Improving services for children with special educational needs
Among those who graduated from the University of Iceland on Saturday 24 June was the software engineer Elísabet Ásta Ólafsdóttir. She has made excellent use of the knowledge acquired through her degree and is now working on a software solution designed to improve services for compulsory school children with special educational needs. This project earned her second place in the Academy for Woman Entrepreneurs at UI this spring and Elísabet plans to develop the idea further in a summer job at the Municipality of Akureyri.
Elísabet Ásta, who lives in Akureyri, made the journey south last weekend to receive her degree certificate at Laugardalshöll along with over two thousand other candidates graduating from the University of Iceland. This was of course a day of celebration for her and the other graduates, an incredible achievement at the end of years of study made even harder by the pandemic.
A software solution to replace the communications book
Elísabet Ásta will spend this summer developing her product, a software solution designed to improve the security of personal data in services for children with special educational needs in Icelandic compulsory schools, replacing the communications book which is normally used. "The communication book is used to record information about the child's day and keep parents informed of how things are going. The book is an important part of services to children and their families, because the children often find it hard to explain what they have been doing each day and shouldn't have that responsibility. That's the purpose of the book," explains Elísabet Ásta.
However, the book in its current form is not secure. "It's easy for the book to get left behind somewhere and then anyone who knows how to read can pry into extremely personal information. When I realised the problem, I wanted to do something about it,“ she says. Her software is an app that parents of children with special educational needs can use to access information about their child's progress and wellbeing.
Innovation course and break-time chats
The idea came to Elísabet Ásta in a course that she took last year as part of her software engineering programme at UI. "I took the course From an Idea to Reality and later the postgraduate course of the same name, taught by Professor Jóhann Pétur Malmquist, who has a lot of experience in innovation. We students were given the task of developing an idea and the first thing I thought of was a solution to replace the communications book. The course gave us insight into real-life industry conditions. We were also trained to recognise what you need to know so that your idea doesn't remain just an idea," explains Elísabet. Many ideas behind innovative solutions and start-up companies were first conceived in Jóhann Pétur's course.
Elísabet Ása explains that many other courses on her programme also helped her a lot as she developed her solution. "What I think really stood out, though, were the breaks between classes. They often gave you the chance to chat with instructors. The recording is paused and the students who attend in person learn more. The knowledge and experience of your instructors is an under appreciated resource. They know so much that maybe won't come across in a formal class. Often it's not related to the material you have to learn for the exam, but can be invaluable outside the classroom," says Elísabet Ásta.
Elísabet Ásta, who lives in Akureyri, made the journey south last weekend to receive her degree certificate at Laugardalshöll along with over two thousand other candidates graduating from the University of Iceland. This was of course a day of celebration for her and the other graduates, an incredible achievement at the end of years of study made even harder by the pandemic.
Gaps in the timetable used for AWE
But university courses in innovation were not enough for Elísabet Ásta. She also registered for the innovation accelerator programme AWE, Academy for Women Entrepreneurs, which took place for the third time this spring organised by UI and the US Embassy in Iceland. The goal of the programme is to support women to develop their companies and business ideas and increase female representation within the entrepreneurial and innovation sector.
"I'd seen it advertised the year before and it looked like an exciting opportunity to build on the practical knowledge I'd acquired in university. I had a few credits to spare in my last semester and I decided to apply. So the gaps in my timetable went to good use and it helped that AWE is taught in partnership with UI, so I didn't have far to go for the on-site sessions," explains Elísabet Ásta.
Built up a large network of contacts in AWE
Twenty women took part in AWE this year, completing an international online training programme as well as workshops run by the University of Iceland in partnership with experienced women in Icelandic industry. An evaluation committee selected three ideas to win a prize at the end of the programme.
Elísabet Ásta says that the teaching in AWE certainly lived up to her expectations. "I learned a lot about how to take your idea to the next stage. I learned how to approach all kinds of practical considerations, such as shareholder agreements, grant applications, and how to communicate your idea. Last but not least, I met a lot of people in similar circumstances to me – taking their first steps into the entrepreneurial sector."
Elísabet Ásta with her fellow award winners in AWE. image/Kristinn Ingvarsson
And it so happens that Elísabet Ásta's project was awarded second prize, ISK 500,000. "When I look back on my time in AWE, I believe the most useful thing I took out of it for the future development of my project is the business plan I produced. It can be used for so much more than just a framework for the project, e.g. when you apply for funding and need to present your idea to different people. The business plan has to be tailored to each situation so that it meets the needs of the people involved. I also built up a large network of contacts which has already proven useful – it's so important to have people you can trust to talk over ideas".
Developing the project with the Municipality of Akureyri and users
Elísabet Ása will continue to develop her project this summer, using a grant from the Student Innovation Fund which she was awarded in the spring. "The summer is just beginning and I still have a long way to go, but developing software with a wide range of practical applications is like building Rome – it doesn't happen in a day and you have to do things properly. I am working with the Municipality of Akureyri and also consulting with users and I expect to establish a solid foundation for my software. I am excited to look back at how far my work this summer has taken me and see what's next," concludes Elísabet Ásta.
