The evolution of teaching, the advent of the DAD, the complexity and breadth of the training proposal and the need for constant adaptation to an extremely changing reality, are the premises that gave birth to Maieutical Labs, the start-up on which LIFTT has focused for some time and that focuses its proposal by exploiting the vast potential of digital. In March, “Rimedia” was born, a new proposal “Made in Maieutical Labs” designed for an educational sector with exponential growth, that of repetitions. We talked about it with Matteo Boero, CEO of Maieutical Labs.
What does Rimedia consist of?
“It’s a “augmented” repetition site. The problem with traditional repetition is that kids often work well during the hour they are tutored, but do nothing between repetitions. One hour a week, especially in severe cases, is not enough to catch up on time. Plus, most kids realize they need help too late and often there isn’t enough time to catch up.”
How does Rimedia work?
“We envisioned a system that would streamline the process. We start with a trial lesson that is already a repetition in its own right. Then, in case the contact decides to continue (they continue 8 times out of 10), we prepare a targeted program for them with 1-2 lessons per week depending on the level of the student, and a daily exercise on our platforms. With the teacher you prepare for the test, with the platforms you practice the fundamentals. A combined system that can reduce recovery time by 50%.
Parents, in recent years, are often considered an obstacle to education, because they often seem more inclined to defend and justify their children rather than admit their actual shortcomings. Does it “remedy” this as well?
“It is always a mistake to generalize, we live in a complex and challenging society where failure or error is often stigmatized. Parents have little time and easily become anxious partly because they are not fully and consistently informed. We believe that a system like ours allows them to be informed of their child’s progress well before a grade alarms them. Acquiring greater awareness of the educational path, following the progress of their children on a weekly basis is the best way to evaluate the goodness of the investment. The target price of the repetitions varies between 19 and 27 euros, depending on the package you buy, and includes the use of the educational platforms for the duration of the remedial path”.It’s finally being discovered that one-on-one online tutoring can be done, it’s an effective immersive experience, and it’s also much more convenient.
What subjects do you work on?
“We currently offer courses in Italian, Latin, Greek, mathematics, physics and English, although in the case of the latter the platforms only cover part of the programs. We are working at full speed to complete the educational offerings.”
Can the platform also be used from mobile?
“The platforms are born mobile, because by now 90% of our users enter from there. Obviously, for calls, many still choose the PC, which is easier and more convenient for following the exercises on the shared whiteboard. In the calls the fundamental plus is the one-to-one repetition. Especially in the last period, due to the overuse of these online tools, many students have become tired of the DAD, but having a face-to-face confrontation and not in a call populated by 30 other students is completely different.
It’s finally being discovered that one-on-one online tutoring can be done, it’s an effective immersive experience, and it’s also much more convenient because – just like in smart-working – you negate the inconvenience in terms of time and cost associated with transportation to the physical location of the repetition. In this way, repetitions cost less because the professor does not have to be “compensated” for any travel as well. We must imagine a future in which study and work naturally dispose of the digital option, freeing ourselves from the constraints and pandemic scenarios that, while on the one hand have finally highlighted the opportunities of digital, on the other, operating in a scenario altered by prohibitions and restrictions, have not done justice to the actual potential
of these tools and their related benefits in terms of well-being and reduced environmental impact.”
How do you select your professors?
“A written test and two oral interviews, one of which places the tutor in a “Roleplay” context. The selection is done partly by sites that already collect databases of teachers, partly through spontaneous applications on our site. For us the fundamental thing is to guarantee an experiential continuity both to the teacher and to the parent, with a real time report that helps both to understand how the recovery process is going on. Obviously, it’s a year-round service, also because often the goal of families is to avoid their children’s debt so they can go on vacation. Speaking of numbers, improvements are calculated on a 30-40% increase over the initial grade.”
Have you thought about any promotions?
“We’ve launched a Facebook campaign designed for parents, but we’ll be moving to Instagram soon, too, because the target audience is obviously parents but, more importantly, students.
“The Google Campaign will run through the end of the school year, although we expect search spikes in April/May, when the ‘desperate cases’ try to catch up at the last minute, and in October when the more forward-thinking start getting help.”For all members of LIFTT who wish to try the service is available a discount on packages Rimedia sharing the code “LIFTT2022” when booking the free lesson, from the site: www.rimedia.online