From textbooks to playlists | SA entrepreneur turns lessons into songs

Most people can remember the lyrics to a song they have not heard in years. For Johannesburg entrepreneur Jason Vivers, that simple observation sparked an idea that grew into EduVibz, a platform that turns curriculum content into music pupils can listen to and replay while studying.

Vivers, a systems analyst and entrepreneur, believes many pupils are not struggling because they lack intelligence, but because they struggle to engage with traditional learning methods.

“Students can remember every lyric of their favourite song. They can rap back tracks off by heart or sing along to songs from their parents’ generation, but that same ability doesn’t seem to be present for most people in schoolwork,” he said.

The idea behind EduVibz is simple: use music to make revision more engaging.

The platform turns CAPS curriculum topics into full study songs. Every song is mapped to a specific curriculum, grade, subject, chapter and topic.

Viviers said his passion for education and technology inspired the project.

“I always enjoyed books and studying, and ended up studying law and pivoting into marketing and then into software,” he said.

Throughout my career, I’ve always tried to create value. Education has always been something that I’ve been passionate about.”

The idea came after he discovered new technology that made it possible to create music at scale.

“It all sort of clicked into place that this was an amazing avenue that was underexplored because of the cost of production and the scale of all the music that needed to be covered. So I started off with this vision of creating an educational music streaming platform.”

To ensure the content is accurate, Viviers said the songs are based on the learning and assessment guides published by the department of basic education (DBE).

“I source the government guides for the CAPS curriculum and Creative Commons textbooks and learner guides. I use that to write the lyrics for the songs,” he said.

He added that songs undergo a process of extracting the structure, vocabulary, learning outcomes and common pitfalls pupils encounter and this is all considered in writing the lyrics.

The lyrics then undergo extensive technology-assisted quality checking, followed by song creation and finally human review for academic accuracy, curriculum alignment and vibe.

“There’s always a human touch involved when it comes to ensuring that the content is accurate around the curriculum,” he said.

Viviers believes music can help pupils connect with subjects in ways textbooks sometimes cannot.

“For many learners, the problem is not intelligence, it’s engagement. They do not engage with the content when reading a textbook,” he said.

“Music is something that we can all relate to. It is universal across all cultures and ages, and it reaches us on a cultural and artistic level that other mediums struggle to do.”

The platform’s first focus is grade 8 natural sciences, a decision influenced by feedback from pupils and parents.

Music is something that we can all relate to. It is universal across all cultures and ages, and it reaches us on a cultural and artistic level that other mediums struggle to do.

—  Jason Vivers

“I feel like this is a very big transition period for a lot of people, but I also needed a starting point. I had quite a few people asking for grade 8 coverage and decided this would be a great place to start,” he said.

The platform is designed like a music streaming service, with playlists, lyrics, progress tracking, and offline downloads. It is mobile-friendly and can be used without constant internet access, a key feature, where data costs remain a barrier for many pupils in South Africa.

“A lot of students have access to Wi-Fi in some shape or form, but they don’t necessarily have data,” said Viviers. “I’ve done everything I can to make sure that students can listen to it anywhere, whether it’s in the taxi, whether they have data or no data.”

Inside EduVibz, curriculum topics such as photosynthesis and electrical wiring are turned into songs that blend repetition, rhythm and factual learning. One track, Bubble Bubble, the Photosynthesis Test, explains a simple classroom experiment using limewater.

“The entire process, the concepts behind it and the chemical reactions are all covered very cleverly in the lyrics of the song,” he said. “It just sounds visual, engaging and fun to listen to. It doesn’t sound like an educational song.”

Another upcoming song explains how to wire a plug, breaking down basic electrical safety concepts in a format designed to stick in pupils’ memories.

Viviers said he plans to add more subjects and grades regularly.

“I’m planning on releasing a new subject every week and continuing to do so until we have the entire curriculum covered,” he said.

While some may be sceptical about using music as a learning tool, Viviers said the science behind memory and music is well documented.

“It’s not a replacement in any way for standard learning or school, but it certainly helps to reach learners who resonate with this type of learning,” he said.

As solo founder, Viviers admits one of his biggest challenges has been getting people to hear about the platform.

“This is something that I developed on my own in my free time. The main challenge that I’ve had is really getting people to try it and getting the word out there,” he said.

For Viviers, the future of learning may not only be found in textbooks and classrooms, but also in playlists and headphones.

“Your notes have a soundtrack now. You have the ability to listen and revise your study notes in a way that hasn’t been available before.”

TimesLIVE

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