Searching for online math and science resources that exemplify knowledge representation and information visualization can be a time consuming process. There are a never-ending supply of examples to peruse and choose from, but surveying the quality of these options is left up to the individual exploring. Gooru aims to alleviate this arduous task for teachers by compiling resources that meet their standards of design and depth. This site houses significant potential. Gooru is essentially a collection of math and science resources at the grades 5-12 level, and in an effort to streamline the process for quality material, all content is evaluated by teachers or Gooru’s review team. Examples of resources include digital textbooks, animations, simulations, and videos – both teaching resources and study guides are available. All content is organized by curricular strands to help with locating relevant resources. Within its design is also the opportunity to connect with others (students, teachers and experts) through discussion forums intended to encourage the social nature of learning. As you use the site, it begins to adapt to your preferences and recommends resources that you might find beneficial. While it includes copious amounts of teaching resources, students may also use it independently to track their progress in understanding concepts.
“Gooru is developed by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to honor the human right to education and make high quality education free and accessible to the world’s one billion students by 2013”
It is currently considered to be in its alpha stage, but Gooru designers and developers have committed to maintaining its open-source form in perpetuity in an effort to develop a sustainable educational culture by providing high quality resources through world-wide collaboration between students and teachers. Their goal is to facilitate global access to knowledge.
This collection of online math and science resources has immense potential and deserves to be considered for what it can offer teachers, parents, and students. It’s commitment towards offering equitable access to educational material around the world is admirable and inspiring, and helps to break down the misconception, often perpetuated within the four walls of the traditional classroom, that learning has to be place and time-based ultimately restricting its accessibility and determined by the expert orchestrating it all.
