Give children access to high-quality digital teaching aids

The corona pandemic accelerated the use of digital aids in schools and kindergartens, both in Norway and internationally. But the quality of these is often very low, and can sometimes have negative learning value for children. How can research contribute to raising quality?

Wikit AS is a research-based company that supplies consultancy services like courses or advice to owners of kindergartens and schools, as well as to producers and publishers of digital teaching tools. The company spins out of the Learning Environment Center at UiS, with professor Natalia Kucirkova as founder. In the long term, the company works to establish a national and international certification of digital learning tools for children.

SPIN-OFF: Wikit AS is a spin-off company from the Learning Environment Center at the University of Stavanger. Professor Natalia Kucirkova is the founder of the company and Kari Birgitte Wiig have been the business developer from Validé TTO. (Photo: Hilde Garlid)

Quality as a service
The company Wikit AS, which Natalia Kucirkova and the investor Trond F. Ingebretsen have established, delivers courses and advisory services to developers and to decision makers for procurement.

In Wikit, you can order independent research services. That gives you access to an international research group with expertise in various subject areas. Either if you want special advice on some topics such as privacy, or a subscription with regular input to integrate research in all phases of purchase and use.

-In Wikit, we combine world-leading research with Norwegian innovation, says Kucirkova.

Certification scheme for children's apps
Today there is no official tool for assessing the learning quality of digital products, and Norway lacks common quality criteria for the purchase of digital teaching tools.

Kucirkova has collaborated with 87 researchers from 20 countries, all of them working to get a scientific approach to developing good, digital books and apps for children.

- A certification scheme should be a collective effort together with teachers and authorities. We are not there today, but we want to contribute to the process. Today's situation is not good for either children or teachers, and not for the suppliers either. Without a joint, objective evaluation of what constitutes "high quality" in a digital resource, the market and children's learning become fragmented, says Kucirkova.

Supported by Validé:
• TTO services for establishing a spin-off company
• Business developer and board member: Kari Birgitte Melvær Wiig
• Participant in accelerator program ITSA Start, autumn 2021
• Validé AS takes care of 10% ownership in the company on behalf of UiS