Gayatech – A New Learning Method Using Game Play Technologies

Today I will introduce you to Gayatech, a French start-up created in 2014 with headquarters in Sophia-Antipolis, a famous European technology park, and whose target stands in providing new learning methods to students via digital education. With currently 7 employees, the company’s target group is at first National Education and parents, while on the longer term it also aims at reaching larger companies.

By making use of codes (via challenges, attribution of points) and technologies of game play (3D, graphic quality, artificial intelligence, augmented reality), this young company aims to deliver educational software solutions for students and teachers by developing “serious games” (games that have a primary purpose rather than just entertainment) approaches which are marketed on the NeoSchool platform. Gayatech differentiates itself from the several digital educational methods already in place by being one of the only platforms generating comprehensive and innovative digital educational solutions that are based on a streaming 3D video game engine, also allowing multiple students to play simultaneously. 

The platform incorporates a secure environment stocked in the cloud, and integrates the French search engine Qwant Junior, which is especially designed for children and respects the privacy of Internet users. By this mean, the system can work on any type of terminal, for any type of OS, and with no download required. A first game initially developed in-house, called "The Mysteries of Antipolis" who recreates the city of Antibes in 3D in Roman times, is already being tested in one of the local schools of the sector (College L'Eganaude de Biot) to assess new technologies’ effectiveness, such as 3D printing, on the students’ behaviour. However, the company will start proposing to various schools a catalogue of varied contents, games, videos, quizzes, magazines, etc. developed by partners in order to officially launch the project.

Gayatech has a strong ambition of becoming one of the next generational European giants in the field of digital education by offering a healthy alternative to French schools educational systems, without sexual or violent connotations, with quality content in an environment that reflects the standards of the latest video games which highly increase realism, therefore allowing to better immerse oneself in the task and to reproduce actions closer to reality. From a personal point of view, I believe that this new learning method, enhancing a productive and prolific use of technological advancements, can represent a base for educational institutions to offer to its students in order to differentiate and enhance their learning experience within schools, as well as offering them a broader and varied set of learning skills.