May 2013, Wilmington NC Alex, a 5th grade student, has received poor grades in Math and fears Math to the extent that he won't raise his hand in the class if he doesn't understand something. His mom is understandably extremely concerned and is exploring different options.

A Year Later
It's 4pm on a weekday. Alex just finished his snack after returning from school. With an eager attitude and confidence in his eyes he starts doing his math homework, by his own choice. His recent grades have been excellent. Now, he is the first one to raise his hand in math class. His mom is stunned. She saw it coming but not so soon. How did it happen? Alex has been using Tabtor Math, a math learning program that derives many of its unique benefits from mobile technology. Read on for more details.

Gone are the days when you had to pick up a paper and pencil to practice math (or maths as preferred in some parts of the world). Everyone knows that math has to be learnt by 'doing'. But the 'doing' was boring, repetitive, and at times quite frustrating. Not anymore. What does today's math program looks like and what does it imply for building successful products?

We can view any product as a recipe. You start with your imagination, your ideas. You get the right ingredients, in right quantities, mix it correctly and bake in the oven, and perhaps garnish it before you serve. What are those magic ingredients for a math product or specifically education technology? I think there should be no surprise in my list: mobile technology (native only), gamification, fantastic UX, excellent service / human touch, and of course a great content. Often you also need a special ingredient to distinguish yourself from others. Of course, the quality of the ingredients has to be top-class. A key question to ask "how much to use for each ingredient Well, that's the art but it also depends on the context e.g. what you are trying to achieve. There is also a special role for the oven" your product needs to be baked for a long time in the oven of 'learning from users'.

Mobile Technology