Presskit

Waltzing Atoms was founded in summer 2014. After talking with teachers and friends, the team was shocked that courses are still held with the same equipment and methods as in their own time in school. Believing that education is the most important resource in the digital era, Klemens and Philipp wanted to stop talking about improving conditions and to start acting to provide remedies.

The key element of the thus developed concepts was the complete flexibility of the teaching personnel before and during their courses. Currently, mobile technologies are (if, at all) used to view content formerly to be found in books. The new generation of apps, Waltzing Atoms is leading, allows for a seamless interaction between mobile devices which leads to revolutionary ways of teaching:

1. Teachers can adapt the topics and content directly during the lessons. Hence, the courses can be individually customized for particular classes and even individual students in class.
2. The technology of Waltzing Atoms brings the digital classroom to life: School is not a physical building any more, but the students can learn anywhere and anywhen. Teachers can post new exercises independently of a fixed time table.
3. Teachers can share their exercises world-wide, thus every teacher can flexibly design an individual curriculum, combining elements of an international community. Expertise is exchanged accelerating the progress to improve educational techniques all over the world.

As a first challenge, the Waltzing Atoms initiative focused on software for chemistry courses. This mobile app lets students solve molecular chemistry riddles, broadcasted by the teachers. The goal is to encourage students to touch molecules and play with them. From a central device the teacher can control the chemical exercises and, furthermore, share his digital desktop to the student s for presentation of chemical structures.

In 2016, the Waltzing Atoms tool has been bought by the Austrian Ministry of Education for all schools. Currently, it is used in over 300 schools. As a next goal, the Waltzing Atoms team wants to change chemistry courses on a global scale. The playful inspiration of students is their main revenue.

The team currently implements animated chemical reactions into Waltzing Atoms.

Waltzing Numbers is a mobile class multiplayer game where students collaborate to hit the highscore.

Everybody has such memories from kindergarten or grammar school: I have sweets and want to share them with my friend(s). But how to share in a fair way? Funnily, this issue is connected to the famous Nobel prize laureate and mathematician John Nash. The story how he won the nobel prize in economics is prominently told in the movie 'A Beautiful Mind' starring Russell Crowe. It is the so-called game theory that's important in many fields - from fair sharing among friends to a nuclear weapons crises.

Waltzing Numbers shows students how close Nobel prize and playing a collaborative game really can be. They face different opponents, e.g. the 'Fair Egoist'. But take care: opponents remember how they have been treated and might bite back. Wait, who got the 'Crazy Altruist' last round?

As the game evolves, the students have to interact also non-digital with each other. Teacher get a live update of the game, help out students and receive a game statistics.

Klemens Senn was born in Imst, Tyrol, Austria and studied electrical engineering at the TU Vienna. After finishing his studies, he worked as software developer for airborne systems and nano-lithography tools. He is always teased by automating processes and abstracting problems.

Philipp Wissgott grew up in Vienna, Austria and studied mathematics and physics at the TU Vienna. During his own education, Philipp created game-like environments to motivate himself to learn and to solve problems. He thinks science is beautiful and magical, and that we should provide more ways to experience it playfully. The world is a playground of mysteries that Philipp likes to explore whenever possible.