Development of real-time engagement analytics to transform online learning experiences for 5-11 year olds

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COVID-19 has seen unprecedented disruption to classroom-based education. Globally, over 91% of students have seen their learning disrupted, with national school closures in the majority of countries. Consequently, teaching is moving online, at an untested and unmatched scale. Even as schools plan to reopen, blended learning, which integrates traditional face-to-face/classroom teaching with online educational materials, is expected to become a permanent fixture of education post-COVID-19\.While online learning provides a scalable and cost-effective way to deliver quality education remotely, research also shows that self-guided online learning is characterised by lower learner engagement and higher drop-out rates than traditional face-to-face education, including amongst primary school children (de\_la\_Varre\_et\_al\_2014).Student engagement has been shown to be a strong factor in academic success (Vytasek\_et\_al\_2020). Engaged students tend to be more enthusiastic, optimistic, curious, and interested (Hughes\_2012). They are able to focus more attention and energy on a task and demonstrate a higher degree of persistence when faced with more challenging tasks (Wang\_and\_Degol\_2014). Thus, student engagement is critical for successful learning (Appleton\_et\_al\_2008).Concerningly, a recent survey of engagement during the UK national schools' closure found that about 29% of primary school children were not engaging with set work at all (NFER\_2020). In addition, pupil engagement with remote learning was lower in schools with the highest levels of deprivation (NFER\_2020). The Department for Education released £100M+ funding for remote learning to increase access to digital devices and 4G; however, pupils also require effective remote learning support including explicit guidance on how to manage their own learning and work independently (NFER\_2020).Today, the rise of mobile technology and online learning provides an unparalleled opportunity to integrate real-time engagement analytics and provide adaptive learning based on personalised content, resource recommendations, and performance monitoring.lilheads is a London-based micro-SME founded in September 2019 by serial entrepreneurs Ian Mihajlovic and Meir Biton. With Innovate UK support, we will develop an innovative real-time engagement analytics tool to transform online learning for primary school children. The majority of UK children own a smartphone by the age of ten (Ofcom\_2020). Below the age of 10, children are most likely to use a tablet to access the internet (Ofcom\_2020). Our unique and innovative tablet/smartphone-based solution scores learner engagement and will provide real-time personalised/adaptive learning based on emotion analytics.Our project will deliver on the triple bottom line of three Ps: People, Planet, and Profit:1. **People.** Our mission is to deliver a personalised tutor for every child. By delivering scalable personalised learning via a tablet/smartphone, we will improve quality education for all, including children from disadvantaged backgrounds.2. **Planet.** Quality education is key to sustainable development. Remote learning can reduce travel-related carbon emissions, mitigating climate change.3. **Profit.** Working with leading British and European educational publishers, our engagement analytics tool will be a value-added tool for adaptive learning, supporting digital educational publishers to 'build back better' post-COVID-19\.By delivering scalable personalised remote learning for 5-11 year olds, we will increase resilience in the primary education sector in the face of future global disruption.