INNOVATION

Gumzo unveils online platform for tutors to support education

It uses local phone number verification and real-names to ensure a safe environment for all users.

In Summary
  • Tutors simply register using their mobile numbers for verification purposes and safety.
  • Tutors will be able to pick up students for the online classes based on their expertise and an online schedule without worrying about their location.
Gumzo logo
Image: COURTESY

Usiku Games, a video conferencing system designed specifically for e-learning in Africa has enhanced its platform to allow tutors to continue providing private tuition.

Dubbed “Gumzo For Tutors”, the platform enables professional Tutors to host online lessons with a real classroom experience.

Tutors will be able to pick up students for the online classes based on their expertise and an online schedule without worrying about their location.

“Gumzo for Tutors saves time and easily fits lessons into a tutor’s schedule. We believe this platform will offer more opportunities to tutors to continue earning and continue imparting knowledge to students who are now isolated at home,''Usiku Games CEO Jay Shapiro said. 

With a 14-day free trial, tutors simply register using their mobile numbers for verification purposes and safety.

They will then proceed to create a customized classroom using their accounts and invite students to begin a session. All calls are encrypted ensuring that all calls are private and protected.

According to Shapiro, the platform is secure, reliable, and easy to access for both the tutors and the students.

''Using the mobile verification system for registered numbers we can ensure that the right Tutors join the platform to avoid any scams or cyber-attacks that have been rampant during this Covid-19 Pandemic”  Shapiro said.

Tutors can record their sessions and use them later for class reviews or send to students who cannot attend lessons in real-time:

“Our recording capabilities on Gumzo enables students and teachers to refer to their sessions thereafter. The files from the recordings are secure and stored in the universal MP4 format that can be replayed on a wide variety of devices,'' Shapiro said.

Gumzo for Schools and Gumzo for Tutors are enhancements of Africa’s first web-based video-conferencing platform known as Gumzo. It was developed two months into the Covid-19 pandemic by Kenyan developers at Usiku Games.

It  uses local phone number verification and real-names to ensure a safe environment for all users. Meeting hosts can review the live video, name, and phone number of each attendee before allowing them into the classroom.

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