Novelwall Sri Lanka recently developed Xample – a virtual learning environment with powerful learning tools for children striving to achieve top grades at their GCE O/L and A/L examinations. Understanding that a well-rounded and thorough education is paramount to guiding the next generation to a better future, Novelwall launched Xample under the guidance of its founder, Thunku Ousmand.

Xample is an exciting initiative that aims to inculcate perseverance among students while nurturing a positive attitude towards challenges. This virtual learning environment provides students with an effective ‘Testing & Revision Tool,’ designed with many important features for students, parents and teachers on the journey towards achieving exam success. Xample further encourages students to challenge themselves, cultivating self-confidence and resilience, while simultaneously easing the burden of teachers and parents alike.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought to the surface the shortfalls of the existing education system in the country. Students were lacking engagement in their studies, as remote learning enhanced a disconnect between students and the classroom. In addition, the evaluation process for students with regard to their studies was hindered by the difficulties associated with monitoring in-class behaviour and activity. Students are unable to ask as many questions from teachers and are therefore unable to clarify their doubts, while teachers have lost their class control owing to the virtual environments and are unable to truly motivate students. These failings have been perceived by parents who have taken note of the lack of individual attention and detailed guidance required by students, especially those about to sit for the O/L and A/L examinations. This is, in part, due to the lack of understanding of examination and learning standards from the perspectives of teachers and students alike.

Xample, the brainchild of Thunku Ousmand was developed with these concerns in mind. As such, Xample consists of features that aim at improving and streamlining the online learning experience. Xample offers a testing and learning environment – unifying the process of studying, testing and revision, into one holistic seamless and enjoyable online experience that can bring students to the highest levels of proficiency for the GCE OL/AL examinations. Through its student-friendly online platform, and based on the four steps of learning (preparation, presentation, practice and performance), Xample allows any student to test his or her knowledge of the relevant subjects, with access to relevant past papers and model papers, and simultaneously learn from each mistake via the comprehensive study notes provided with every question. With access to over 25 years of exercises and questions from the best model papers in Sri Lanka, students are provided with a truly immersive experience of continuous testing and learning, as they work towards mastering their subjects. The platform recognizes areas in which students show significant errors and if a student selects subjects where they require improvement, the system will continue to revise the aforementioned areas by consistently testing the student on those areas until sufficient improvement is noticed.

Recognizing that practice makes perfect, this virtual learning environment encourages students to keep trying while familiarizing themselves with the protocol of real-time examinations. Following students’ attempts at each section, a complete analytical report is provided. With this advanced analytical reporting system, the platform can calculate how proficient the student is in every topic of any given subject so that the student, parent or teacher can see if the student has a grasp of the subject matter, and how well the student has performed in a testing environment. This advanced reporting system enables further insight into the likely possibilities of a student’s exam results based on their performance. As Xample can be accessed at any time, parents can track the activities of the student in real-time remotely without distracting the user. Furthermore, the absence of external ads and links in the platform ensures that students’ focus will not be diverted within the learning environment.

Speaking to Thunku Ousmand, the founder of Xample on the pioneering technology that has been introduced to the Sri Lankan educational landscape, “Without a shadow of a doubt, our younger generation, with the exposure to the world of education, has reached out beyond imagination on par with and quite often exceeding the skills of others across global landscapes. The progression of digital education in a global context has signified a gap between education in the developed world and under-developed countries. I believe that our nation too is ready to accept the inevitable transition towards the digitalisation of the education system and bridge this educational gap.”

“As one of the high-tech organisations in the UK which has the DNA of education and with prior partnerships with India to build digital platforms, we have a host of experience. Our Virtual Learning platform is not just a run-of-the-mill, multiple-choice platform for learning, but a dynamic environment that can gauge the level of a student’s competency in any subject. This is not an easy task to achieve. We encourage those that have the same vision to join us on our journey towards improving the overall education landscape in Sri Lanka, providing a way for future generations to be among the best in the world”, added Ousmand.

The educational landscape of Sri Lanka has far to go. Novelwall hopes that with the introduction of Xample, the overall standards of education might be uplifted. Students are the future. By providing them with the necessary steppingstones to unlocking their potential, they will likely grow from strength to strength, soaring beyond the boundaries of average education and exceeding expectations.