Kindergartners can use the Batibot app to learn basic concepts like the alphabet. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
The Batibot mobile application co-developed by Smart Communications was recently shortlisted for the Best Mobile Innovation for Education or Learning citation of the prestigious Global Mobile Awards.
The digital version of the Filipino children’s show is the first app in the Filipino language that is aligned with the kindergarten curriculum of the Department of Education.
It was designed to develop literacy among children aged two to 6 through fun games and interactive features. The app can be downloaded for free on Android devices.
The Global Mobile Awards is organized by the GSMA, an international association of mobile operators, to recognize companies and individuals that are driving innovation in the rapidly evolving mobile industry. Entries are judged by world-leading independent experts, analysts, journalists, and academics. Winners will be named in a series of awarding ceremonies to be held in Barcelona, Spain in February.
Developed in collaboration with the Community of Learners Foundation and OrangeFix, the Batibot app features games like “Alin ang Naiba,” where children are presented with a group of objects and are asked to identify the item that does not belong to the group.
Kids can also practice tracing letters on their device, sing along to Batibot songs via the app’s videoke feature, and watch stories in Filipino. The app also teaches other basic concepts like matching, sorting, shapes, colors, and numbers.
The Batibot app is preloaded in tablets donated by Smart to public schools all over the country, as part of digital learning packages called the Smart TechnoCart and School-in-a-Bag. These are among Smart’s efforts to use technology to develop different sectors in society.
Since its launch in August 2015, the Batibot app has had close to 400,000 installations.
Feedback from teachers, parents, and an independent evaluator showed that the app improved students’ academic performance, increased their interest in learning, and decreased absenteeism.
The Batibot app also lessens the need for teachers to tap into their personal funds to create audio-visual aids for their classes.
For more inquiries on Smart’s initiatives to use technology to enhance learning, please visit www.smart.com.ph/learnsmart.