Grade 10 student develops math app, fuels launch with viral TikTok tune

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This article was published 02/02/2021 (1852 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

App developer Marco Soares knew exactly how to reach high school students to promote the math app he created.

The 15-year-old Grade 10 student at Sturgeon Heights turned to TikTok.

Soares and his Winnipeg-based software company launched MathCrack through Apple’s App Store and Google Play Store last month.

MathCrack helps students learn and solve math formulas ranging from calculating volume and surface area to permutations and factorials through step-by-step instruction.

Soares said he thought TikTok would be a good platform for organic growth.

“I’m a daily TikTok user so I’m aware of all the new trends and songs that are going viral,” he said.

Last week, he posted a video promoting MathCrack set to driver’s license by Olivia Rodrigo. It has reached nearly 390,000 views, and the MathCrack TikTok account has surpassed 22,000 followers.

“We’ve reached people all around the world,” he said. “And we have users volunteering to translate (MathCrack) into French and Italian.”

Aside from knowing how to get something to trend online, Soares also knew how he could help high school students learn more efficiently.

“(Students) want to learn the process behind formulas,” he said. “Or else, when they get to a test, they’re not going to do that well. That’s what I had in mind — to make calculators with effective learning implemented into them.”

Soares first started designing MathCrack in 2019 after his family moved to Winnipeg from Brazil. He said he noticed while there were a lot of math problem-solving websites, there were few formula-specific apps available.

“I combined all those websites into one (app) because that’s what I think students are looking for,” he said. “And something customizable and interactive makes it more enjoyable for teenagers.”

Users accumulate math points, which can be used to unlock additional features and custom options on the app. By gearing it towards a younger audience, Soares said MathCrack helps create a more comfortable learning experience for students who struggle to grasp mathematical concepts.

He said he’s always excelled in math and his interest in computer programming began at the age of 10, when he learned to code. MathCrack, which combines the two areas of interest, is the first app he’s developed.

Sturgeon Heights computer science teacher Lawrence Wachs is impressed by Soares’ work. He’s been teaching computer science for more than 21 years, and said while project development is common, it’s rare to see students taking it as far as this.

“MathCrack has a professional look and a lot of great features for a starting developer,” he said. “It will look great on (Soares’) resumé in the future.”

Soares credits Wachs — who consulted on some features — for pushing him to learn new concepts and to implement new features.

Wachs said while app building isn’t really computer science — it’s more a byproduct of the learning — he encourages students to take the concepts and skills they learn and apply them to things that motivate them.

“Students today really thrive when they can see a pragmatic application of what they learn in school,” he said.

As in every other high school in Manitoba, students at Sturgeon Heights have adapted to a combination of in-class and remote learning this year. Soares said he decided to invest in this project during the pandemic in order to improve the student experience.

Wachs said in the age of remote learning, technology advances such as mobile apps “provide an ease of use and convenience that bridge economic and physical barriers” but notes this generation has grown up in a digital world “without learning the ‘the why- and how-type’ deeper questions.”

MathCrack looks to bridge that gap by not only solving the problem, but showing students how to get there, as well.