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ConverSolo to Provide AI Language Learning Tools to Quebec Colleges and University – A First of its Kind AI Application in Higher Learning
Montreal – February 21, 2024, Artificial Intelligence is making its way into North American institutions of higher learning.
ConverSolo Inc., the AI language learning software company, reports that it has been contracted by Montmorency College, Vanier College, and the University of Sherbrooke, all Quebec-based institutions, to develop AI-powered learning materials through its Bokomaru Publications business division.
At Montmorency College, ConverSolo Inc. will provide Learning Tool Interoperability (LTI) links to conversational robots which will integrate with the college’s Moodle website. ConverSolo is to supply 10 LTI modules that will automatically generate a score and video-feedback to students on their performance on communication tasks related to insurance and finance.
The AI-powered solution will provide students with interactive oral practice using their webcams and intelligent video-feedback on interactions with simulated clients.
To ensure students meet the performance standards, students will practice with listen-and-repeat exercises before receiving feedback on the comprehensibility of industry keywords, overall sentence comprehensibility, phoneme accuracy, and rate of speech.
The contract is believed to be among the first of its kind in the North American educational milieu. “Montmorency chose us to develop the AI-powered training materials after an exhaustive search for a supplier. We were the only company that was able to offer the kind of intelligent oral tutoring system that they were seeking,” said ConverSolo and Bokomaru CEO, Nicholas Walker.
ConverSolo has been engaged by Vanier College in a pilot project to develop custom AI-powered writing and speaking tutoring systems for students learning their second language.
Similarly, the University of Sherbrooke has tasked ConverSolo to create language training activities on Labodanglais.com to prepare students for teacher certification on a province-wide English proficiency test. Using a blend of artificial intelligence to score complex writing tasks and more traditional language training activities online, ConverSolo is able to support learners develop complex skills quickly and asynchronously.
Bokomaru Publications, a business division of ConverSolo Inc., was founded in 2010. It specializes in offering automated evaluation and AI-powered intelligent tutoring systems like VirtualWritingTutor.com and Labodanglais.com.
In addition to being CEO of ConverSolo Inc., Nicholas Walker is a professor at Collège Ahuntsic in Montreal. Nicholas Walker has an M.A. in Applied Linguistics. He is a five-time award-winning instructional designer. He has been awarded the Canadian Sesquicentennial Pin for leadership in Education, the TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Canada Innovation Award, the SPEAQ Award for outstanding contributions to ESL, the AQPC Mention d’Honneur for teaching excellence and, the Institutional Recognition for Computer Assisted Learning
ConverSolo, through its various websites, currently has 75,000 memberships (free and paid), 100,000 users per month, and 1 million visitors per year. His software can also score essays, stories, cover letters, emails and literary critiques with 340 unique automated writing evaluations.
About ConverSolo:
ConverSolo Inc. is a private, Montreal-based company that has developed an AI-powered learning software that teaches users pronunciation within an oral exchange, one of the key factors in successful language acquisition. This powerful web-based software is in the process of being scaled up to address the needs of consumers and a broad range of industries that will include the development of a consumer-market website and mobile app. ConverSolo currently provides consumers, students and teachers with on-line language learning software powered by AI-modules, offered through VirtualWitingTutor.com and Labodanglais.com, LabodeFrancais.com. The company also publishes and markets print-based and on-line textbooks for students and teachers.
AI-Powered Language Software Company, ConverSolo, Seeks $2 Million Pre-IPO Financing
Montreal, May 11, 2023 – ConverSolo Inc., a privately-held AI-powered language acquisition software company, is seeking to raise up to $2 million in a pre-IPO share offering to qualifying investors.
The company is offering shares to accredited investors pursuant to private issuer exemptions and resale restrictions in securities law and regulations. The company is planning an Initial Public Offering (IPO) early next year.
The founder and CEO of ConverSolo is native Montrealer, Nicholas Walker, who is also an award-winning professional linguist, college professor and software developer.
ConverSolo has developed an AI-powered app that teaches language pronunciation, one of the key factors in language acquisition. The AI-powered app is a working product and is currently in the process of being scaled up. The company says it can have a version ready for the consumer market in 12 months.
“ConverSolo can compete head-on with the other products in the market,” said Nicholas Walker. “ConverSolo has more features. It teaches language pronunciation in a conversational and meaningful context.”
ConverSolo Inc. has been in business for thirteen years under another name and currently provides consumers, students and teachers with on-line language learning acquisition software powered by AI-modules. This service is presently offered through two websites: virtualwritingtutor.com and labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca. The company also publishes and markets on-line textbooks for students and teachers.
The company says it is looking forward to its IPO.
“The great thing about an IPO is that the company’s shares become available to the general public,” says Mr. Walker. “Up until now these opportunities have mostly only been available to super-wealthy people located in and around San Francisco. Now, Quebecers and other Canadians will have the chance to participate in an early-stage opportunity in the AI revolution.”
“This level of language learning was previously only available to CEOs and other wealthy people who had access to private tutors. Now it will be available to everyone,” said Walker. “It will be a revolution in language learning.”
ConverSolo’s products are currently available to the consumer market to help students excel with automated evaluation and productivity tools. It currently has 58,900 memberships (free and paid), 100,000 visitors per month, and 1 million visitors per year. It has also provided 340 automated writing evaluations (International English Language Testing System, “IELTS”) tasks, emails, argument essays, and literary analysis.
ConverSolo also has a grammar checker which enables autonomous learners to check their writing for common errors. The company also offers a public Application Program Interface (API) for developers to integrate the company’s grammar checker into any website.
Using Conversolo’s automated writing evaluations, students write complex writing tasks, such as emails to clients or pen pals, argument essays, and literary critiques. The system provides detailed feedback on students’ use of grammar, discourse structure, vocabulary, cohesion, complexity, and argument strength. ConverSolo offers a Moodle plugin and public API for developers to integrate the company’s essay scoring system into any website.
Students and teachers can evaluate the proficiency level of any text such as emails, essays, or narratives. The system checks the text for vocabulary profile, error profile, and error density. The company offers a public API for developers to integrate our proficiency checker into any website.
Autonomous learners preparing for the workforce or a particular field of study can check the sophistication of a text, the vocabulary profile (conversational or academic), and its field-relatedness.
Students participate in secure pen pal exchanges, create essay outlines, screencast scripts, multimedia glossaries, hypertext narratives, and virtual dialogues to get oral practice for job interviews or other interactions.
The following software has been developed over the last ten years and underlies the development of ConverSolo:
Labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca is an extended Moodle learning management website used by 15 teachers and 900+ students per semester with approximately 8000 active student accounts in the past three years.
“This kind of opportunity comes once in a century,” said Chairman, Michael C. Judson. “Nicholas has been able to develop breakthrough apps employing his vast knowledge and expertise in pedagogy, education and his single-minded ambition to make language acquisition as simple and effective as possible. Using AI in this regard is one of his most recent advancements.”
About ConverSolo:
ConverSolo Inc. is a private, Montreal-based company that has developed an AI-powered learning software that teaches users pronunciation within an oral exchange, one of the key factors in successful language acquisition. This powerful web-based software is in the process of being scaled up to address the needs of consumers and a broad range of industries that will include the development of a consumer-market website and mobile app. ConverSolo currently provides consumers, students and teachers with on-line language learning software powered by AI-modules, offered through VirtualWitingTutor.com and labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca. The company also publishes and markets on-line textbooks for student and teachers.
May 5, 2023: Bokomaru Publications Changes Name To ConverSolo Inc.
Montreal, Quebec, Canada – May 5, 2023 – Bokomaru Publications has officially changed its name to ConverSolo Inc. (“ConverSolo”) and expanded its management team. The company has developed an AI-powered learning software that teaches the users pronunciation within an oral exchange, one of the key factors in successful language acquisition. This powerful web-based software is largely unknown to the market, and it is in the process of being scaled up to address the needs of consumers and a broad range of industries. This will include the development of a consumer-market website and mobile app.
Founded by Nicholas Walker, an English teacher at the largest French college in Montreal, the company has been in business for thirteen years and currently provides consumers, , companies, students, and teachers with on-line language learning software powered by AI-modules. This service is presently offered through VirtualWitingTutor.com and labodanglais.com/EnglishLab.ca. The company also publishes and markets on-line textbooks for student and teachers. Please visit www.conversolo.com for more details.