Neurekalab creates the NeurekaNUM application to help children with dyscalculia with their learning

March 3 is International Dyscalculia Day, which marks a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects mathematical learning and numerical skills. This learning difficulty is also known as "mathematical dyslexia," and is unrelated to the child's or young person's level of intelligence. The difficulty lies in their ability to interpret both the symbolic and non-symbolic aspects of mathematics. People who suffer from dyscalculia have difficulty interpreting numbers and mathematical signs, are unable to perform mental calculations or work with abstractions. The prevalence of dyscalculia among schoolchildren ranges between 3% and 6%, with a similar distribution among girls and boys, and the most effective treatment is early detection. To help children and young people with this disorder with their learning, Neurekalab, in which the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC) and the University of Barcelona (UB) are shareholders, has launched the NeurekaNUM application, which is aimed at professionals and families who want to help their sons and daughters with their mathematics for a specific period of time.

The NeurekaNUM application "has arisen from the need to create a tool for children with dyscalculia that enables them to do activities to improve their learning process, to try and offset a problem they have to live with", explains Sergi Grau, dean researcher at the UVic Faculty of Science and Technology, and co-founder of Neurekalab with Josep Maria Serra-Grabulosa, a researcher in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology at the UB. "Learning difficulties are closely related to academic failure, low self-esteem and lower levels of employability," adds Josep M. Serra. One of the researchers' aims for this tool is "for it not to remain simply a pilot test in a research project, but to scale up its impact through a company with social goals, like Neurekalab."

NeurekaNUM is available to any family, school or professional. Those wishing to use it only need to visit the Neurekalab website and register, without any entry fee or time commitment. Interested families are asked to carry out a preliminary test in order to perform a prior assessment of each child. Schools and professionals interested in using the app should contact Neurekalab and make inquiries directly.

Present on the market since 2020

NeurekaNUM has been available on the market since late 2020, but a free preliminary version was released in the middle of last year, "so that families would have some help during the lockdown," says Grau. More than 250 families used NeurekaNUM between March and June 2020. There are currently 400 families and 210 professionals registered, and 550 children have used the application. "Now we are aiming to improve the users' experience with the current products, and the idea is subsequent to bring new products to market," says the UVic-UCC researcher.

To mark International Dyscalculia Day, Neurekalab, the Vallès ADHD Association and the Catalan Association for Dyslexia and Other Learning Disorders will be running a campaign from 27 February to 7 March, so that families can have an assessment of their children's mathematics learning difficulties.

Neurekalab, a spin-off to enhance learning

The Neurekalab spin-off was created in 2019, as a result of the need for scientifically validated methods for the early detection of difficulties in key cognitive learning processes, including attention, literacy, working memory, numerical processing and arithmetic. The company was established by Sergi Grau, dean researcher at the Faculty of Science and Technology (FCT) at UVic-UCC, and Josep Maria Serra-Grabulosa, a researcher in the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology at the University of Barcelona (UB), in order to develop and market digital tools that improve learning and prevent academic failure.

Apart from NeurekaNUM, they have also developed a digital product to detect learning difficulties called NeurekaTEST. According to Serra, "these tools are designed to be used in schools, and by clinical psychology and psychopedagogy professionals. The aim is not only to detect learning difficulties, but also for health and education professionals to be able to determine each child's strengths and shortcomings in order to personalise their learning process."

The bachelor's degree in Multimedia, Applications and Video Games at UVic-UCC - a world of possibilities

Neurekalab currently has students from the UVic-UCC Multimedia bachelor's degree course doing internships. This shows the many career opportunities these studies offer, and their many practical applications in various walks of life. Apart from the world of entertainment focused on the programming and creation of video games, a sector which has clearly expanded due to the lockdown, the bachelor's degree in Multimedia, Applications and Video Games provides practical solutions and real applications in fields such as education, healthcare and social work.

The level of employability at the end of the UVic-UCC Multimedia degree is very high. According to the "Bachelor's Degree Courses Comparative Report Catalonia 2020," 100% of UVic-UCC Multimedia Engineering students are employed within 6 months of graduating. 100% are working full time and with a permanent contract, engaged in study and university work. According to this report, 100% of students would recommend both the degree course and the University.