOOCs, and everything necessary to integrate video games and ICTs in teaching. It also seeks to create a peer learning community, so teachers can work as a team sharing knowledge and strategies. This robust platform makes the use of time and resources more efficient, allowing innovation in the courses by including ICTs and knowledge for the 21st century. 

LabTak also generates reports of students’ performance playing TTT video games, so they can assess students’ learning progress or lags. This allows teachers to address differences in individual student performance to improve their areas of opportunity. 

In a sum, it is a very friendly platform: once teachers register they are led step by step through it, where they can access a library of educational content previously chosen by our experts in pedagogy, and use a search engine that can help them find the best resources for their students, based on XXI century skills. All these resources can be included in an automatized and personalizable lesson planning format, which later they can deliver to their institutions, or optionally share with their peers in the platform. By exchanging their strategies and knowledge they become team members, and LabTak becomes a support network to transform education. 

We are constantly evaluating our Systema, our internal and external researchers analyze the data obtained through surveys and tests applied in our deployment programs as well as the data collected in our databases. By analyzing and collecting this information, improve our content, video games, UX, tools and algorithms for ensuring the sites` optimal use.

According to an INEGI report of 2020, there were 30.4% million young people in Mexico preparing for the future, and approximately 1.2 million teachers responsible for their education. The richest sectors in society are migrating towards private education where they spend more money in modernizing, globalizing and adopting educational tools based on ICT to their curriculum; public schools are lacking this development which generates a bigger gap between public and private education.

Inoma is constantly looking to attend the most vulnerable schools and regions who are willing to live the digital educational experience in order to reduce the gap. Teachers of vulnerable schools have chronically low resources; we want to make sure that indigenous or low income communities in cities are the principal beneficiaries of our efforts, the ones that were most affected by Covid-19.

TTT System as a web-based educational tool has easy access and scalability; any interested user can access. It requires minimum hardware specifications, and works with or without connectivity. We have made the video games available offline through mobile applications, USB and a client-server modality.  It is designed to benefit communities in the base of the pyramid, ensuring that it is easy to use and friendly.

We constantly attend the most vulnerable schools and regions who are willing to live the TTT digital educational experience; we have worked with more than 700 public schools in Mexico and Latam, and more than 50 in indigenous communities in Mexico (Mayas, Mazahuas, Tzotziles, Tzentales). A help desk is also available for regular support and advice. 

We analyze the specific interests and necessities of the teachers through a focus group, conducted interviews, and training sessions to make sure they would use the platform. We found out that what they need the most is to make their planning for classes more effective, and exchange knowledge and tips with peers. The results lead us to design the System. Our target is to make sure that the TTT System is well established, and used as a productive and long-term tool. With the variety and flexibility of resources that LabTak offers, the growth of users and engagement will certainly rise fast. We are convinced that this educational solution can impact millions of communities with limited access to the internet, and few resources to buy educational-games. 

Inoma’s experience in developing serious video games for children, and the comprehensive teachers´ platform, LabTak, has resulted in a consolidated team formed by experts in different areas: educational content, data analysis, technology and game development, deployment of programs, fundraising, and marketing. Inoma has 14 full-time workers. 

We have a solid team that ranges between 3 to 10 years of experience with the organization. We have a circular and organic organizational structure that allows great flexibility and adaptability to the needs that the organization is facing.Our board is fully engaged with the program and will give advice to the team and follow closely all steps that are required to reach the stated goals. This allows a constant flow of information between areas as well as encourages creativity and innovation in the search for solutions.

Regarding our implementation record we have worked with more than 700 public schools in Mexico and Latam. 

To achieve social change, and to impact more teachers and students, we work hand in hand with educational and local authorities and with our partners, donors, and suppliers for developing more content and offering our free platforms to more beneficiaries. Being a digital educational tool allows easy access, scalability, and low cost in maintenance.

To carry out a face-to-face intervention, Inoma looks for low resources communities,  and conducts an ethnographic study to learn about their problems, causes, and needs. Inoma deploys TAK-TAK-TAK system mostly in public schools, adapting the intervention to their needs and to the digital skills of teachers who work with girls and boys between 6 and 12 years old in vulnerable regions of Mexico, Central and South America.

First, Inoma shows them the benefit of integrating TTT System in their teaching planning. Then, throughout the school year, they integrate a pedagogical strategy and the TTT video games and other digital content according to their needs and knowledge. Through labtak.mx they access the strategy and follow up their students progress through activity reports. The intervention focuses on the appropriation of the System for a subsequent replication, independently of our intervention. That is why the implementation’s objective is also to strengthen teachers` capacity of creating pedagogical strategies based on digital tools, and to reinforce their students´ abilities, knowledge, and digital and socio-emotional skills. 

We have created an effective and efficient educational tool that optimized the design and innovation of the planning. The challenge will help us finish the development of the LabTak site and its offline solutions. This will allow a generation of a learning community, enrich teachers’ learning, and unfold the system more easily. With variety and flexibility of content and pedagogical resources the growth in users and permanence rises. 

We are convinced that this educational solution can impact millions of communities on the planet. For that reason, we are looking to make partnerships with MIT Solver network of professionals to improve our product’s areas of opportunity, strengthen it to have an effective and efficient scalability and expansion. Also, we want to have access to MIT Solver funding, media and conference exposure, and technological mentorship, as one of the main pillars of this project is technology.

From the beginning, Inoma has worked with the philosophy of being integrators and has achieved more than 100 alliances with different sectors (private, public and education, technology, etc.). However, we consider fundamental to build these alliances with the international community as well, and we would love to be part of the MIT Solver network because they are committed, open-minded and are the best in technological matters.

The TAK-TAK-TAK (TTT) system approaches the lack and quality of innovative educational content for children with low resources in Mexico and Latin America. We make our system innovative by offering offline solutions (Tak-Server and Tak-USB), which lets children under any connectivity situation have an offline experience with our free educational video games. This project gives children the opportunity to improve their knowledge, abilities and skills. Unlike other ludic platforms, TTT offers personalized learning with predictive algorithms within different subjects (Spanish, Math, History, Ethics, among others), and with individualized feedback for parents and teachers. 

On the other hand, Labtak is the only platform available in Spanish that is comprehensive in nature. It allows teachers to design their own lesson planning, access to a wide range of digital resources previously revised and classified to enrich teachers’ lessons, consult real time students reports, connect with their peers, share knowledge, strategies, and train through MOOCs. LabTak benefit teachers in the way that they discover how to design their planning in a simple and effective way, and they  begin to design their weekly plans. They also integrate learning resources based on digital games into their teaching planning because they know the benefits it brings to their methodology. Students reach significant learning through the incorporated strategies and develop digital skills. 

For 2022 we have set out to have 871,000 registered users in TAK-TAK-TAK and 38,700 teachers and parents in LabTak. For 2026: 1,143,000 in TAK-TAK-TAK and 49,100 in LabTak.

Regarding skills developed in our beneficiaries, of registered users, we expect that by the end of 2022: 2000 teachers and by the end of 2026: 6000 teachers, will be able to: 1.use technological devices and Internet  to develop their planning through LabTak site, 2. integrate didactic content as an activity for learning, and 3. evaluate their student’s progress through LabTak performance reports in the use of  TAK-TAK-TAK video games. That way their students will be developing 21st century skills such as digital skills and improving their academic performance in a 7% at least. 

Regarding content on our site, we expect by the end of 2026, that LabTak will cover 100% of the concepts and skills required in the Mexican elementary school curriculum with inhouse developed pedagogical strategies; currently we have covered 30% of them. It will also include a vast library of contents and more strategies created by the consolidated community. By increasing strategies we promote greater growth, permanence and, therefore, greater transformation and impact on target beneficiaries, also we would have TAK-TAK-TAK video games that will cover 64% of the skills and knowledge from the elementary school curriculum.

Through the application of pre-intervention and post-intervention tests in the System`s deployment programs, and through our database we will measure how teachers, girls and boys are able to apply the acquired knowledge. Initial and partial questionnaires will be applied to teachers about their perception of technology and its uses in class, which will be developed by experts in digital skills and which will serve both teachers and students to verify the effectiveness and appropriation of the TAK-TAK-TAK System.

Indicators: 

1. Teachers that took LabTak training and can perform basic planning for their classes using LabTak.

2. Teachers that understand teaching strategies based on didactic content such as TAK-TAK-TAK.

3. Teachers that implement LabTak’s pre-designed strategies which include the use of digital content.

4. Teachers design one or more educational plans in LabTak.mx with digital content to implement them in their classroom.

5. Teachers evaluate their students’ progress through LabTak performance reports for TAK-TAK-TAK video games.

6. Teachers that have more than 3 planning strategies developed, spent a minimum of 3 hours on the site, and reviewed at least 3 sections.

7. Play time of girls and boys in TAK-TAK-TAK and their progress in video games.

To achieve social change, and to impact more teachers and students, we work hand in hand with educational and local authorities and with our partners, donors, and suppliers for developing more content and offering our free platforms to more beneficiaries. Being a digital educational tool allows easy access, scalability, and low cost in maintenance.

Regarding our implementation record we have worked with more than 700 public schools in Mexico and Latam. We have reached more than 50 poor public schools in indigenous communities in Mexico (Mayas, Mazahuas, Tzotziles, Tzentales).

To carry out the implementation of our system, we first visit the schools to talk with the educational authorities about the project and work together on it. In addition, we ensure that they have a media classroom and have the minimum essential requirements. In case they comply with them, we make a plan to incorporate the use of TAK-TAK-TAK into the school. First Inoma provides technical support to the school and train teachers in the use of LabTak in order to promote home use of the programs. general information. By implementing the TAK-TAK-TAK System in a short term, teachers discover a simple and effective way to design their planning and therefore, begin to design their plans through LabTak integrating the TAK-TAK-TAK video games in them as they discover the benefits of video games and promote their use in class. Students, for their part, begin to learn through TAK-TAK-TAK video games and are motivated to learn by themselves.

We also have training sessions and provide teachers with support in the use of ReporTak. Teachers integrate other Digital Game Based Learning resources in their teaching planning in addition to TAK-TAK-TAK video games, and take advantage of the information generated by the informative reports of labtak.mx to monitor and support its students. Thus the student achieves significant learning through the incorporated strategies and develops digital skills.

The TAK-TAK-TAK system uses video games as a tool to reinforce children's learning.

Due to the different connectivity conditions in the different regions of the country, we have created several modalities to make our online and offline video games available to children: web, mobile applications, USB and client-server in the classroom.

The TAK-TAK-TAK video games give parents and teachers confidence about the learning of girls and boys by having educational information about video games available to them through the LabTak platform. Additionally, each video game has various indicators linked to the gameplay that allows knowing the progress in the learning of girls and boys. These indicators are also used to suggest, through personalized algorithms, the content that the page recommends to users to promote their learning.

Currently, based on the analysis of the data generated by each user, we are designing more detailed algorithms for each of the subjects to which video games belong in order to give more specific suggestions according to the learning needs of each user.

We seek to integrate technology, fun and personalized learning that provides broad benefits at a low cost.

We are a horizontal and inclusive organization in which everyone has autonomy to be the expert on their subject and each member of the team has an important value within the organization and something to contribute, while we learn from each other. We support feminists, LGBT and all movements that act inpursuit of equality and justice. We are sure that the differences between people are a positive value, which enriches our team.

Our direct beneficiaries are teachers and parents, who indirectly benefit children at the bottom of the pyramid.We offer free personalized platforms for children (TAK-TAK-TAK) and for teachers and parents (LabTak).  For the deployment of our System we have an intervention model to work hand to hand with teachers on the development of digital skills, and the development of pedagogical DGBL strategies integrating the TTT video games.

The global context demands the use of ICT in the educational ambit because a student that relates to technology can, consequently, re-adapt constantly, relate with his environment and be a part of a society based in the role of digital technologies.

Our intervention model has achieved in the teachers the development of digital skills and the development of pedagogical DGBL strategies ad-hoc for their specific needs, that impact their students in the current year and their next students. By doing this, our vision is to diminish social and economic vulnerability to decrease digital gap, and promote sustainable development, therefore a better quality of life, in or out of their community. 

To achieve this social change, we work hand in hand with educational and/or local authorities and with our partners, donors and suppliers. As an NGO, our platforms are free to our beneficiaries and our revenue is mainly from donations but we combined our business model with recovery fees to be economically sustainable.This way, more children and teachers can benefit from this noble tool and we can fulfill our purpose of reaching more than users.

As we are an NGO, we have been funded primarily by donations from public and private institutions, with which we have been able to reach our goals to date. Besides from donations, our business plan includes the collection of recovery fees from:

1. Direct sales to private educational institutions providing them personalized educational strategies, face to face teacher training, progress reports, technical check-ups of media classrooms.

2. Direct sales to public educational institutions. We are part of a national strategy in Mexico where public schools can buy official educational services. 

3. Collaborations Ministries of Education. Continue with our alliances with the Mexican Ministries of Education at state level who finance our activities locally. This allows us to reach more of our target users.

4. Direct sales through LabTak with organic users. LabTak is a free tool but it also contemplates personalized content including : educational strategies, moocs, progress reports, among others with a recovery fee to continue investing in the generation and curation of the content.

5. Investors through startup funds and venture capital for continuing the development of the site in innovation of technology and education. 

6. Expanding our market. We are seeking support from mentors to be known by international stakeholders such as schools, professors, investors and donors that can help us in the process of expanding to Latin America, English speaking countries. For that purpose, currently we are investing resources to translate all our products and services to English.

Since 2011, we have raised 3,675,293 USD from donations and services. Some are:

1. Ministry of Education of the state of Puebla: donated 545,682 USD (2013-2016) and eased the access to more than 100 schools (33902 children) for the project to be implemented. 

2. Conacyt (National Council of Science and Technology): donated 472,729 USD (2013-2015) which helped develop 16 scientific video games and the first TTT algorithm. 

3. Telefónica México Foundation: donated 333,875 USD (2013-2018) and established an alliance to get to more beneficiaries from the states of Mexico, Chiapas, Michoacán, Morelos, Querétaro, Puebla and Mexico City, which turned into 17,333 people benefited. 

4. Ministry of Education of Mexico City: payed 100,776 USD (2017) and eased the access to schools to implement the project; 900 educational figures were trained, and 45,000 students were benefited. 

5. TAK-TAK-TAK was awarded with the Audience Choice of Creator Awards by WeWork in 2018 with 180,000 USD; which helped develop 11 video games in Math, Spanish and Sciences. 

6. Gonzalo Río Arronte Foundation has funded Inoma with 119,482 USD (2018, 2019, 2022) for the design and implementation of four TAK-TAK-TAK video games of social-emotional skills.