Interview with Tim Novikoff Developer of Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab

Earlier we told you about Flash Of Genius: SAT Vocab, the app that Apple threatened to pull from the Apple Store if the developer Tim Novikoff didn’t remove “Finalist in Google’s Android Developer’s Challenge” from the apps description. Over the weekend we had a chance to chat with Tim about his company and his app.

Flash of Genius LLC was founded by Tim a Cornell graduate student. Tim taught at Stuyvesant, the elite public high school in New York City, where he drew on his contacts to bring together the team that made Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab. Former colleagues and students from Stuyvesant wrote the content, including the simple definitions and edgy sentences that keep the user amused as they study.

Homescreen

The iPhone app has garnered rave reviews on the app store, and has been downloaded tens of thousands of times.
The Android version of the app was a Top 10 finalist in Googleʼs global Android Developer Challenge.
The app has been noted for its beauty and simplicity in design, and was a featured app in the book iPhone User Interface Design Projects, published by Apress.

What is Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab?

The main feature of the app is a virtual deck of flashcards. Words on the front; definitions, word roots and sample sentences on the back. Students study just as they would with ordinary flashcards.

What separates Flash of Genius from its competitors? I’ve used flash card programs myself and honestly they’re no better than writing out flash cards the old fashion way.

What’s amazing here is the app adapts to the student as they learn, focusing on vocabulary the student is struggling with.

How does the application adapt to the student?

Here’s where the Flash of Genius algorithm truly shines. Flash of Genius: SAT Vocabulary uses etymology in a clever way, so that students learn Latin and Greek word roots at the same time they learn the vocabulary. For instance if your student has mastered the word placid, but is having trouble with placate Flash of Genius’ algorithm will insert a lesson card showing the student that both words come from the same root, plac, meaning to please. The algorithm helps the student build on words they already know in order to learn new vocabulary words fast.

: Flash Card Front

: Homescreen

: Flash Card Back

Any future plans for the Flash of Genius program?

This spring, Flash of Genius will build on the success of Flash of Genius: SAT Vocab and release a suite of apps around the same theme of smart flashcards for test prep.

What about disadvantaged students who don’t necessarily have the funds to purchase the program or the equipment to run it on?

We are hard at work trying to bring a free version of the app to the One Laptop Per Child device, the so-called “$100 laptop” that is distributed to needy students around the world.

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