Over the past months, the concept of traditional learning changed drastically as students moved to an online learning environment. However, brushing aside the pandemic blues, several Ed-tech startups stepped up to help every student continue their learning.
With an aim to make education truly interesting, Ed-tech startups are changing the education landscape. The emphasis today is not on rote-learning but to nurture the right skills from a young age. Further, as technological advancement is taking place at a breakneck speed, these startups also aim to provide tech skills relevant for the future.
In this regard, let us look at five innovative education technology practices that India saw in 2020:
Concept-based learning: The idea is to make learning a “joyful affair" for students where they can share knowledge, new experiences, and deeply engage in problem-solving activities to develop intellect from the very childhood. SP robotics is one such ed-tech platform that helps students learn, build and showcase robotics, coding, image processing, virtual reality, and other next-generation skills or education. The best part is that concepts are taught using animation videos and real-world examples. It only enhances coding skills but also problem-solving skills and creativity.
Training healthcare practitioners: A Gurgaon based start-up provides vocational training for paramedics such as OT technicians, lab technicians and x ray technicians. The company is replicating the Uber-model but instead of taxis, it’s focusing on vocational education for paramedics, a critical need for India. It is estimated that the demand for paramedics stands at 6.5 M, whereas the available skilled workforce is only 0.45. M Virohan is a health ed-tech player and has developed an end to end, proprietary technology stack to aggregate training providers and standardise operations from mobilisation to training to placements.
It has even built a job aggregation solution for demand aggregation and job prediction by geography and trade. Finally, it partners with industry players like GE Healthcare and Siemens Healthineers to ensure that their content is relevant and demanded by the industry.
Skill development: Upskilling means learning new skills to enhance competencies as it plays a critical role in a student’s life as well as career. School of Accelerated Learning (SOAL) is the first hybrid product School for learners who are looking to build tech-focused careers. It is India's first-ever hybrid coding boot camp for emerging technologies and future work skills. The platform provides in-depth knowledge of courses in Product Engineering and Product Design and helps to build real-life, robust web applications from scratch. Another live online upskilling academy for kids is BeyondSkool.
Job leading courses for engineers: Chennai headquartered global start-up Skill-lync launched a special masters course in electric vehicle design and simulation. The start-up provides job leading courses for mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. This special course launched in May 2020 was the first such curriculum in India which focuses on EV. With colleges shut and students looking to make the most of the time that they are at home the startup has fast tracked the development of this programme and releasing it amid COVID-19.
Contextual learning for young minds: Kutuki is one of India's first early learning app that uses proprietary stories and songs-based curriculum to attract India’s youngest learners. The interactive app aims to transform the young minds by creating contextual, multi-lingual content that parents and children can identify with. is one of the top apps recognised by PM Modi as one of the winners of AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge.