Built on What Students Actually Need
The ALevellers platform is based on our published research paper titled “What Do Students Need from Mobile Learning Platforms for High-Stakes Examination Preparation? An Empirical Study of Sri Lankan Advanced Level Students”, presented at the 9ᵗʰ IEEE International Research Conference on Smart Computing and Systems Engineering (SCSE), University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2026.
The Problem
Over 160,000 students qualify at the G.C.E. A/L examination each year, yet only approximately 23–26% gain admission to free state universities [1].
Private tutoring constitutes a considerable share of household education budgets [2], raising equity concerns as access to quality preparation resources varies by socioeconomic status and geographic location.
The Opportunity
Sri Lanka has over 32 million mobile connections serving a population of approximately 22 million [3].
The 15–19 age group demonstrates the highest computer literacy rate at approximately 80% nationally [4].
Mobile learning presents a democratizing opportunity – but what should we actually build?
Students say MCQ practice matters
In the A/L exam, MCQs account for 50% of the total marks in many subjects. Students know this – and they want tools that help them practise effectively.
What Students Actually Asked For
We used an open-ended question – no predetermined feature lists – and analyzed responses using thematic analysis [6].
Answer Explanations
18 mentions "MCQ sandaha keti vivaranayak thibima." – "A short explanation for MCQs should be there.""MCQ sandaha keti vivaranayak thibima." – "A short explanation for MCQs should be there."
Leaderboards & Rankings
15 mentions "Rank bala ganna puluwannm godak hodai." – "It would be great if we can check our rank.""Rank bala ganna puluwannm godak hodai." – "It would be great if we can check our rank."
Progress Tracking
12 mentions "Dinen dina ape vardhanaya balaganna puluvan akaraye vadak." – "Something where we can see our day-by-day progress.""Dinen dina ape vardhanaya balaganna puluvan akaraye vadak." – "Something where we can see our day-by-day progress."
Competition & Challenges
10 mentions "Daily challenges vge deyak." – "Something like daily challenges.""Daily challenges vge deyak." – "Something like daily challenges."
Time Management
8 mentions "TIME thiyala paper karanna puluvan kama." – "Ability to do papers with a timer set.""TIME thiyala paper karanna puluvan kama." – "Ability to do papers with a timer set."
From Research to Product
The findings map to Self-Determination Theory [5] – the three psychological needs that drive motivation
Autonomy
Students asked for progress tracking and time management tools
What we built
Per-subject analytics, timed challenges
Competence
Students asked for answer explanations and performance feedback
What we built
Instant explanations, ELO ratings
Relatedness
Students asked for leaderboards, peer challenges, and rankings
What we built
Z-Score leaderboards, multiplayer challenges
What's Next
This needs assessment established the empirical foundation for ALevellers. Empirical evaluation of the platform's impact on student engagement and learning outcomes is planned as future work.
References
- [1] University Grants Commission, Sri Lanka, "Sri Lanka University Statistics 2023," University Grants Commission, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tech. Rep., 2024.
- [2] A. Pallegedara, "Private tutoring expenditure: An empirical analysis based on Sri Lankan households," Review of Development Economics, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 1278–1295, 2018.
- [3] S. Kemp, "Digital 2024: Sri Lanka," DataReportal, February 2024.
- [4] Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka, "Computer Literacy Statistics – 2023 (First Six Months)," Department of Census and Statistics, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tech. Rep., 2023.
- [5] R. M. Ryan and E. L. Deci, "Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being," American Psychologist, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 68–78, 2000.
- [6] V. Braun and V. Clarke, "Using thematic analysis in psychology," Qualitative Research in Psychology, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 77–101, 2006.
Experience What Students Asked For
Every feature in ALevellers traces back to what students told us they need.
Start Practicing Free