The technology personalizes the presentation of educational material based on students' strengths and weaknesses. Pearson, McGraw-Hill and other publishers have developed products that incorporate this kind of technology. Knewton plans to power Pearson's product MyLabs, which has more than 750 titles.
In addition, Knewton and Pearson will work together to develop full course solutions that facilitate blended learning in classrooms. Knewton COO David Liu says those courses won't be released until at least 2013 and will likely look much like math remediation classes that Knewton has already launched at six universities.
Students in these courses use the computer during class time to work through material at their own speed. Through diagnostics taken along the way, the program creates a "personalized learning path" that targets exactly what lessons they need to work on and then delivers the appropriate material. Points, badges and other game mechanics theoretically keep students chugging through courses with more motivation. In the meantime, teachers learn which students are struggling with exactly which concepts.
"It frees me up from having to address one lecture to 60 or 70 students at once," says Scott Surgent, associate director of mathematics at Arizona State University, in a Knewton promotional video about the courses. "I can roam around the Knewton laboratory and help the students as needed."
Barbara Rifkind, an independent consultant who advises education enterprises and a former vice president at Pearson Education, says that instruction differentiated for individual learners -- the focus of Knewton's technology -- has been one of the most discussed areas in educational practice for the past 10 years.
"There's relatively little controversy in theory, but it all depends on the execution and how the teaching system integrates into classroom and school or college practices," she says.
Pearson, which led a $33 million round of funding for Knewton, plans to take Knewton's technology beyond individual classes. The partners envision hooking up entire departments to the system. Data collected about how a student learns in one class would follow him or her to his next class.
"We kind of eliminate the cold start," Liu says.
Arizona State University has already added Knewton courses for all freshmen math and is considering also using the technology for economics and two other subjects.
But Knewton doesn't want to be in the course-building business. From the very beginning, its intention has been to sell its technology. First it packaged that technology in test-prep books and courses that it sells directly to customers. The courses it developed for universities were another stepping stone demonstration of what it could do. But ultimately, Ferreira says, the company wants to open an app store where third-party developers can sell educational products built on Knewton technology. It has already started working with partners in private beta.
“We don’t have to guess about teaching methods," Liu says. "It’s literally what worked the best. ... we have that information now, and it’s incredibly powerful.”