Students, teachers, schools, and universities worldwide have access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but they are still grappling with how to use them correctly in academia.
Is ChatGPT or Google Gemini suitable for AI homework help? Would using generative information result in a bad score, or worse, academic fraud and expulsion? Which of these new-fangled platforms or tools is the “right” choice?
Through the confusion, there’s one AI-powered platform eager to set an example of responsible AI in academia: WizzTutor in Singapore.
Teo and Swee created WizzTutor to make it easier for secondary school students in Singaore to get the math help they need. Source: WizzTutor
How Wizztutor is changing the game in Singapore
Tuition. Math tutoring. Exam prep classes. Past exam papers.
If you previously struggled with subjects like math in school, perhaps you were one of the many who received extra help through one of the examples listed above.
Back then, there was no AI homework help or ChatGPT to get us through classes or break down complicated questions.
After school comes tuition or tutoring, and hours after dinner were either dedicated to practice papers or piles of homework. And if you were really struggling, your weekends would also be filled with supplementary classes.
If you’ve never had this experience, count yourself lucky. However, for many Asian students, especially Singaporeans, this is still the norm: 60% of high school and 80% of primary school students in Singapore receive private tuition, and even 40% of preschoolers attend some private centre.
As you can imagine, Singaporean families spend a large chunk on tuition for their children. Costs range between 500 and 1000 Singapore dollars (US$390 to US$780) per month for each child, and private tutors are approximately 40 Singapore dollars (US$31.35) an hour.
But with WizzTutor – the brainchild of Singapore nationals Clifford Teo and Samuel Swee – personalised help for math now comes at the cost of a coffee a day.
The best part? It’s available 24/7, making it easy to access whenever, wherever, even at 11 p.m. on a weekday night.
Laptops, phones, tablets — WizzTutor is accessible on all of them. Source: AFP
Personalised AI homework help from just US$1.56 a day
Designed for easy use outside the classroom, students can access WizzTutor on their device of choice without having to download it separately. Over 10,000 questions spanning Secondary One to Secondary Five math are available and carefully aligned with the Singapore Ministry of Education syllabus.
Teo, who has over a decade of experience working with technology, co-founded WizzTutor alongside his partner Swee, a former MOE Teaching Scholar, who developed the concept based on his experience with struggling students.
Swee designed the app’s content alongside other educators from highly regarded institutions, ensuring everything is accurate and pedagogically sound. “We collect from a huge pool of MOE-approved books, papers, and resources, and we also manually check each question,” adds Teo.
But with how fast generative AI platforms are developing, how does WizzTutor stand out? Why can’t a student ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Grok about their math homework and wait for it to spit out the answer?
After all, they’re free to begin with, which is something many students are already taking advantage of – a recent CNA survey reported that 84% of Singapore secondary students use AI tools weekly, with 63% using them specifically for mathematics.
Teo believes that WizzTutor isn’t a replacement, but rather something to supplement the learning process. Source: WizzTutor
“We are structuring and designing WizzTutor to be, well, a tutor that doesn’t just provide the answer, but explains it in a way that students can understand,” says Teo. “The app is also fully aligned with the Singapore MOE, which isn’t something we can confidently say about things like ChatGPT or Gemini. Students often copy-paste what AI generates, rather than trying to get the proper guidance they need.”
Every student starts with a diagnostic test to determine their level of math proficiency. Once completed, the system will provide tailored questions to practise according to the topics the user needs extra help with.
It’s not just in-app, too. Students can use their camera to take a photo of math questions and upload it to the platform for the Homework Helper feature to break down and explain in detail.
“We’re at the cusp of technology where AI will be able to help customise education for different groups of people – even personalise it for them – so that they can fulfil their potential,” says Teo. “WizzTutor can go down to very, very precise levels if a student needs extra help understanding something.”
Swee designed the app’s content alongside other educators from highly regarded institutions, ensuring everything is accurate and pedagogically sound. “We collect from a huge pool of MOE-approved books, papers, and resources, and we also manually check each question,” adds Teo.
With the right prompts, generative AI platforms could still be free alternatives for homework help, but they’re not fully aligned with Singapore’s math syllabus — at least, not yet. Source: AFP
What’s next for WizzTutor?
Teo and Swee have big plans for WizzTutor. For example, there are plans to add additional language support, which will be helpful for families whose primary language isn’t English or expat families from abroad.
“At this moment, we’re about a month into the launch, and we’re seeing some pretty good feedback,” says Teo. “We want to prove to the market that we’re creating something of value and show that we care about the students – once we get that message across, we’ll scale up much faster and even offer more subjects.”
User feedback has been good, too — WizzTutor students like the variety of questions and how the platform guides them through individual problems. The Homework Helper feature is also widely appreciated.
Source: WizzTutor
“Parents also like that they get weekly reports, and they get to see what their children are doing,” Teo says. “One popular suggestion is expanding our syllabus from just Secondary, but that’s something we’re working on, so be patient!”
One thing that the founders hope to do is present WizzTutor as an alternative to affordable, quality education. Teo is keen on partnering with voluntary welfare organisations, community groups, social enterprises, and more to bring WizzTutor and its services to underserved communities and families.
“The core of our vision has always been to make education more accessible, especially for those with difficult circumstances,” affirms Teo. “If anyone is interested in exploring potential collaborations and partnerships. I boldly invite them to reach out to us at hello@wizztutor.com.”
With so many features available and so much promise for the future, here comes the question: How is WizzTutor charging its users? Are there any hidden catches or sneaky fees?
The simple answer is no. Pricing is straightforward, and three tiers are available – 25 Singapore dollars (US$19.51) for a week, 74 Singapore dollars (US$57.74) for a month, and 730 Singapore dollars (US$569.57) for a year. All cheaper than a month of private tuition.
“We wanted to make sure that this was a no-brainer for parents, compared to the alternatives like tuition or tutoring, which is like 40 bucks an hour,” says Teo. “Yet at the same time, it is sustainable for us in the long run, – building and maintaining a high-quality AI that’s fine-tuned to a specific curriculum and library of over 10,000 questions requires ongoing technical and manpower investment, right?”
Teo was keen to answer one last question: “Is WizzTutor a replacement for teachers or tutors?” His answer was no.
“Our platform doesn’t replace the work that educational institutions are doing; rather, it complements it,” he says. “It’s a tool to assist and motivate students to learn and spend more effort to improve. I don’t think it’s competitive by nature. We just want to fill the gaps because, well, no teacher can work 24/7!”
Interested in giving it a try? WizzTutor offers a free demo for users to check out all the features available, with two topics to explore and try out.
