AQA acquires maths support firm Blutick
AQA has acquired artificial intelligence platform Blutick which supports the teaching, learning and assessment of Key Stage 3, GCSE and A-level maths.
AQA, formerly the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance, is an awarding body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It compiles specifications and holds examinations in various subjects at GCSE, AS and A-Level and offers vocational qualifications.
Cambridge-headquartered Blutick has developed a teaching and learning app and online mock tests for mathematics students in the UK. The AI-driven app features functionality that guides students through mathematical concepts, reviewing and correcting their workings and responses to maths questions in real-time. Students are also supported with access to worked examples and video tutorials, as well as exam practice material. Key features include live student monitoring, auto marked tests and line-by-line analysis of typed answers.
The app is designed to reduce teacher workload and deliver meaningful reports on student progress and attainment.
Blutick will be a stand-alone subsidiary of Doublestruck, part of the AQA Group, whose formative assessment tools Exampro and Testbase are used in schools and colleges.
Colin Hughes, AQA’s chief executive, said: “AQA’s charitable purpose is to advance learning and teaching by providing the best possible educational assessment. The app and mocks we’ll be providing to our schools and colleges will have a hugely positive impact on teacher workload, and help prepare students for the digital assessments of the future, which we know will only be a matter of time.
“These new resources will enhance AQA’s role in assessment for learning and will help progress our digital assessment capability alongside the major on-screen assessment pilot we launched at the start of the year.”