CodeAll

There is a loophole in the market of teaching coding products. There are many tools for young children or professional programs for people willing to become professional software developers, but there is are limited options for people willing to put their first steps into real coding. CodeAll allows one to gain programming knowledge at the level of Junior Developer.

Features:

- coding is taught by a chatbot, the user does not need to think much about where and how to start,

- it allows the user to code intelligent environment, such as turning the light on/off after clapping, creating a home alarm, a car parking sensor,

- it does not require to install anything on the computer, it works on the mobile phone.

CodeAll teaches real code and the learning material is divided into the following modules: variables, types, operators, conditional code, functions, arguments, loops, classes, objects and bug fixing.

ICT is the single most important driver of innovation and growth for national economies worldwide. The digital technologies change the way we work, shop, socialize, communicate and educate.

What’s more, according to Eurostat, on average 53% of European companies had hard-to-fill vacancies for ICT specialists in 2017 (in some countries over 70%).

There is also a trend that will foster education in the next years [Source] to develop autonomous things (including IoT) and artificial intelligence. The advantage of CodeAll is the use of artificial intelligence to personalize the learning experience. The IoT sensors make it possible to easily understand abstract programming concepts and learn coding more effectively. There is a growing need for such tools.

CodeAll is a chatbot that teaches coding in a natural conversation, which is built using machine learning. Chatbot learns new things over time from the people that use it (he monitors the errors during coding and the questions people ask). Talking and writing are the most natural ways of communicating for humans and machine learning gives a possibility to simulate it. Chatbot also motivates to learn and creates repetitions.

CodeAll consists of a set of wireless sensors and a central unit called SmartBox. The user installs CodeAll mobile application in which he talks to our chatbot. It is possible to connect SmartBox to the mobile phone and upload the previously written code. 

SmartBox connects wirelessly (over Bluetooth) with a set of 13 different sensors and actuators: light intensity sensor, distance sensor, vibration sensor, accelerometer, door opening sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, microphone, smart socket, button, slider, servo, LED display. SmartBox exchanges data with the sensors and takes certain actions. For example, when the user presses a button, SmartBox sends an e-mail or after detecting a sound (e.g. clapping) a smart socket turns on the light. Here is a simulation, how it works in practice: https://youtu.be/ZjsocmFC2_I.

The target population are the teenagers, who want to learn coding. At every stage of creating the product, starting from the first verification of the idea, we did research in schools, which aim to check how our actions are received by the target group. For example, when we made chatbot, we met a few groups of different ages to let them talk with chatbot. They had to assess the quality of conversation, the answers for their questions and the idea of teaching through the talk. On the other side, we got to know what the teenegers want to talk about, how they are chatting, which topics are interesting for them.

We made CodeAll to popularize programming knowledge and also to make it easier and more interesting. The whole assumption is made to motivate teenagers not only to use the intelligent technology, but also to create it. 

What’s important, everyone can code with CodeAll - no matter what sex and how old they are, where they live and what is their social status. The popularization of knowledge without barriers is am important goal to achieve for us. 

CodeAll is a STEM tool that strengthens coding competences and digital literacy. Thanks to variety of lessons in CodeAll it allows to smoothly transition from education to employment. It allows to master the knowledge of a Junior Developer - enough to start working in a software company.

There exist online platforms to learn coding (like Codecademy) but they are used by people motivated to find a job as a programmer. These platforms offer learning paths in specific technologies to become a professional. There are also platforms for children like Scratch. However, in these platforms are for younger people: 8+ years old. “Real” code is replaced by simplified version of puzzles or blocks. 

There are also STEM products, like Little Bits or Kano: they are targeted at younger people and do not teach “real” coding. 

There are two issues that make CodeAll innovative: a chatbot which moves the user step by step through different lessons and explains abstract programming concepts through real-world scenarios and the use of IoT codable sensors, which make abstract programming concepts possible to see in the real world. 

CodeAll teaches with the system of micro-learning and instant gratification, which is the most effective way of new knowledge assimilation. The learner has a lot of fun and does not even notice that he learns programming. It not only teaches the syntax, but also develops algorithmic thinking through more complex problems, like finding the correct number with a binary search algorithm. 

CodeAll is a self-education toolkit that allows immersive, affordable and reliable acquisition and development of entry level digital skillset. This skill set includes: programming, algorithmic thinking, IoT concept, creativity and problem solving. 

CodeAll is the only chatbot on the market that teaches complex programming concepts in such a natural way - in the form of a conversation. Thanks to machine learning, chatbot remembers the answers of the user, his skill level, likes and interests. Such a form of learning has many advantages over other methods. The chatbot monitors the learning process of the user and adapts the form and pace of learning to the current skills of the user. 

CodeAll also goes beyond the computer, making it possible to make use of the technology around him - by coding intelligent environment. CodeAll consists of a set of wireless sensors and a central unit called SmartBox. The user installs CodeAll mobile application in which he talks to our chatbot. It is possible to connect SmartBox to the mobile phone and upload the previously written code. SmartBox connects wirelessly (over Bluetooth) with a set of 13 different sensors and actuators: light intensity sensor, distance sensor, vibration sensor, accelerometer, door opening sensor, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, microphone, smart socket (smart plug), button, slider, servo, LED display. SmartBox exchanges data with the sensors and takes certain actions. For example, when the user presses a button, SmartBox sends an e-mail. Another example - after detecting a sound (e.g. clapping) smart socket turns on the light.

We've been collaborating with multiple schools in Poland and invited over 100 students to talk to our chatbot and teach him talking.

Here you can see one of our sensors: 

Here you can see the platform:

Another picture of our sensor: https://ibb.co/jMqNbDs

Here is our SmartBox (without casing) connected to our SmartBox: https://ibb.co/cbm9fX1

Outcome of this innovation project is to increase the number of programmers and increase the coding competences of the Europeans. It will be possible by creating the world’s first chatbot that teaches programming in a natural conversation in order to easily explain abstract programming concepts with the examples from real life - a free private coding tutor in a pocket. CodeAll also learns itself over time by analyzing the coding errors made by the students (it monitors the stack trace of the running programs) and questions they ask, thus expanding its knowledge base. It is a powerful mechanism that allows CodeAll to become more and more effective over time. According to common knowledge, the beginning of learning has a huge impact on the future development of humans. The more attractive the learning tools are, the bigger is the curiosity to learn more and more. CodeAll breaks the stereotype of the difficulty of coding. CodeAll also breaks the access barrier because of the high costs of developing programming skills. There is a possibility to learn coding without sensors, so it can be free. 

We've been interviewing over 100 of students, asking questions about what makes learning coding difficult, what is motivating and interesting. Overall we've prepared 6 reports (available here: https://drive.google.com/drive...) that summarize the way children learn coding. Based on that knowledge we have implemented CodeAll.

Current number of people serving: over a 100 students that took part in our competition to teach chatbot talking.

In one year: 10 000 chatbot users. 1000 IoT clients.

In five years: 1 000 000 chatbot users. 100 000 IoT clients.

We believe learning with a chatbot might have a tremendous effect on the way people acquire knowledge. Today we focus on teaching coding but we would like to allow people to learn anything with a chatbot system. That is why we are developing our chatbot, especially in the way it gathers knowledge (BigData Chatbot). This year we have started a project which aims at developing a chatbot that automatically learns from uploaded documents. It automatically scans them and when a question is posed, it returns an answer from the previously uploaded documents.

We would also like to start teaching machine learning with our chatbot. Our sensors will collect environmental information and machine learning algorithms will process them, thus teaching basic AI concepts.

1. Technical - finish the development of CodeAll sensors. They already work, there are no technological barriers, we just want to miniaturize them a little, make them look more attractive. It requires some time.

2. Additionally we need to prepare more lessons in CodeAll, currently there are not enough of them. (around 40).

3. In the future - prepare CodeAll to teach machine learning concepts.

1. We just need time - it all moves on, we just need more time.

2. The same as above.

3. It will require to develop new sensors and "super SmartBox" that will be able to collect more data from sensors.

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8 full-time, 4 part-time.

Mateusz Jarus, CEO - founder of 3 startups, in the past engaged in multiple international IT projects.

Marcin Kaźmierski, CTO - 7 years of commercial experience in software development.

Bogdan Fabiański, Hardware Developer - PhD student, over 40 scientific papers. Hardware Engineer in other startup projects (e.g. Elephant Alarms).

6 software developers, working together for 1 to 3 years.

We are a teal organization: https://turkusowystartup.pl/ 

Around 10 primary and secondary schools in Poznań.

The business model is based on selling IoT sensors and increasing the number of chatbot users. 

Once we introduce the product on the market, most of the expenses will be spent on marketing campaigns. Later the registered users will be encouraged by the virtual bot to invite their friends, increasing the number of customers. 

The revenue stream in CodeAll comes from selling hardware sensors (chatbot will be free). Different kits will be offered with different set of sensors, such as smart home or researcher kit. One set of sensors will cost up to €49. These are paid but optional. The sensors consist of two parts: 1. the base station (more expensive), containing the power supply, microcontroller, bluetooth module and programming input, 2. and the functional element (simpler and cheaper) that will be one of the actual sensors, e.g. a button, distance sensor or servo. The functional element may be easily attached to base elements just by bringing him closer - it will connect thanks to magnets and pogo-pins. The base element may hold up to three functional elements. It means that the user may have up to three functional elements on one base station. Some of the elements, such as sliders or buttons, will be integrated in the PCB board. Additionally, it will be possible to pay for a real teacher. Such a business model is used by Wysa, a stress therapy chat or the free SimiSimi chatbot also offers to buy products during conversations.

We have been granted over 2 000 000 PLN (over 500 000 USD) from Polish National Center for Research and Development to move the product to MVP.

We have been granted 50 000 EUR from European Commission to prepare feasibility study.

This year we would like to create a Kickstarter campaign.

We are a software house, having revenues from software services. In thee 

We are especially interested in becoming part of supportive community of peers, founders and experts. We would be grateful to get help from mentors, especially in terms of scaling the business. The funding will help us to enter the market and scale the product.

We are not experts in marketing and selling. Our next aim is to create a Kickstarter campaign. However, we would be interested in creating a recurring revenue business model in the model

We do not have any specific names in mind.

CodeAll is a STEM tool that strengthens coding competences and digital literacy. Thanks to variety of lessons in CodeAll it allows to smoothly transition from education to employment. CodeAll chatbot is easy to use by women and girls - all they need is a mobile phone.

CodeAll is a revolutionary tool for people to learn programming. It is a self-education toolkit that allows immersive, affordable and reliable acquisition and development of entry level digital skillset. This skillset includes: programming, algorithmic thinking, IoT concept, creativity and problem solving. The knowledge is gained in a practical manner provided by CodeAll toolkit consisting of: a learning platform, AI tutor-bot, lessons touching all programming concepts and a set of wireless sensors 

CodeAll is a chatbot that teaches coding. In the future we would like to create a more advanced open-domain chatbot system that can teach anything. It will be a machine learning chatbot that collects information from uploaded documents.