Imperial joins Series A funders DC Thomson and Scottish Enterprise as well as CEO/Founder Anthony Bouchier as the main shareholders in the business. The deal is the first major Series B investment by a European University into an education technology business.
The partnership will include the creation of professional development resources for secondary STEM teachers, for Twig’s STEM Improvement Programme.
As part of its strategy 2015-2020 Imperial is committed to inspiring the scientists, engineers and medical professionals of the future by raising aspirations and supporting learning across all age groups.
Twig has a film production studio dedicated to delivering short form content for education, and has created over 3,000 short films on STEM subjects.
Through harnessing the passion and creativity of Imperial’s world-leading academics, and Twig’s digital education expertise, we hope to support science education on a global scale – raising aspirations and assisting learning in young people across the world
Imperial and Twig are already supporting primary school teachers across the UK to inspire students about science through a continuing professional development resource, Reach Out CPD. Launched in October 2014, Reach Out CPD is a digital programme which provides teachers with the scientific knowledge, skills and confidence to engage primary school children in the wonder of science.
The STEM Improvement Programme (SIP) is designed to provide secondary school teachers with the training and tools to teach the problem-solving, contextual learning, analytical and higher order thinking skills assessed by the PISA (the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment).
Professor Maggie Dallman, Associate Provost (Academic Partnerships) at Imperial College London, said: “Through harnessing the passion and creativity of Imperial’s world-leading academics, and Twig’s digital education expertise, we hope to support science education on a global scale – raising aspirations and assisting learning in young people across the world.”
The STEM Improvement Programme is to be made available internationally in 2016 and involves:
• 750 short dynamic films – covering key learning points
• Over 100 lesson plans – that focus on develop students’ mathematical and scientific literacy
• More than 1,000 assessment items – for problem-solving practice
• Teacher Training – bespoke and comprehensive training programmes devised for each country and curriculum
• Professional Development – digital professional development course created in partnership with Imperial College London to support teachers in delivering captivating STEM lessons
