Higher education has become a major issue during erratic economic times. While initiatives are being searched for to keep the costs of a college education from soaring so high that it becomes a privilege of the extremely wealthy only there are also initiatives to maintain respect for the value of higher education. Many families in Syracuse who want their teenage kids to consider a college education are hopeful the new start-up firm Alleyoop will help them out.
Sarah Kessler has reported for Mashable "Pearson-Backed Startup Aims to Be the Zynga for Learning." Kessler has raised the provocative consideration "What if the 232 million people who log into Zynga’s Facebook games each month instead spent hours working through online learning resources?" Alleyoop is hoping it can draw many of the teens online to its site with a position this would lead to more college graduates.
Alleyoop President Patrick Supanc has said in an interview with Mashable “Fundamentally, we’re focused on big problem of how you help a teen take control of their future." Alleyoop is structuring existing content like a Facebook game according to Kessler. Students who are searching for help with their homework can find guidance and practice problems on the site. It looks like Alleyoop may have an interesting idea and so the bottom line potential for success for the firm will now depend on how well the idea is liked by students.
