Helping Students Become Thinking Readers

Reading is the bedrock of education. However, two-thirds of eighth graders have difficulty understanding what they read. Actively Learn worked with Schema on the design of an e-reading platform to improve student's reading comprehension, enabling teachers to reach students directly by using the text as a platform for personalized instruction, timely feedback, and peer collaboration. Students are motivated by filling in gaps in their background knowledge and through interacting with peers. Teachers are provided with robust data metrics to monitor student progress.

Actively Learn Product Vision

Process

Schema collaborated with Actively Learn throughout the platform’s various phases of development, from the initial pilot to the current incarnation. The initial pilot was an opportunity to test the value proposition in the classroom, the results of which guided our design process, and it continues to be informed by feedback from both students and educators. The design of the platform has evolved accordingly, and continues to get more refined in response to the evolving needs in the classroom.

Outcome

In use by almost half-a-million students at last count, Actively Learn is making an impact in K-12 education across the US and in countries around the world, enabling new interactions between teachers, students and texts that help develop active, thinking readers in every subject. Actively Learn’s user interface has won numerous design awards, from a Gold Medal at the User Experience Awards to Communication Art’s Award of Excellence, and the organization has received support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as the National Science Foundation.