Wed, 20 April, 2022
The Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator helped secure funding that allowed Amazing Interactives Ltd develop their innovative ISportsWall system for use in schools.
We spoke with Amazing Interactive’s business director, Pravin Jethwa to find out more about the ISportsWall, what it offers to education, and how funding has helped to develop this innovative new teaching aid.
Hi Pravin, can you start by letting us know a little about the ISportsWall and what it offers to teachers and schools?
Amazing InteractivesTM Ltd (AI) has developed the ISports Wall System (ISW), an innovative new product that converts a large 4m to 6m wall within a school hall into an interactive and fun learning space for primary pupils to use, whilst maintaining a safe distance.
ISW brings together physical activity and educational study by posing questions to the pupils that must be answered by throwing, kicking, batting a ball, or touching the correct image on the wall projection. Through the online multiplayer environment, ISW can be used individually, between teams in the same class, between different classes, or even between different schools.
The ISW interplay system will be a technology game changer in regards to interactive curriculum based exercise and learning, allowing primary schools to compete with each other at every level, classroom to classroom, school to school, nationally and internationally.
The extensive library of both educational and fun content encourages all pupils to participate, whatever their ability, improving the wellbeing of primary school pupils through increased engagement, activity and learning. The online platform will provide the medium to integrate pupils, whilst maintaining safe practices, reducing the need to travel, and saving costs.
The ISportstm wall project is an excellent opportunity for Amazing Interactives to grow our business within the educational sector. Having already delivered numerous educational software system and bespoke software content within the sector, we have seen that combining education and sports is very appealing and delivers many beneficial outcomes for both the schools and their students, including:
- Educational (in a fun environment)
- Team participation
- Healthy eating
- Exercising
- Controlling obesity
- Mental stimulation
A recent study from the University of Strathclyde highlighted the importance of maintaining physical activity during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns. While these and other restrictions were in keeping with the global effort to halt the spread of COVID-19, the researchers found that they were having the effect of reducing still further what were often already low levels of physical activity in children. With the easing of restrictions and children returning to school, Sport England have instigated a growth programme to support the wellbeing of children and introduce them to sporting activities. Their plan sets out a range of measures to strengthen the role of physical activity within a young person’s daily routine, explains how teachers and parents can play their part, and details how to promote a joined-up approach to physical activity and mental wellbeing. The product proposed by Amazing Interactives can play a significant role in this programme, once developed.
Can you tell us more about the benefits of this for the pupils?
There are many benefits of the ISW system for the pupils (and teachers!) including:
- Can help maintain safe distancing between pupils
- Makes learning fun
- Encourages children who gravitate more to academia than sport to join in physical activity
- Pupils can work together within their support bubble
- Delivers sports funding objectives
- Stimulates pupils both physically and mentally
- Better utilisation of school halls/gyms
- Helps periodic retrieval of learning that strengthens connections to the memory
- Stimulates physical effort through competitive fun based exercise
- Improves fundamental movement skills, which helps reduce obesity in later life
- Can be used as a reward based activity for good behaviour
- Can support children with challenging behaviour by stimulating them to learn
- Can be used as a fun activity at break times or in after school clubs
What is included in the package as far as both hardware and software, including educational content?
The ISW system includes over 70 educational modules covering Maths, English, Science, Phonics, History, Geography and Physical Education and includes modules that allow the teacher to create their own questions and answers to fit within teaching sequences. This is combined with a 7000 ANSI lumens laser projector, a camera system that’s used for tracking, a powerful wall mounted PC, stereo sound system, and an interactive lighting bar. Amazing Interactives also carries out the installation, so that’s not a worry for the schools either.
How did the Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator assist with helping you deliver the finished product?
The funding secured with TIA has helped Amazing Interactives to develop the multiplatform system as part of the ISW system. The multiplatform will allow schools to compete with one another regionally and nationally, increasing the capabilities of the original system.
What would you say to other companies who may be thinking of getting assistance from the Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator programme?
I would highly recommend getting assistance from the Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator programme as it guides companies through the application process and provides continued support during product development.
The funding is beneficial to businesses who are in the process of developing new ideas and concepts, allowing them to develop new products which they can take market, in turn to increase revenue and growth, regionally, nationally and internationally.
Finally, where can people go to find out more about the ISportsWall, and is there anything more you would like to add?
You can find out more by visiting our website (https://www.amazing-int.com/isportswall/) or by contacting me directly at p.jethwa@amazing-int.com.
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Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator (TIA) is funded by the European Regional Development Fund in the Northern Powerhouse Region