Top Hat, a leading provider of student engagement solutions for higher education, has entered into an agreement to acquire New York-based STEM education startup Aktiv Learning.
The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The acquisition accelerates Top Hat’s mission to deliver personalized, engaging, and equitable learning for every student, according to a press statement.
Launched in 2016, Aktiv Learning provides a classroom engagement tool to improve student success by using interactive problem-solving activities, assessments, and access to a library of learning resources. Since its launch, the company’s platform has been used by educators at over 700 institutions across North America to increase engagement and outcomes in critical introductory courses. Its inaugural product, Aktiv Chemistry, now helps more than 120,000 students learn each year.
Joe Rohrlich, CEO of Top Hat, said,
As a leader in student engagement, we have significant reach across a wide range of students and subject areas. This acquisition reflects our commitment to be the partner of record for higher education institutions – from broad engagement to discipline-specific solutions that enable active, personalized learning, especially in STEM courses that are so crucial to the overall student experience.
Aktiv Learning’s platform allows students to experience, interact with, and visualize difficult STEM concepts in a mobile-first approach. Its technology provides students with feedback that adapts to their individual misconceptions as they problem-solve, providing the guidance and motivation to drive engagement and academic success. The company has recently launched new offerings for Developmental Math and other critical math courses to address the growing math education crisis.
On joining forces with Top Hat, Dr. Justin Weinberg, Co-founder & CEO of Aktiv Learning, said,
Uneven preparedness and negative experiences in introductory science and mathematics courses keep too many students from succeeding, particularly those from historically underrepresented communities. We are excited to join with Top Hat to accelerate our vision to transform STEM education at scale. With Top Hat, we will continue delivering the innovations faculty need to make STEM more engaging, more supportive, and to foster the sense of community that is so important to the success of today’s students.
As part of the acquisition, Aktiv founders Dr. Justin Weinberg and Igor Belyayev will join Top Hat in leadership positions to drive STEM strategy and product innovation.
Dr. Brad Cohen, Chief Academic Officer at Top Hat, added,
Active learning and frequent low-stakes assessment have been shown time and again to improve learning outcomes, yet applying these practices in STEM disciplines is highly nuanced. With Aktiv, we are providing the specialized tools educators need to engage students in personalized and customized environments that enable them to learn the best way possible – by doing.
Top Hat enables educators to employ proven student-centered teaching practices through interactive content, tools, and activities in in-person, online, and hybrid classroom environments. To accelerate student impact and return on investment, the company provides a range of change management services, including faculty training and instructional design support, integration and data management services, and digital content customization. Thousands of faculty at 750 leading North American colleges and universities use Top Hat to create meaningful, engaging, and accessible learning experiences for students before, during, and after class.
