Wikipedia

Synap

Synap is an intelligent online assessment and learning platform that uses the principles of spaced repetition to enhance long-term retention and accelerate learning. Spaced repetition has been shown to increase the rate of memorisation.[1]

Synap
FormerlyMyCQs
Company typePrivate Company
IndustryEducation Applications
FoundedOctober 2015
FoundersJames Gupta & Omair Vaiyani
HeadquartersLeeds, United Kingdom
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
James Gupta
(CEO)
Omair Vaiyani
(CTO)
Number of employees
14
ParentSynap Learning Ltd
Websitesynap.ac

History

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Synap was co-founded in 2015 by Dr. James Gupta and Dr. Omair Vaiyani, both graduates of Leeds Medical School. Originally conceived under the name 'MyCQs', the platform initially operated as a native iOS application and website, catering primarily to UK medical students. It allowed users to create and share crowdsourced quizzes in a Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) format, leveraging spaced repetition principles similar to tools like Anki.[2][3][4]

During Synap's early years, James Gupta briefly served as the Chief Technology Officer for JumpIn, a student-focused taxi booking app that was later acquired by Addison Lee in 2014.[5][6] Following this acquisition, James returned to focus on advancing MyCQs alongside co-founder Omair Vaiyani.

In 2014, MyCQs secured funding and mentorship from Jisc, an education technology charity,[7] and received a scholarship from The University of Leeds,[8] enabling the integration of sophisticated algorithms grounded in educational psychology.[9] These developments led to a strategic pivot towards personalised learning,[10] prompting the company to rebrand as Synap in 2015.[11]

Synap experienced significant milestones in subsequent years, including a successful equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube in August 2015.[12][13] James and Omair graduated from medical school in 2017, thereafter committing full-time to Synap's growth by expanding the team and establishing offices in Leeds.

In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Synap intensified its focus on online examinations in response to increased demand for remote learning solutions.[14][15] By 2023, Synap developed Synoptic, an in-house proctoring solution that monitored over 1,000 exams within six months, addressing the need for secure online examination environments.

Infrastructure

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Synap was originally developed on Facebook's Parse platform.[16] In January 2016, Facebook announced that Parse would be closing down, and advised developers to migrate their apps to other services.[17] As of March 2016, Synap has been hosted on Amazon Web Services, using the newly open-sourced Parse Server, which itself uses Node.js. The website is developed in Ember.js, and uses a MongoDB database, making Synap an example of full-stack JavaScript development.[18]

Recognition

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Synap has been featured in The Oxford Public Health Magazine.[19]

In December 2015, Synap was listed as one of 10 British AI companies to look out for by Business Insider.[20]

Selected as a Runner-up for ‘EdTech of the Year’ at the 2021 British Data Awards.[21]

Selected as a Finalist for 'Innovation of the Year' and 'Education Initiative of the Year' at the 2024 British Data Awards.[22]

Products and Services

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Synap offers a comprehensive suite of educational tools and services:

  • Online Exams: Enables educators to create and administer secure online exams through the platform.
  • Synoptic: In-house proctoring tool offering features such as intermittent webcam snapshots, screen replay, and automatic breach detection, designed to ensure exam integrity in remote settings.
  • Online Course Delivery: Supports development and delivery of online courses and assignments with built-in authoring tools.
  • Spaced Repetition Learning System: Utilises advanced algorithms to optimise learning efficiency.
  • Personalised Learning: Tailors learning experiences based on user performance and preferences.
  • Educational Analytics: Provides insights into learning progress and identifies areas for improvement.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Smolen, Paul; Zhang, Yili; Byrne, John H. (25 January 2016). "The right time to learn: mechanisms and optimization of spaced learning". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 17 (2): 77–88. arXiv:1606.08370. Bibcode:2016arXiv160608370S. doi:10.1038/nrn.2015.18. PMC 5126970. PMID 26806627.
  2. ^ "Leeds Medicine Undergraduate Academic Brochure (p32)", Leeds Medical School, retrieved 2016-04-24
  3. ^ "University of Leeds students aiming to get top marks for smartphone app", Yorkshire Evening Post, retrieved 2016-04-24
  4. ^ "Student Generated Resources", Technology in Medical Education (University of Leeds), retrieved 2016-04-24
  5. ^ "Young brits: the winner's stories so far", Jack Wills Blog, retrieved 2016-04-24
  6. ^ "2015: Year of the rideshare?", Cab4Now, retrieved 2016-04-24
  7. ^ "Jisc Summer of Student Innovation 2014", Jisc, retrieved 2016-04-24
  8. ^ "University bootcamp puts fledgling entrepreneurs through their paces", University of Leeds, retrieved 2016-04-24
  9. ^ "Interview with James Gupta, CEO & Founder of Synap", AIStartups.org, retrieved 2016-04-24
  10. ^ "The death of the university lecture", Huffington Post, retrieved 2016-04-24
  11. ^ "Synap FAQ: What is Synap?", Synap, retrieved 2016-04-24
  12. ^ "Crowdcube official pitch page for Synap", Crowdcube, retrieved 2016-04-24
  13. ^ "Edtech entrepreneurs launch £180,000 crowdfunding campaign", Business Desk, retrieved 2016-04-24
  14. ^ admin-risepoint (3 June 2020). "Coronavirus sparks an increased interest in distance learning". University of Birmingham. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  15. ^ "Online learning gets its moment due to COVID-19 pandemic: Here's how education will change". ZDNET. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Developing an effective technology stack", Synap Blog, retrieved 2016-04-24/
  17. ^ "Moving On", Parse Blog, retrieved 2016-04-24
  18. ^ "Synap.ac's technology stack", StackShare, retrieved 2016-04-24
  19. ^ "Oxford Public Health Magazine Issue 4: Innovation and social entrepreneurship (p32-33", Oxford Public Health Magazine, retrieved 2016-04-24
  20. ^ "10 British AI companies to look out for in 2016", Business Insider, retrieved 2016-24-04
  21. ^ "British Data Awards 2021 Winners Announced | Predatech". predatech.co.uk. 4 May 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  22. ^ "British Data Awards 2024: Finalists Announced | Predatech". predatech.co.uk. 19 March 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
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