After completing his research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne with the help of artificial intelligence, Asselborn earned his Ph.D. and then launched an app that helps elementary school students learn and improve their handwriting.
Asselborn, now CEO of the ed-tech company School Rebound SA, announced the U.S. release of the app Dynamilis earlier this month, following five years of research in which the technology was tested by, and built with, data points from more than 20,000 students and a team of therapists and teachers in France and Switzerland. The subscription-based iPad application is for children between the ages of 5 and 12, available in five languages and 200 countries, according to a Nov. 16 news release.
In an interview Monday, Asselborn said improved legibility is not the end goal of this tool. Once students are able to “automatize” handwriting, he said, then they can accelerate in other subjects, like science or history.
“The big thing is, if your own writing is not automatic and if it’s not natural, then there is friction ... and you’re only going to focus on how to form the letters,” he said. “The goal of the app is to free the child up from writing so he can put all these different cognitive aspects into school. So it’s focus.”
A video demonstration of Dynamilis shows that the app contains an analysis function that identifies the student’s strengths and weaknesses based on their entries in cursive or script. It also has 12 different activities where the student learns proper handwriting techniques through gamification. In “Pursuit,” the student uses a pen to guide a character along a blue line. If the character leaves the line, it loses a balloon and points. In “Chemist,” the student must focus on when to lift their pen when writing a word in cursive. If they lift their pen at the wrong time, the word changes color and they lose points. And in “Pizzaiolo,” the student guides a scooter to deliver pizzas within an allotted time. If they hit a vehicle or leave the route, they have to go back and get a new pizza. This activity requires them to think about completing the route efficiently and accurately.
“On every game, they train one specific aspect of handwriting,” Asselborn said. “So, for example, we have one to master the pressure, and one to master the grasping of the pen, and then for the speed, the acceleration, the dexterity. They are recommended according to the analysis that was done.”
Dynamilis’ U.S. release follows a new state law in California that requires handwriting instruction in grades one through six. While the level of scripts and cursive instruction varies by state, Asselborn said, European countries seem to place a much greater emphasis on handwriting. His company is also developing software to help parents and educators teach proper handwriting techniques. This could be especially helpful to students who completed a minimal amount of handwriting instruction and struggle with writing, and subsequently with other subjects later in their academic careers.
As for the piano lessons, Asselborn imagines that someday AI will help with that as well.
“Maybe in another life,” he said.
