TikTok has remained among the top downloaded apps according to Statista. In 2022 TikTok recorded a stunning 672 million downloads. TikTok videos transformed the social media landscape by introducing short dances and unconventional Gen Z commentaries. The platform’s widespread popularity reflects key technological shifts over the last decade, including the transition from desktop to mobile, the preference for short-form videos among users, and the implementation of innovative advertising strategies.

So, people ask this question “How does TikTok know me so well?” and the answer from our perspective has always been the Data Science team at TikTok has nailed it by building a recommender system that works so well. Let’s see how Data Science fuels TikTok’s success.

What is the TikTok Algorithm?

The TikTok algorithm is a sophisticated system that employs machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze user behavior and deliver personalized content recommendations. The TikTok algorithm is the brain behind the For You page (FYP), the curated feed of videos that greets you when you open the app. Unlike traditional social media feeds that mostly show you content from people you follow, the FYP is a personalized mix of videos from both creators you know and those you don’t, all chosen by an algorithm to keep you hooked.

How Does the TikTok Algorithm(Recommendation system)Work?

The exact workings of the algorithm are proprietary. However, the general principles of how it works are based on user experiences and insights provided by the platform. To give you more context recommender systems are built on a user-item matrix, this ideally is a table that has rows and columns. The rows represent users and the columns represent individual items, like on YouTube this would represent videos, on Spotify this would be songs.

Now the value in each cell would represent the interaction between the user and the Item, for example, Likes, watch time(did you finish the video), comments, and on platforms like Amazon this could include reviews and star ratings.

With this table, we can create users with similar interests and recommend songs, videos, products, etc based on what other users interacted with. Now back to TikTok …..

Machine Learning for Personalization:

TikTok’s machine learning algorithms process vast amounts of user data, including videos watched, engagement history, and interactions. These algorithms use this data to create a personalized profile for each user.

Machine learning models then predict which videos a user is likely to enjoy based on their historical behavior. This enables the system to continuously refine its understanding of user preferences.

Diverse Content Recommendations:

TikTok’s recommendation system aims to provide users with a diverse range of content to keep the For You Page engaging and varied.

This diversity includes popular trends, niche interests, and content from both well-established and emerging creators, ensuring that users encounter a mix of content that aligns with their preferences and introduces them to new trends.

Engagement Metrics:

TikTok places significant importance on engagement metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and watch time. Videos that receive higher engagement metrics are considered more interesting and are likely to be recommended to a wider audience. This emphasis on engagement ensures that the content suggested is more likely to resonate with users.

Real-Time Feedback Loop:

The recommendation system operates in real-time, continuously adjusting content suggestions based on immediate user feedback. If a user engages positively with a video, the system takes this feedback into account to refine subsequent recommendations. Similarly, if a user quickly scrolls past or skips a video, the algorithm adapts to avoid similar content in the future

Continuous Learning:

The TikTok recommendation system is designed for continuous learning. As user behavior evolves and new trends emerge, the algorithm adapts to ensure that content suggestions remain relevant and engaging over time. Continuous learning involves regularly updating machine learning models to reflect changes in user preferences and the evolving landscape of content on the platform.

Are you the next Data Scientist who will take TikTok to the next level?

Tech has enabled the onset and growth of careers in very unconventional domains. You can be the one earning a salary of $150k or more annually. Kickstart your journey into the highest-paying jobs of our generation by studying Data Science at Moringa. Send an email to admissions@moringaschool.com for more details.

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If you are a tech student opting for a full e-learning experience or a hybrid model of learning, you may face specific stressors that you can learn to combat through a proactive approach. A 2021 study published in the journal, Annals of Medicine, has found that the sudden, vertiginous rise in the popularity of e-learning brought about definitive challenges that include a lack of readiness for the change. Students who are accustomed to face-to-face lessons experience stress and anxiety, though the study also found that the level of student satisfaction with the e-learning model very much depends on the quality of the course they are studying.

The Technical Mentor <> Student Relationship

If you have already been a student at Moringa School and you have pursued studies in areas like Software Engineering, Data Science, or DevOps Engineering, you may have enjoyed interacting with your teachers/trainers and/or tutors. Research has shown that in conventional campus-based learning, relationships between trainer and learner are profound and lively, often resulting in high motivation for students. Additionally, trainers can observe students’ mental states. When they perceive stress or anxiety in the classroom, they can switch strategies to enhance the learning process. Moreover, science has established that body language plays an important role in communication. These are challenges that trainers need to take into account and overcome through clarity of purpose, good communication, and a set of useful online resources students can access when required.

The Boom in E-Learning Across the Globe

Africa is not the only continent to be riding the e-learning wave. The overall global e-learning market is expected to reach a worth of $350 billion by 2025 and this modality is popular among full-time students as well as companies. In fact, many students are taking advantage of current times to work as e-teachers or tutors, attracted by the ideas of borderless research, the ability to work from anywhere, and the compatibility of this job with their own studies.  Startup costs for online teachers are low, and many qualified postgraduate students sign up with established schools to share their knowledge while advancing in their own specialties. 

The Role of Teachers In Creating an Optimal Learning Experience

The Annals of Medicine study indicated that in order to enjoy a fulfilling experience, students must be ready for e-learning, taking specific steps, so they are confident and able to undertake all tasks efficiently and within established deadlines. Measures can be taken by both teachers and the students themselves, to optimize learning and keep motivation and effort high. Teachers should begin by taking cultural considerations into account. For instance, some cultures are concerned with others’ opinions and their relationship with team members, fearing “loss of face.” Others may value occasional face-to-face encounters as a way to strengthen bonds and enable them to feel like they are part of a supportive, collaborative community. Teachers can also lower stress by making the requirements of online tasks (especially collaborative tasks) very clear. If all students know their goals, roles, and the way they need to go about collaborative projects, they can confidently ensure they stay on track.

How Can Students Reduce Their Own Stress Levels?

Problems with equipment and a lack of technical skills can interfere with learning and increase stress levels. Students who opt for a fully online learning model should therefore take the time to practice with the technology they will be using in class. They should have the option of posing course tech-specific questions to their teachers or tutors. Indeed, an entire session of using pertinent technology—one in which questions are encouraged and answered with patience—can ensure that students are confident with the technology they need to master for the rest of their course.

Online learning is a practical, affordable solution for millions of students across the globe. As is the case with on-campus learning, however, e-learning can have specific stressors, including a lack of technological confidence on behalf of students and teachers. Time should be taken to introduce both teachers and students to relevant technology, so that more priority can be placed on observing signs of stress, ensuring open body language is used, and creating opportunities for occasional face-to-face meetups.

This is a guest post article written by Jackie. If you are a technical writer and interested in publishing your articles with Moringa email our team on marketing@moringaschool.com for collaborations.

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By Allan Ong’ang’a

A healthcare system that is overwhelmed. Massive infections precipitating a pandemic. Shrinking medical supplies. Global powers united to defeat a common enemy. Businesses shut down while others recorded tremendous growth. If the CoronaVirus Disease of 2019 had a better way of announcing itself to the global community, it surely cannot beat this one that we have experienced in the recent past. We saw news of healthcare workers dealing with the strain that comes with handling patients at a massive scale. The fact that there was no cure made matters worse. But it is not healthcare alone that was affected.

The education sector has perhaps experienced the greatest test in the last eighty years. The UNESCO reports that learning disruption affected over 1.2 billion learners across 158 countries. School closures precipitated a massive unprecedented shift in how instructional design and delivery are handled. Overnight, we saw schools switch to remote learning in order to mitigate the effects of the disruptions to the learners. In Kenya, for example, Moringa School transitioned to full remote learning within one week of the government’s directive towards closures of learning institutions and other establishments. These efforts must be appreciated and the leaders of the organizations who took the bold steps to pivot must be called out for showing grit, fluidity, situational awareness, and an unwavering commitment to their teams and customers.

However, the recent introduction of virtual learning at my son’s school got me thinking about how relevant technology can be to different audiences. My son is an eight-year-old second grader who now has to attend virtual classes via zoom — using his mother’s handheld device. This scenario coupled with the current tug of war between private schools and parents got me thinking about design principles that put users at the top of the funnel. So the big question I have today is; is technology enough to deliver an exceptional virtual learning experience?

While it is understandable why schools would rush to pivot to virtual learning environments, what has been lost on many observers is why the needs of the customer- the student – have been put further down the pecking order after technology and profits. For example, what learning outcomes would a school expect from a kindergarten kid taking classes via zoom? It is my considered view that there are certain additional factors that can tremendously contribute to improving the learning experience in a virtual environment.

Socio-economic variables have a huge impact on learning experiences

Learning, whether physical or online, takes place within a specific environment. For example, it would be expected that learning would be more difficult in a larger family with members of varied age groups than it would in a smaller one. A study conducted by Spiros Protopsaltis and Sandy Baum found that in a range of environments, the gaps in student success across socio-economic groups seemed to be larger in online environments compared to physical classrooms. At Moringa School, for example, we ran a series of surveys to understand what extra support we could accord to students. Students from vulnerable communities would ordinarily have to face the burden of choosing between online study vs other critical domestic functions that may determine the fate between study and the next meal. However, when the key focus of learning institutions is to improve learning outcomes, the focus then will be more on identifying critical blocks that inhibit the quality of the final product.

Real-time synchronous online interactions have a significant impact on outcomes

One of the most critical elements of in-person learning is the social support mechanism that comes with it. This support is both critical in identifying and extending support to learners who have to contend with inadequate environmental stimuli back at home. The importance of social strata and how that impacts learning outcomes is, therefore, something that must be heavily considered in an online environment. One of the most ubiquitous themes in the body of literature focused on online learning is the social support provision in an online environment. It is, therefore, imperative that online programs must incorporate student-faculty interactions in a way that improves learning outcomes. Moringa school does this through the provision of ongoing support by technical mentors to students. Spiros and Sandy write in their study that:

“..as efforts to further expand online learning proceed, it is critical to design more interactive educational experiences that integrate regular, direct and meaningful contact and communication through real-time class sessions and other synchronous interactions with peers and instructors.”

One of the biggest conundrums that EdTech companies have had to deal with is the low completion rates for online programs. While MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have recorded massive leaps in completion rates compared to five years ago, the human psyche remains stubborn. Studies and experiments have shown that one way to improve outcomes and completion is by providing intrinsic motivational triggers that lead to rewards. The promise of job placement support or seed funding, for example, are some ways that for-profit companies are using to improve completion rates. However, an underlying issue that we must factor in is the level of self-discipline required by the learner to follow the schedules and complete learning milestones. In addition, online learning experiences differ greatly between students who are already strong academically and those who are struggling.

In conclusion, online learning has become a new normal even for the traditional instructor-led in-person models. While technology remains a huge enabler and breaker of barriers, we must resist the temptation to feel that technology alone can address the needs of students. Schools and companies must continuously apply user-centered or human-centered design approaches to bridge the gaps between provision and access, price and affordability, design, and outcomes, among other important variables that make the whole experience count. While private schools have rushed to implement virtual learning, we must pause and ask ourselves whether younger kids have developed the necessary visual-brain coordination capabilities to discern what goes on in a virtual learning environment. As we continue to build layers upon layers of security in our online learning tools, introduce nifty features that appeal to visual impulses, and extend convergence beyond the limits of the human imagination, we mustn’t forget that the real issues that will make the difference do not lie with technology itself but the people interacting with it!

A prolific writer. Been writing mental notes since my teens A tech enthusiast, not a geek. Opinions are strictly mine; shares, retweets, and claps theirs. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aonganga/

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Becoming a software developer is much more than just sending a CV to get your next job, it’s all about how you package yourself. Many junior developers often yearn to become visible experts in their field but get lost in finding the right process to adapt. Generally, there are three distinct fields in software development; front-end, back-end, and full-stack developers with one primary goal: to design software or digital applications that empower users to accomplish a specific task.

One dominant aspect of technology is constant changes and developments, which makes the field competitive thus the process of becoming a developer guru. This article will take you through 6 simple steps to becoming a software developer in 2021.

1. Understand the field of software dev.

I know you expected to begin with a technical step. Not really! It all starts with the mind trying to acknowledge the field of software development. This is where you will nurture your passion for the career and keep you going. It’s important to understand the different roles of a developer, which projects and industries you will work in, the required skill sets, the different opportunities, and the challenges you will encounter during your career. You also need to establish trending technologies in software development and choose the platform for which you want to create software. With all these, you will be having the right mindset to get you started in becoming a software developer.

2. Determine the best programming language to learn

Depending on the three career paths in software development (front-end, back-end, and full-stack), you need to establish the best language to learn. A front-end developer needs to master HTML or CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery while python, SQL, Node.js, and Django are vital for a back-end developer. A full-stack programmer will have to learn both languages. The programming language will also depend on the type of project you are working on. For example, in in-game development, C++ or C# are key languages while in web development you should learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

3. Train for the real world

Having chosen the right programming language, it’s time to dive into learning them all as you master one. One trick to becoming a tech guru is to master one programming language and understand the rest. Enroll in a software development course at the best institution of your choice. I would recommend Moringa School which emerged as winners at the just concluded Kenya Edtech Summit & Awards 2021 and has been impactfully dominating the tech space.

If you are beginning from scratch, get familiar with the basics of the programming language as you proceed to the core. Amazingly, there are many available free and paid resources online which will help you in becoming a great developer. These range from books, video tutorials, and online learning platforms. You should aim to learn theory and get practical exposure within the shortest time possible.

4. Start creating your application

Now that you have gained the right skills, it’s important to start building on your own self-driven projects. These projects aim in solving vast real-world problems. If you still have no idea of which applications to work on, there are many accessible resources online to get you started or you can build a replica of popular applications. Through this, you will be able to actualize your theoretical understanding of the skills gained into practical knowledge. You will also be able to increase your visibility to potential employers by showcasing what you can offer to them.

5. Join the right tech communities and make good use of them

Your network is your net worth! Identify the right tech circles, be part of them, and build meaningful connections alongside getting community support. By making connections with other software developers, you will develop a greater understanding of your craft and establish areas to improve on. The large talent pool support is also vital in reference whenever you are encountered with bugs in your application that you are unable to solve. You might also get a connection to job opportunities and get inspired by other developers.

6. Start job hunting

Finally, I believe that you are a good software developer and ready for the market. You can either work as a freelance software developer, work for a company, or form a startup and build your tech business. There are many opportunities for you to earn a living as a developer, all you need is to be a go-getter.

In conclusion, practice makes perfect! Keep on improving your skills to remain relevant in this constantly changing digital era.

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