Let Teachers SHINE Winner 2026: Valli Krishnappan – Logic MasterMind
An innovative computing lead is developing a gamified platform to improve recall and exam performance by helping GCSE students master computer science through digital ‘escape rooms’.
Valli Krishnappan, a secondary teacher with 15 years of experience, has been awarded £25,000 from Let Teachers SHINE to develop Logic MasterMind – a platform designed to boost student engagement, confidence and exam success.
“Students like games,” said Valli. “I feel like the escape room is a very good idea for holding students’ attention in class, and I want teachers to use this in their classrooms as part of regular lesson activities.”
Logic MasterMind is an interactive platform where students navigate virtual ‘escape rooms’, solving rapid-fire questions and short challenges to unlock and progress through themed rooms, each room representing a different topic on the curriculum.
By turning computer science into a game, Valli hopes to solve the problem of student disengagement by transforming exam preparation into an interactive and engaging experience.
The project differs from existing resources because it uses high-frequency practice to help build students’ ability to remember and recall key topics.
“I hope the project will significantly improve students’ fluency and exam performance, while also narrowing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils,” said Valli.
“This project would support disadvantaged learners because I could see, based on my experience, that usually they struggled with retrieval and cognitive load, especially under exam pressures,” she added.
Logic MasterMind will be available to support GCSE Computer Science students both online and as a mobile app, and teachers will be able to tailor the curriculum content in order to help students to prepare for their exams with different exam boards. Key topics include programming, hardware, cybersecurity, Boolean logic, and binary conversions.
While currently being piloted with Year 10 and 11 students at Valli’s school, in the future she hopes to bring Logic MasterMind into more settings.
“Longer term, I would like to develop a scalable model that can be shared across schools, supported by teacher training and clear impact data. Ultimately, the goal is to reshape how computer science is practiced, making logical thinking more automatic, accessible, and engaging for all learners.”
“I always dream big,” said Valli. “I really want to make a difference when it comes to the teaching and of GCSE computer science, so I’m looking forward to bringing my vision and concept to life and creating something truly impactful for the students.
Although Logic Mastermind is initially focused on Computer Science, Valli is building the platform as a scalable model that could be expanded to improve attainment in other subjects such as maths and science in the future.
“It’s incredibly encouraging to have this idea recognised and supported by SHINE. The funding will allow me to properly develop, test, and refine the platform, ensuring it can make a meaningful difference for students.”