Oefenweb.nl is a spin-off company of the University of Amsterdam (UvA), and was founded January 2009 by UvA Holding and the Research Program of Psychological Methods of the UvA. The company Oefenweb.nl produces training-tracking systems, such as Mathsgarden.com, which adhere to the Game & Train, Track & Teach principle.

Game & Train, Track & Teach is based on the idea that by playing (Game) educational computer games children can practice (Train) specific skills. By registering the answers (Track) that children give, it is possible to get a good picture of individual and group development. This information can be used by teachers to give pupils feedback (Teach) on individual specific problems.

Oefenweb.nl seeks to bridge the gap between education and science. By studying the collected data, new analysis possibilities and scientific insights can be developed.
Oefenweb.nl has a goal to improve education by:

• Offering children a challenging environment to practice scholastic skills.
• Improving mathematical and language skills.
• Reducing the amount of time that teachers spend grading tests.
• Providing teachers with detailed information about the individual development of children and the typical mistakes they make.
• Supporting scientific research regarding the underlying mechanisms of development.

An important innovation is that the games for children are adaptive. This means that the sums’ degree of difficulty will be automatically adjusted to the skills of the child. This way the exercises stay challenging for every child and it is possible to determine the level of the children quickly and accurately while they are playing. Furthermore, a very accurate view of the individual development can be monitored, because of the high frequency of measurements with children playing on a weekly basis.

Prof. Dr. Han L.J. van der Maas
Research Program Psychological Methods,UvA