Virtual learning solutions took off during the pandemic, though despite in-person schooling largely being back in session, children everywhere are still benefitting from digital education options. El Segundo’s GoGuardian, a maker of student engagement software, announced the launch of Giant Steps, a gamified education tool for K-12 students.
Giant Steps can be used to augment classroom group learning or engage students individually at home. The digital solution aims to provide students with collaboration and independent practice opportunities that feel less like schoolwork and more like play.
This new tool is already in use by 5,600 students in 55 schools. Following the success of its early access program, GoGuardian released the platform to educators across the country on Thursday.
“Today, we’re excited to make Giant Steps available to teachers across the country. Giant Steps was built to optimize learning outcomes through fun, engaging and research-backed gamified learning,” Tyler Shaddix, CIO at Go Guardian and co-creator of Giant Steps, told Built In via email. “The feedback from early access teachers and students has confirmed that this is a solution that will improve practice and keep students motivated to learn, both in and out of the classroom.”
On Giant Steps, students start out by designing their own avatar. This character traverses through a virtual map of questions and practice sets, and students earn rewards for each item they correctly answer. These prizes include accessories that GoGuardian consistently updates to help reflect more unique styles.
Teachers using Giant Steps in their classrooms can create their own questions in addition to the platform’s curriculum. Teachers can also receive progress reports detailing their students’ work in real-time. These insights allow teachers to gauge students’ skill mastery or competency and create more personalized assignments.
“We built Giant Steps to create a solution that provides interactive, individualized content that encourages the best possible learning outcomes for all students, while simultaneously making teachers’ lives easier,” Mariana Aguilar, GoGuardian’s VP of education, said in a statement. “Giant Steps motivates students to practice and learn through a gamified experience that’s not merely fun and engaging for the sake of helping kids want to learn, but is also steeped in proven learning science.”
The Giant Steps platform is free for all educators and students to play.
