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About KeyDash and the SwiftTeach Digital Programme

KeyDash is a typing game, free to play, built as part of the SwiftTeach Digital Programme, which supports students in developing their typing ability and digital fluency.

What is KeyDash?

KeyDash is a browser-based game that helps students learn to touch type. Players type passages of text to drive a sprinter or a car against friendly computer racers, so accuracy and speed earn a place in the race. The text adapts to each student's reading age, and a guided Training mode teaches correct finger placement one step at a time. There is also a live multiplayer mode so a class can race together.

Who makes it?

KeyDash is made and published by SwiftTeach. SwiftTeach owns the tool and holds its copyright, and you can find out more at www.swiftteach.com.

What is the SwiftTeach Digital Programme?

The SwiftTeach Digital Programme works to make everyday digital skills accessible to all students. At its core, it aims to give every learner the confidence to take part fully in school and beyond. KeyDash is the typing tool within the programme, supporting students in developing their typing ability and digital fluency.

Why typing is part of digital skills

Confident keyboard skills sit underneath almost every other digital skill. When typing is slow and effortful, it gets in the way of writing, research, coding and on-screen assessments. When typing becomes automatic, students can focus on their ideas. That is why building typing ability is a natural first step in developing wider digital fluency.

Free to play and private

The game is free for individuals to play, and you do not need an account. You can choose to sign in, or log in with a class key from your teacher, to save your progress; an account stores only your email and progress, and a class key stores no student email. There are no adverts. Teachers and schools can buy optional paid plans that add class tools, which help fund the service. The goal is to help students build a skill that supports their learning for years to come.

Who is it for?

It is built for students from around the age of seven up to university level, and it works well in the classroom or at home. Because the difficulty follows each student's reading age, the same game suits a young beginner and a fluent older typist alike.