ASU startups to be featured at Education Innovation Summit
Four Arizona State University startup companies will showcase their innovative education technologies at the fifth annual ASU+GSV Education Innovation Summit April 21-23 at The Phoenician in Phoenix.
Widely regarded as the premier event in education innovation, the Education Innovation Summit brings together some 2,000 key stakeholders, including entrepreneurs, policymakers, business leaders, investors, philanthropists and educators, to collaborate and drive change. The event, which is co-hosted by ASU and GSV (Global Silicon Valley) advisers, also serves as a launch pad for new ideas and ventures. This year, more than 225 new and emerging companies will pitch to an audience of venture capital firms, education companies, philanthropists and educators.
The ASU companies are developing technologies that range from embodied learning games to a platform for individualized literacy instruction. Two of the companies are commercializing technologies based on research from ASU’s Learning Sciences Institute, while another is partnering with Technology Based Learning and Research in ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. A third is conducting a pilot study of its software in partnership with the Writing Programs in ASU’s Department of English.
In addition to partnering with ASU researchers, the companies draw on ASU’s resources and connections to advance their businesses. For example, one of the companies is based at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, and one has received funding from ASU’s Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative.
“ASU is truly a leader in developing and commercializing innovative education technologies that are revolutionizing the educational experience for learners of all ages,” said Janice Kleinwort, director of economic affairs in ASU’s Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development. “We’re delighted that these companies have the opportunity to showcase their groundbreaking work and highlight the great strides ASU is making in education innovation.”
The featured ASU companies are:
Adaptive Curriculum aims to transform math and science education with its standards-based math and science software for grades 5-12, which uses interactive online learning to engage students and help them master math and science concepts. Based at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, Adaptive Curriculum partners with Technology Based Learning and Research in ASU’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College on curriculum alignment, classroom implementation and professional development services.
Embodied Games for Learning creates vibrant, collaborative, “get-out-of-your-seat” games that get students physically involved in the learning process and help them master STEM concepts. Research conducted by ASU faculty in the Learning Sciences Institute shows that these innovative gesture-based games help students retain information significantly longer.
Based on research conducted by ASU faculty in the Learning Sciences Institute, Learning Ovations is a technology platform designed to support educators’ efforts to provide individualized literacy instruction to students from kindergarten through third grade. Using evidence-based algorithms, Learning Ovations links assessment results to recommendations for instructional strategies and activities. In third-grade classrooms where Learning Ovations is used, students are reading, on average, at a fifth-grade level.
Mercury Innovative develops innovative language-processing tools and techniques that break new ground in language visualization and interpretation. Previously based at SkySong, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, Mercury Innovative is a two-time winner of funding and support from ASU’s Edson Student Entrepreneur Initiative. The company is conducting a pilot study of its Rhetoristics software in partnership with the Writing Programs in ASU’s Department of English.
For a complete list of presenting companies, visit http://edinnovation.gsvadvisors.com/2014-presenting-companies/.
In addition to the company presentations, the Education Innovation Summit features insights from leading educators, entrepreneurs, investors, philanthropists, politicians and other advocates of education innovation. Notable speakers at this year’s event include ASU President Michael Crow; former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush; former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor; NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson; U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker; former football coach Lou Holtz; and Reed Hastings, co-founder and CEO of Netflix.