Develop complex skills
Designed to be accessible for all learners, Qnova supports future-ready skills—helping people thrive, innovate, and solve complex problems.
From the Studio
Capability
Intelligence.
Where understanding human capability changes how opportunity works.
For employers, universities, and learners, making capabilities more visible can improve how people are understood, matched, and developed—supporting better decisions and more equitable talent pathways.
Explore the workResearch into possibility
Thinkers. Problem solvers.
Innovators. Change makers.
We support, nurture, and empower the next generation. Our work connects the science of computational thinking with experiences that make strengths, learning, and future pathways visible.
The research foundation
Computational
Thinking Challenge.
Beyond programming. A new way to understand how people think and solve problems.
Computational thinking brings together general problem-solving and programming-related skills. Developed through Dr. Rina Lai’s research at the University of Cambridge, the Computational Thinking Challenge is a computer-based competency assessment that bridges psychometrics, learning sciences, and computing education.
Multiple contexts, question formats, and problem types capture the diversity of computational thinking. Combining formative and summative assessment functions, the research was designed to serve researchers, educators, and students.
The Challenge became the research foundation for Qnova. The source website reports that the tool has benefited thousands of learners worldwide, with findings presented at academic conferences and published in international peer-reviewed journals.
Explore the Cambridge researchThe venture
Qnova.
A digital, AI-powered formative assessment.
Seriously fun. Seriously insightful.
Discover the power of next-generation game-based assessments designed for today’s learners. Qnova builds on the Computational Thinking Challenge to connect engaging experiences with personalized insights.
An intelligent capability portfolio that makes strengths, learning, and future pathways visible.
Built at Cambridge University, supported by HKSTP
Explore QnovaLearn through fun challenges
Game-based experiences transform how learners engage with critical 21st-century skills. It feels like playtime—with serious learning and results.
Gain personal insight
Personalized, actionable insights help learners identify their unique strengths, recognize areas for improvement, and chart a path toward their potential.
Evidence & impact
Rigorous by design.
Engaging by experience.
95.6%
of children found the problems stimulating, interesting, and fun.
95.5%
of children enjoyed completing the challenges.
Learner feedback reported on the original project website. These figures describe reported engagement, not learning gains; sample size and study dates are not specified there.
Research & publications
2022How multidimensional is computational thinking competency?A bi-factor model of Computational Thinking Challenge. Lai, R. P. Y., & Ellefson, M. R. · Journal of Educational Computing Research2021Beyond ProgrammingA Computer-Based Assessment of Computational Thinking Competency. Lai, R. P. Y. · ACM Transactions on Computing Education2020The design, development, and evaluation of a novel computer-based competency assessment of computational thinkingLai, R. P. Y. · ACM Conference on Innovation and Technology in Computer Science Education, pp. 573–574
Featured in & shared through
University of Cambridge ACM Hello World · Raspberry Pi Computing at SchoolRTHK