No program can be effective without student engagement. But what is “engagement” anyway? At Speak Agent, we seek to inspire students to find their own motivations and interests to become willing and active participants in the learning process.
So why did 7 in 10 secondary students report that Speak Agent is their favorite tool for learning math and science? The most common answer (54%) was simply that they enjoyed the learning activities. It’s not that we hide the learning so that students “don’t even know they’re learning.” Quite the opposite. It’s that we make learning fun and interesting.
Building Confidence
The second most common response (30%) was that students felt that Speak Agent builds their confidence in math and science. Confidence is critical for engagement! Students who lack confidence quickly lose their motivation to learn. Unfortunately, many students find math and science intimidating. “I’m not a math person” is an all-too-common refrain. That’s why we are so excited about this response to our program!
Teacher Observations
Here’s what classroom teachers had to say about the level of engagement with Speak Agent:
Confidence
“It helps students build their own confidence and independence in both math and language.”
“They can monitor themselves, which encourages them to reach their goal.”
“It’s self-led. The activities are engaging. They’re different, more fun. With Speak Agent, my students come in and just get started.”
Enjoyment
“Once they start… they get really engaged and don’t want to stop!”
“I am very impressed with the program. The students are loving it!”
Motivation and Interest
“They love it! They are motivated. Whenever I offer them a choice of tools or activities to use, they say ‘Speak Agent!’
“It inspired greater interest in science.”
“It encouraged my students to think more critically.”
Data in Charts
Surveys of nearly 2,500 middle school students found high engagement with Speak Agent math and science programs:
