Big win for Form Two boys

Congratulations: (From left) Adam, Zheng Li and Zachary won digital devices for themselves and for their school.

TAKING inspiration from video games and an online dating app, three secondary school students developed an innovative idea for an educational app with the aim of improving access to education for Malaysian students.

After almost five months of research and hard work, Team TAZ – comprising Tan Zheng Li and brothers Adam Sim Kah Lock and Zachary Sim Kah Yao – bagged the top prize at Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow 2021 competition.

For their achievement, they were awarded products from the company worth RM6,000 each, with their school St. Francis Institution, Melaka, being presented with products worth RM12,000.

In an email interview with StarEdu, the Form Two students said their app allows users to find study buddies in the same areas of interest, learn subjects through games, and explore features such as to-do lists to monitor their progress and manage their time more effectively.

Students struggling with their studies and those facing financial constraints can use the app to access learning materials, while teachers and content creators can use it as a platform to upload their educational videos, they shared.

“During the Covid-19 pandemic, our learning shifted online. To adapt to this sudden change, we decided to take on the challenge of creating an app to help students like ourselves focus on our studies since we are very prone to distractions, especially when we have to face our laptops for hours on end,” Zachary said.

Explaining how the app works, Zheng Li said users can pair with study buddies by swiping left or right on the screen.

“We even included a filter option where they could select the subject they are weak at. For example, if your area of weakness is Mathematics, the search engine will narrow down the results and find a study buddy who is good at the subject,” he said.

On why they added game-like elements to the app, Zachary cited the positive effects of video games.

“One of the reasons we as players remember the characters’ names and special moves is that we’re having fun while playing the game, thus making it easier for our brains to memorise because it doesn’t feel stressed or forced into memorising certain things,” he said.

Likewise, he explained, the same method can be used to help students memorise formulas, historical facts and complex equations.

He pointed out that what separates the app from other video platforms is that it prevents users from being sidetracked by various content.

At the finale held virtually on Dec 4 last year, Team TAZ was among five finalists who presented their ideas and prototypes to a panel of judges comprising experts from Samsung Malaysia and professors from Universiti Malaya (UM).

The winners were selected based on feasibility of idea, creativity and uniqueness of solution, application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) knowledge, and presentation skills.

The competition, which was held with support from the UM STEM Centre, challenged students to develop high-impact solutions to real-life problems centring on environmental sustainability and educational access.

UM STEM Centre head Dr Mas Sahidayana Mokhtar said the competition aided in strengthening students’ STEM knowledge, while encouraging them to think outside the box, learn about real-world problems and find solutions, ultimately making the environment a better place for all.

The first and second runners-up were Team Fintech Semporna from MRSM Semporna in Sabah and Team Climate Crew from Kolej Genius Insan in Negri Sembilan, respectively.

Consolation prizes were awarded to Team The Inventors from SMK Rantau Panjang in Selangor and Team Ardent Learners from SMK Seri Bintang Utara in Kuala Lumpur.

Grace is a participant of the BRATs Young Journalist Programme run by The Star’s Newspaper-in-Education (Star-NiE) team.