Afrilearn adds content recommendation and personalisation capabilities

Did you know that over 250 million children in Africa do not have access to quality education? This staggering statistic means that millions of young people are missing out on the opportunity to learn and build a better future for themselves and their communities.

But two young Nigerian entrepreneurs, Isaac Oladipupo and Gabriel Olatunji-Legend, are determined to change this by using technology to provide affordable, world-class education for all African students, no matter where they live.

Their creation, Afrilearn, is an EdTech startup that offers richly animated and curriculum-relevant video lessons, class notes, practice tests, live classes, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower high/secondary school students (Ages 6-18) to study at their unique pace. With Afrilearn, students can access high-quality education from anywhere with an internet connection, breaking down the barriers that have traditionally limited access to education for many African children.

But with thousands of videos covering a wide range of subjects on the platform, it can be overwhelming for students to sort through and find the courses and lessons that interest them most. That’s where Afrilearn’s recommendation system comes in, as supported by the UNICEF Innovation Fund.

A recommendation system is a powerful tool that uses advanced algorithms to suggest videos, courses, and lessons based on a student’s past behaviors on the platform. You may have seen these types of systems on e-commerce platforms or online video platforms like YouTube and Netflix. They help create a personalized experience for users by recommending similar content that they might be interested in.

Using association rule learning, Afrilearn’s recommendation system suggests courses and lessons based on a student’s recent activities. For example, if most students who watch Lesson A also watch Lesson B, the system might recommend Lesson B to a student who is currently watching Lesson A. This method, known as the apriori algorithm, helps create a personalized learning experience for students.

But the recommendation system doesn’t stop there. As students continue to select the lessons that interest them most, the system updates to keep them engaged and learning effectively. This personalized approach to learning ensures that students are always challenged and motivated to continue their education.

At Afrilearn, the goal is to expand the frontiers of education in Africa using artificial intelligence and make education more accessible for all students, including those who may not have the means to afford it. The current recommendation system is just one step towards achieving this goal, and the team is excited to bring a state-of-the-art learning experience to the thousands of students who are already using the platform and those who will join in the future.