www.insightssuccess.com
EDITOR’S PICK
Changing Paradigms of the Traditional Education System
INSIGHTS’ PERSPECTIVE
Necessary Deliberations for Establishing a Successful EdTech Startup
EDUTALK
The Impact of Educational Technologies on the Institutional Ecosystem
It’sthecolossalimpactoftechnologicalwondersthattheloveoflearninghasgotanewlife.
Undeniably,technologyhasthatmythical“touch of Midas”whichcanchangethestatus-quoof anythingwhateveritswingsby.WithmyriadofinnovationsandinventionssuchasArtificial Intelligence,AugmentedRealityandVirtualReality,technologyhasopenedupnewvistasfortheworldat large.
It’saprovenfactthatthetraditionallearningmethodsareunabletocreateexcitementorquestforlearning amongstthelearnersanymore,especiallyfortheGenerationZ.Thisisaworldoftech-savvyorrather tech-adhesivekidswheretheyfindmoreinformative,moreentertainingandmoreexcitingwaystoget exposuretothegloballandscapeatanytimefromanywhere.
E-learningisnotanewconceptthough,therecentdisruptionslikeARandVRorBlendedlearninghas givenanentirelynewdimensiontotheconceptofe-learning.InspiteofthefactthatAIisstillattheearly phasesofbecominganintegralpartofanyclassroom,educatorsaroundtheworldhasstartedusingAIto facilitatemoreindividualizedpedagogicalapproachesforstudents.SmartcontentprogramsuseAIto breakdowntextbooks,andotherstudymaterialsinstudyguideswhichcanbeeasilydigested.
AugmentedRealitycantransformtheclassroomlearningintoa‘fantasy-realitymix’experience.Allour fantasiesinthepasthavetakentheformofreality.Theabilitytooverlaydigitalcontentandinformation ontotherealworldwithimagesandlocationsopensupawholenewworldoflearningopportunities.
Anothertransformationhascomeintheformofflippedorblendedlearningwherethetraditional conceptofclassworkandhomeworkisreversed.Thesearetheawesomecreationsoftechnologyinour agethataregoingtore-ignitethegraduallyfadingloveoflearningamongthelearnersofallages.
ThankstothesedigitalgesturesoftheEducationaltechnologiesforgivingtheeducationsystemanew hopeofprogressandrejuvenatingtheloveoflearning.
Inthisissue“The10MostInnovativeEdtechCompaniestoWatch”,we’veportrayedthoseglobal organizationswhicharecreatingandspreadingnewtechnologicalsolutionstomakelearningfunwith themagicofAR,VRandAI.Alsoarichplethoraofinformationabouttherecentdevelopmentsinthe educationindustryhasbeenincludedintheissue.
Onthecoverofthisissue,we’vedepictedthesuccessfulsojournofYazmi,agloballeaderineducation technologywhoisspreadingthegleamofknowledgeinAfricaandbeyond.Ithasoftenbeenobserved thatwhiletheurbaneducationisbeingblessedwithnewdigitalinnovations,theunderprivilegedrural learnersarestillalooffromit.Toeliminatethisimbalance,theCharismaticleaderfromEthiopia, Noah Samara hasestablishedYazmi,theworld’sfirstsatellite-to-tabletcontentdeliverysystem.
Yazmiisessentiallyapowerfulsatellitesystemthatprovidesauniqueandhighlycost-effective learningtechnologyinfrastructureforrural,remote,andunderprivilegedareasinAfrica,Asia,andthe MiddleEast.Yazmi’ssolutionsareofferedtogovernmenteducationministriesaswellasprivateschool operators,andalsocanbeaneffectivesolutionforhealthservice,disasterriskreduction,and emergencyresponseapplications.
Inthisissue,we’veenlistedthosecompanieswhichareprovidinginsightfulandinnovativesolutionsto enhancetheclassroomexperiencewiththeincorporationofAI,ARandVR.ApexLearning:AGlobal PioneerinVirtualLearning;bulb:AMultimediaArtifactforLifelongLearners;Querium: RevolutionizingLearningwithArtificialIntelligenceandShowme:EnrichingGlobalEducationwith FlippedLearningTechnologyarethecompaniesenlisted.
Whileleafingthroughthemagazine,don’tmissoutonourEditor’sPick- Changing Paradigms of Traditional Education System;Insights’Perspective- Necessary Deliberations for Establishing a Successful EdTech Startup andEduTalk- Impact of Educational Technologies on the Institutional Ecosystem
We’vealsoincludedanExpert’sColumn- The Importance of Technological Resources in Education andLeadershipthought- Leveraging the potential of Gaming into Education.Hopethisissueofthe magazinewilldefinitelyappealtoyou.
Suhel Mashayak
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal
Senior Editor
Anish Miller
Managing Editor Suhel Mashayak
Contributors Upama Goswami
Brian Smith
Visualiser David King
Art & Design Director Amol Kamble
Associate Designer Mayur Koli
Art & Picture Editor Paul Belin
Co-designer Asha Bange Khanna Jayant
Senior Sales Manager Passi D.
Business Development Manager
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager John Matthew
Business Development Executives
Steve, Joe, Alan, Rohit
Sales Executives
Sophie Smith, Judy Kent, Karen Holland
Technical Head Jacob Smile
Technical Specialist Amar, Pratiksha
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza
Online Marketing Strategist
Alina Sege, Shubham Mahadik, Vaibhav K
SME-SMO Executives
Prashant Chevale, Uma Dhenge, Gemson, Irfan
Research Analyst Chidiebere Moses
Circulation Manager Robert, Tanaji
Database Management Stella Andrew
Technology Consultant David Stokes
sales@insightssuccess.com
Corporate Ofces: May, 2018
Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States
Phone - (614)-602-1754
Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com
Pune, Maharashtra 411017
Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85
Email: info@insightssuccess.in For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in
& CEO
The importance of education cannot be overstated.Itisthemeansbywhichindividuals may raise themselves, their families and their communitiesintoahigherstandardofliving.Education levelstheplayingfield–takingrace,religionandsocial status out of the picture. It is the foundation of true democracy. With major advancements in technology over the past few decades, classrooms have been enhanced with modern devices and tools such as livestreamed lectures, e-textbooks and interactive exams. Despite this progress, millions of children around the worldstillneverreceiveaqualityeducation.
Many countries, especially those with large rural populations, do not provide basic schooling to their students.Asaresult,theirpeopleareunabletobreakthe cycle of lost opportunities, squandered potential, and sub-parlivingconditions.
Research has even shown a strong correlation between a lackofeducationandlowerlifeexpectancy.That’sright–youaremorelikelytodieyoungifyoudidn’tgotoschool. If you think that is just unacceptable, you are not alone. MeetMr NoahSamara,theFounderofYazmi
Mr.NoahSamaraistheChairmanandCEOofYazmi,an organization committed to ensuring that no child goes withoutaneducation.
Noah was born in Ethiopia to an Ethiopian mother and Sudanese father Unlike many of his compatriots at the time, Noah was fortunate enough to be schooled from an early age, and ultimately attended university in the U.K. andtheUnitedStates.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from East Stroudsburg University and pursuing his graduate studies inEuropeanRenaissanceHistoryatUCLA,Noahwenton tostudylawatGeorgetownUniversity.AtGeorgetown,he was introduced to Space Law and how satellites deliver massive volumes of information across continents Equipped with this newfound knowledge, Noah entered thecommunicationsindustry
In the late 1980s, he launched AfriSpace, a company providing digital audio broadcasting services for Africa. AfriSpacemadeitpossibleforpeopletolistentodozensof radiochannelswithcompleteclarityusingaportableradio. Thecompanyoffereditsradiosatanaffordablepriceand, by signing news and entertainment giants on as content providers, giving listeners a wide range of programs to tuneto.
‘ ‘ ‘ ‘
Governments and corporate customers can rely on the Yazmi Service to ensure that any student, or teacher, can obtain advanced learning tools, official curriculum materials and structured classroom teaching to improve their educational outcomes
Noahexplains,“Intruth,we’velongknownthataccess to information is indispensable to human health, stability and advancement Access to information means teachers will be capable of guiding children to becomeliterateandnumerate,essentialskillsthatwill support them as workers, parents and citizens. Access to information creates the demand for more information. It never fails: in every age and in every land, people hunger for information. By the same token, where there is a poverty of information you will find a poverty health, sustenance and human dignity. The responsibility in the EdTech sector is deep and serious because we design and build systems to arguably distribute the most precious commodity: information.”
In 1990, determined to change the education landscape, Noah established WorldSpace, Inc., the world’s first company to launch a satellite radio system.WhilegrowingtheWorldSpaceoperation,he also served as an advisor to numerous global telecommunications and broadcasting organizations onawiderangeofbusinessandregulatoryissues.As the founding father of satellite radio, Noah has dedicated his life to using satellite technology for improvingmillionsoflivesaroundtheworld.
In2009,NoahestablishedYazmitotackleaseemingly impossiblechallenge–deliveringqualityeducationto areas lacking internet, telephone connectivity and electricity.
Yazmi’ssatellite-basedandsolar-poweredtechnology transmitseducationalcontenttotabletsorsmartphones atschoolsthatareotherwiseunreachable.WithYazmi, anlimitlessnumberofstudentsandteacherscanaccess materials such as e- xtbooks, live-streamed lectures, interactiveexamsandeducationalgames–solvingthe majorchallengeofmaterialshortages.
Yazmi’ssolutionprovidesthesenderwithfullcontrol ofthecontentbeingaccessedonusers’devices,which strictlydisplayinformationbroadcastedbythesender. The system includes a return path via the satellite, allowing for communication between education administratorsandtheschoolsbeingserved,aswellas data analytics such as exam performance and time spentstudying.
Yazmi’s solution also addresses the vital issue of teacher performance: before each lesson, teachers can watch tutorials by “super teachers” to improve their techniques and understanding of the content. For example, a recognized math professor can transmit a video and lesson plan to all Algebra teachers explaining the lesson and his preferred exercisesthathelphisstudentslearn.
TheYazmitablettakestheplaceofabackpackfilled withtextbooks,actsasareferencelibraryandserves as a portable desk. Unlike any other educational technology provider, the Yazmi system is deviceagnosticandbroadcastscontentviaitsowntwo-way communication satellite – guaranteeing end-to-end contentdelivery.
Moreover, applications of Yazmi’s technology go beyond the traditional school setting. The solution can be used to train technicians entering the manufacturingindustry,providehealthworkerswith tools and alerts to suppress disease outbreaks, and support agricultural extension workers with techniquestoimproveefficienciesandyieldsoftheir community’sfarmers.
Yazmi’s team – a blend of seasoned management and young talent – share a common belief in the impact their work will have on millions of lives aroundtheworld.Theirleader,Mr NoahSamara,is recognizedasagreatmentortoyoungentrepreneurs.
The team is working day-to-day on improving connectivity, expanding content and improving efficienciesintheiroperation.
Yazmi’s main headquarters are in Washington DC, USA and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The company is alwaysonthelookoutfornew,skilledteammembers tojointheirmissionofequippingpeoplearoundthe worldwiththeknowledgetheyneedtopavetheway forabettertomorrow.
Mr. Noah Samara’s vision is becoming a reality, as his company continues to fuel the development of the education, health, agriculture and industry sectorsinAfricaandbeyond.
In a manner perhaps ofjuvenile enthusiasm, I felt that bringing the who needed & desireditmost Promethean endeavour, were, fire from thegods & giving it to men stealing,asit
NOAH SAMARA, New Media and Broadcasting Conference 1997, London would be a typical people i n f o r m
ApexLearning apexlearning.com
Beyond12 beyond12.org
CherylVedoe CEO
AlexandraBernadotte CEO&Founder
ApexLearningisaleaderindigitallearningforsecondary education,developingonlineAdvancedPlacementcoursesto providestudents,whowouldotherwisenotgettheopportunity totakerigorouscollege-levelcourses.
Beyond12isatechnology-basedservicenonprofitwhose missionistoincreasethenumberofhistorically underrepresentedstudentswhograduatefromournation’s collegesanduniversities.
BloomzInc. bloomz.net
ChaksAppalabattula CEO&Founder
bulb bulbapp.com
EricGoldreyer CEO&Co-founder
BloomzInc.isafreeappthatistransformingteacher-parent, school-parentandparent-parentcommunicationintoday’s socialandmobileworld.
bulbisadigitalportfoliowherestudentsandeducatorscurate andcreate,showcaseandsharetheirsmarts.
Coursera coursera.org
Kaltura corp.kaltura.com
Kaplan kaplan.com
Querium querium.com
JeffMaggioncalda CEO
RonYekutiel CEO&Co-founder
JasonMoss President,Co-founder
KentFuka Founder&CEO
PattiSmith Co-founder
Courseraisaneducation-focusedtechnologycompanythat connectsmillionsoflearnersaroundtheworldwiththeskills andknowledgetheyneedtotransformtheirlivesandcareers.
Kalturahasemergedasthefastestgrowingvideoplatform,and astheonewiththewidestuse-caseandappeal.
Kaplan,Inc.,asubsidiaryofGrahamHoldingsCompany,isa premierproviderofeducationalservicesforindividuals, schools,andbusinessesworldwide.
QueriumCorporationisbuildingasmart,scalable,online assessmentplatformforMath,ScienceandEngineering.It featuresapatentedexpertsystem,advancedsimulation technology,andaneasy-to-useinterface.
ShowMe showme.com
AdamKarenBdoyan Founder&CEO
ShowMeisaflippedlearningtechnologythatcanbeusedin iPad,ChromebookandAndroiddeviceswhichcanbecalleda personalinteractivewhiteboard.
Yazmi yazmi.com
NoahSamara CEO&Chairman
Yazmiprovidesauniqueandhighlycost-effectivelearning technologyinfrastructureforrural,remote,andunderprivileged areas.
Callitablessingorthegloryof
technology;thedaysaregonewhen learningwasrestrictedtoprintedbooks andtraditionalclassrooms.It’stheageofdigital wonders.Thetech-savvyyoungadultsareseen tobeunconditionallyinlovewithdigital gadgetswhichdistractsandpreventsthemfrom achievingagoodscorecardinschool.To eliminatethisnegativeaffectanddisarmthe youngstudents,digitalcurriculumhasbeen developedwithanambitionofmakingthe learningprocessmoreentertaining,engaging andactive.
BasedinSeattle,USAandfoundedin1997, ApexLearningisaforerunnerindigital curriculumforsecondaryeducation.Apex Learninghasa20-yearshistoryofpartnering withschooldistrictstoimproveeducational outcomes.Thedigitalcurriculumisprovento helpdistrictstoincreasegraduationrates,close achievementgaps,andexpandlearning opportunitiesformiddleandhighschool students.Fromstrugglingtoadvanced,all studentsinApexLearningarepreparedforthe nextcourse,nexttest,andthenextstep.
Thecompanyiscommittedtoinnovationthatdeliverswhatworksfor students,insightsforteachers,andresultsforadministrators.
TheInnovativeandDynamicCEO
CherylVedoe,theCEOofApexLearningisasoftwareengineer, marketer,andexecutiveforcomputercompaniesincludingDigital Equipment,ApolloComputer,andSunMicrosystems,whoexperienced theimpactofinnovativetechnologiesacrossindustries.Cherylholdsa BAinMathematicsfromWheatonCollegeinwhichsheisservingasa trustee,inNorton,Massachusetts,andanMBAfromNortheastern University,inBoston,Massachusetts.
ItwasatApplein1992,astheheadoftheK-12educationdivision,she firstbecameinvolvedwiththeapplicationoftechnologyineducation. ThatexperiencesparkedapassioninCheryltohelpeducatorsintegrate technologytocreatenewsolutionstothechallengesschoolsare confrontingtoday.
CherylthenjoinedthefoundingteamandservedasCEOofTenth Planet,aleadingdeveloperofmultimediacontentforelementarymath andliteracyinstruction.FollowinganexcitingperiodasCEOofPost Communications,anearlyinnovatorinemailmarketing,Cheryl returnedtoAppleasvicepresidentofeducationproductsand marketing,headingupmarketingeffortsforK-12andhighereducation.
FollowingthatsheworkedasthepresidentofPowerSchool,aleaderin web-basedK-12studentinformationsystems.InSeptember2002
CheryljoinedApexLearningaspresidentandCEO.Drawingonher experienceinbothtechnologyandeducationbusinesses,Cherylleads ApexLearning’seffortstohelpschoolsmakelearningmoreaccessible, relevant,andeffectivefortoday’sstudents.
TheUniqueandDistinguishingFeatures
ApexLearningpartnerswithschooldistrictswithapromiseof personalizinglearningwiththehelpofdigitalcurriculum.InApex Learningthevirtualcurriculumhelpsandpropelstheentry-level studentstograde-levelmasteryandbeyond.
Courses:ApexLearning’sextensivecatalogofmiddleandhighschool courseshasbeendevelopedwithanaimtofulfilltheneedsofschool districtsforonlinecourses,forinitialcreditandcreditrecoveryinboth blendedandvirtuallearningenvironments.ApexLearningcourses
The10
activelyengagestudentsinlearning,withembeddedscaffoldsand supportsthathelpstrugglingstudents,includingEnglishlanguage learnerstomasterrigorouscontent.
Tutorials:Withpersonalizedlearningpathsandadaptiveremediation toaddresslearninggaps,ApexLearningTutorialsareaninvaluable resourcetohelpteachersensurestudentspasstheircoursesthefirst time,arereadyforthenextcourse,andachievesuccessonhighstake exams.
SuccessManagement:ApexLearning’ssuccessmanagerspartner withschooldistrictseverystepoftheway—fromstrategyplanningto ongoingprogramevaluationandoptimization—toensuretheusers achievetheirobjectiveswithApexLearningdigitalcurriculum.
WhattrulysetApexLearningapartaretheresults.Threethird-party researchstudiesdemonstratetheefficacyofApexLearningdigital curriculum.Inaddition,schoolsacrossthecountrygetbetter outcomesinhighergraduationrates,lowerdropoutrates,and improvedscoresonhigh-stakesexams.Forexample,Houston IndependentSchoolDistrictincreasedthegraduationrateby7.5 percentagepointsandSarasotaCountySchoolscutthedropoutratein half.
Likeeverystartup,ApexLearningalsohadtoconfrontwithsome initialchallengesinitsestablishmentyears.Ittakesalotofefforts andtimetobuildaK-12curriculumcompany.However,Apex Learninghasbeenfortunatetohavecommitted,patientinvestors.The companyhasalsobenefitedfromanexecutiveteamwithsignificant knowledgeofeducationaltechnologyandexperienceintheK-12 educationarena.Anotherchallengewastoresolvetheclients’ problemswithinnovativeapproacheswhichwouldresultinachieving districtgoals.
Ensuringstudentsstayontrackandbecomewellpreparedforthe futureismorethanjustcompletingthecourses.It’saboutmaking surethatthestudentsarereallyreadyforwhatcomesnext.Ifstudents completeacourse,butarenotreadyforthenextstep;theymightnot beabletopassthestateend-of-courseexam,endupincreditrecovery forthenextcourse,orgetfrustratedanddropout.Digitalcurriculum notonlysupportsat-riskstudents,butalsohelpsinmeetingtheneeds ofallstudentsinachievingsuccessby:
Whenlearningispersonalized,teachersbecomeabletofocusonthe diverseneedsofanentireclass.Noteverystudentispreparedtolearn thesamethingonthesamedayinthesameway.Somestudentslack foundationalskillsorrequiremoretimetomastercontent,whileother studentsarecapableofaccelerating.Digitalcurriculummakesit feasibleforteacherstopersonalizelearningatalargescale.
‘‘At Apex Learning we have great expectations for all students and want to ensure every student has an opportunity to achieve to his or her potential‘‘
Maintainingabalanceofdirectinstruction, meaningfulpractice,andformativeassessment, digitalcurriculumsupportsallstudentsin masteringrequiredskillsandconceptsand developingcriticalthinkingskills.Studentscan accessdigitalcurriculumatanytimeanywhere.
Insteadofpassiveandtraditionallearning method,thedigitalcurriculumenablesstudentsto shareanactiveandengaginglearningplatform motivatingthemtocompletetheircoursework. Studentsgettheopportunitytoobserve,inquire, create,connectandconfirmtodeepentheir understanding.
“With a foundation based on 20-years of innovation and experience, we are very optimistic about our future growth and ability to continue to have an impact”, saysthevisionaryleaderofthe company.
ApexLearninghasateamofdedicated, passion-driven,andinnovativeprofessionalswho aspireandcommittomakethisdigitalcurriculum moreengagingandentertaininginupcoming years.Theincreasingsuccess-ratioofitsstudents andachievementsofthedistrictpartnersare awe-inspiring.Thisiswhatcompelsthe employeesoftheorganizationtoadheretotheir creativebestintheprocessofbuildingabrighter futureforApexLearning.
Gooutside!”“Readabook!”“Gotobed!”These weresomeofthecommonphrasesfrommy childhood,becauseIhaddiscoveredvideogames, aportalintoanamazingdimensionwhereIcouldexplore andusemagicalpowers!Asanadultgamedesigner,I thoughttomyself--howcanIleveragethisnatural tendencyforplaytoactuallyteachsomethinguseful?
Westartedwithmathematics,becauseitfelteasytoturn elementarymathconceptslikeadditionandfractionsinto gamemechanics.ManykidswilltellyouthattheyHATE math,but,whenlookedatfromtherightangle, mathematicsisdownrightbeautifulandfuntolearn. EdwardFrenkel,afamousmathematicianfromUC Berkeley,isknownforsayingthatifartwastaughtlike math,we’dbetoldtopaintafencered1000timesuntilwe gotitright.Woulditbeanysurpriseifpeoplethoughtthey hatedartbecauseitwastaughtthisway?
But,thisisexactlyhowmathistaught!Itdoesn’thavetobe thisway.Leveragingmymanyyearsofgaming--ahem, marketresearch--asachild,Iworkedwithmyco-founders
tobuildagamethatmeasureduptotheexperiencesIwas usedto.Youdon’tplayStarcraft,Half-Life,andDiablo withoutlearningathingortwoaboutfunengagement.And so,Mathbreakers.com,andlaterSuperMathWorld.comwas born.Theideabehindthesegamesissimple:Startingfrom solid,funmechanics,buildagameontopofasolid foundationofmath,sothattheemergentgameplayis naturallymathematicalinnature,whileretaininga playfulnessthatallowsyoutojumprightinwithoutfeeling likeyou’rebeingtested.
Inthis,wewereextremelysuccessful.Weactuallyhave manyofourcustomers(parentsandteachers)tellingus theirkidsplaythegameforfun;oneparenteven commentedthattheirkidswouldrushthroughmorning choresinordertogetmoretimeonthegame.Nowthat’s productsuccess!Ifyouhaveakidaged8-12,Iencourage youtocheckoutMathbreakers.comand SuperMathWorld.com--therearefreetrialsandyoumay seetheirattitudechangefrom“mathsucks/isboring”to “thisisamazingandfun”inamatterofminutes(it’s happenedmanytimesbefore).
However,that’snottheendof thestory.Itturnsoutthatmaking asuccessfulbusinessismorethan justmakinganawesomeproductthat yourenduserslove.Theremainderof thisarticlewillfocusontheextreme challengesfacingtheed-techmarket today
1.Schoolsareslow.Youwon’tsee hockey-stickstylegrowthwithaproductin schools,becausethesalescyclecanbeuptoa year.Furthermore,they’reslowtoadopt--inthe curveofuseradoption,schoolstendtolump towardsthe“lateadopters”side.Notgoodforstartup sales.
2.SchoolsareSLOW.Evenaftermultipleplaytestsonsite thathadkidsliterallyscreamingabouthowawesomethe experiencewas,andevenafterclearlylearningfractions fromourgame,itwasn’tenough.Atoneplaytestan8-year oldboywasusingaswordtochopnumbers.Half, Fourth--easy!Justchopthenumbersupuntilyougetthe rightamount.Untilhegotto7/8ths--thatwasatrickyone. Hethinksaloudtohimself--what’s7/8?It’s.....3andahalf 4ths!Yes,Billy,itis,andcongratulations,you’veachieved asolidunderstandingoffractioncomposition.JoBoaler wouldbeproud.
Itdidn’tmatter.Communicatingthesekindsofresultsto schoolsisliketryingtotalktoawhaleaboutglobal warming.It’scriticalinformation,butwhalesarehugeand don’tspeakyourlanguage.
3.Parentsaredifficulttoreach.Everyothermathappout there--andthereare*thousands*--claimstobeasfunand engagingasours.I’veseenenoughside-by-sideplayteststo tellyouthey’reflatoutwrong,andcan’tholdacandleto ourgame.Idon’tmindsayingit,becauseit’sreallytrue. Butitdoesn’tmatter Toaparentlookingatmarketing material,itallseemsthesame.Standingoutisanexpensive proposition,onethatrequiresinvestorbacking(orpossibly someluckandskillthatwemissed).Butevenifyouget thatpartright,there’sevenmorebadnews.
Charlie Van Norman Co-founder Mathbreakers
4.Themarketistiny.MathappsintheUSarevaluedat about$1.2billionforparentsandteachers.Ifyoudon’t knowanythingaboutmarketsizes,I’llgiveyoutwo comparisons.Paintingresidentialinteriorsisupwardsof $50billion.Asinglemetal-scrappingcompanycanbe worth$1.2billionalone--theindustryisworth$500 billionglobally.Inotherwords,a$1.2billionmarketsize simplyisn’tbigenoughformostinvestorstocare.
Sowhat’sthefutureofgamesineducation?
Therewillcontinuetobeinnovativeandpowerfulsolutions ined-tech,buttheywillbesmallandyou’llhavetohuntfor them.Themarketwillcontinuetobesaturatedbygiants fueledbygovernmentgrantsandphilanthropy,which makesthegemsthatstartupscreatehardertofind.Sothe futureofgamesineducationisfuzzy,butifyou’relucky, you’llbeabletofindthepearlsthatwillmakeaworldof differencetotheyounglearnersthatfindthem.
Educationandliteracyisanintegralpartofhumancivilization forcenturies.TheAncienttextsandscripturesaroundthe globementioneducationbeingimpartedbyGurukuls, Monasteries,Madrassasandvariousotherschoolingmediums.
Teachersandmentorsinancienttimesimpartedknowledgeregarding Religion,Scriptures,Philosophy,Literature,Warfare,Statecraft, Medicine,AstrologyandHistory,which,infact,arethemainstream subjectstaughttoday Thedomainofeducationhasevolvedfrom traditionalhandwrittentextandlearningmaterialtoHi-techinteractive classroomsandlaboratories.Thiscompleteoverhaulintheeducation sectorcanbeattributedtotheemergenceofEdTechstartupsand companieslately.EdTechcompanieshavechangedthelandscapeof entireeducationsectorandcreatingapositiveimpactglobally.
Whentheneedforsomethingbecomesessential,youare forcedtofindwaysofgettingorachievingit,whichis absolutelytrueinthecontextofEdTechfield.
MostoftheEdTechcompaniesarethebrainchildofinnovative mindsandincredibleideasofthetalentedfolks.Theyhavehadthe soleintenttomakeaconstructivechangeinthetraditionaleducation systemwithadvancedandhi-techsolutions,theydeveloped.
Manyatime,students,aswellasteachers,findthetraditionaleducation systemmonotonousanddisinteresting,whichaffectstheoverall developmentandproductivityofpupils,whoareinfactmuchmorecapable ofgraspingandlearning,ifengagedappropriately.Ifthelearningisa stressfulprocess,ithampersmotivationandqualityofeducation.Itissaid thatapersoncaneasilygraspandrecallvisualthingsthanjusttheory
Thevarioussubjectslikemathematics,biology,chemistry,art,etc.have becomefuntolearnandeasytocomprehendwiththeadvancedinteractiveand thought-provokinglearningsolutionsprovidedbytheEdTechcompanies, whichmakesitmoreeffectiveforpupilsinlongrun.Accordingtoarecent study,adrasticdifferencewasobservedinthestudentsfromelementaryto high-schoolintermsofproductivity,whowentthroughthedigitaland interactivelearningprocess.
Anotherimportantfactoris“student to teacher ratio.”Mostofthedeveloped andlesspopulatedcountrieshaveanadequatestudenttoteacherratioin schoolsandcolleges.However,it’sacompletelydifferentpicturein developing,underdevelopedanddenselypopulatedcountries,wherethe educationsectorisingrimconditionduetothelackofteachersandinadequate learningfacilities.Thequalityofeducationisalsocompromiseddueto governmentinactionsandapathy
EdTechcompaniesareplayinganextremelycrucialroleinthesecountriesby impartingeducationandprovidingmuch-neededlearninginfrastructuretothe massesinaveryminimalbudgetandtime.
Foralmostpast100yearsorso,wehavebeenfollowingalearningmodel (especiallyelementarytohighschoollevel)where,ateacherorprofessor standsatthefrontoftheclassroomexplainingideas,writingontheboard, whilestudentssitandlistenwiththelearningmaterialsbeingmostlyphysical textbooks.
Now,however,inthedigitalrealm,EdTechhastransformed theconventionalnotionofaclassroom.Theavailabilityof low-costandhigh-speedinternethasmadeitpossiblefor EdTechtoreachawiderandvastsectionofthepopulation. Studentsareusinglaptopsandtabletstolearnvarious aspectsofthecurriculumthroughdigitalmedia,and teachersfinditmoreappealingtoelucidatedifferentfacets oftheirsubjects.Manyschoolsandcollegeshaveinfact implementedBYOD(BringYourOwnDevice)policiesfor students’convenience.
Thisdigitallearningcontentismoreup-to-dateand comprehensiveinnature,whichallowsthepupilstoexplore andlearnattheirownpace.Itcanbealteredand customizedasperthelearners’needatanypointintime. Henceitgiveslibertytoschoolsandcollegestoeasilyadapt andembracethisdigitaltechnology
Distanceeducationisjustaclickawaytoday;onecan pursuetheinterestingcoursesfrommilesawaysittingin anothercityorcountryaltogether,thankstoe-learning programsofferedbyseveralinstitutionsacrosstheglobe.It saveshugetimeandmoneyfortheindividual,which couldn’tbepossiblewithinthetraditionaleducationsystem.
EdTechtoolsofferaveryhighlevelofuserengagement andlearning.TeachersandEducationalinstitutionsleverage theEdTechtoolstopracticallyandsmartlyaccessa student’sprogress.Insteadofwaitingforexamresultsto discloseastudent’sdevelopmentinaparticularsubject,one canuseEdTechtoolstomonitortheirperformanceon day-to-daybasis.Itoffersyouwaystotrackastudent’s performancebygoingthroughhisscores,classroom attendance,andparticipationandthencomeupwithaplan toworkontheweakareas.
Everysocietyisdividedintodifferentstrata.Somebelong totheprivilegedclassandsometomoderateandsometo underprivilegedclass.AccordingtoUNESCOreport, approx.thirty-fivepercentofworld’silliteratepopulation livesinIndia,whichisquitealarming.Duetotheadventof EdTechcompanies,thesituationischanginggradually,as anunderprivilegedclasshasnowaccesstodigitaleducation withthehelpNGOsandcivilsocieties.Thecountry’s
progressanddevelopmentrelyonitsyoungergeneration,& henceithastobewell-educatedandliterate.
Edtechispoisedtobethebiggestandpossiblythemost profitabledigitalizedsectorinthefuture.Thissector possesseshugepotentialandoffersyouaplethoraoftools andoptionstolearn,unlikethepartialknowledgeoffered bycumbersomeandrelativelyexpensivetextbooks.Since allstudentsdon’thavethesamelearningproficiency,one canpersonalizetheseEdTechtoolsaccordingtoone’s needs.
Thesteepriseinthecostofahigh-school&college educationcoupledwiththecompetitivejobmarkethas allowedEdTechcompaniestoincreasinglygrowitsreachto themasses.
Fromcompaniesprovidingeducationviavideo conferencingandtousingneuroscienceforpersonalizing learningexperience,Edtechsectorisgrowingrapidlyin sizeandrevenue.EdTechisassumedtobethenext FinTech.
Eric Goldreyer, CEO
Sincethemeteoricriseoftechnology,the
trajectoryofe-learninghasfolloweda similarpath.E-learningspawned everythingfrom“on-lineeducation”tovarious learningapplications,includingKahootand KhanAcademy Anothercriticalapplication bornoutofe-learningisthedigitalportfolio,a collectionofmultimediaartifactsthatshowcase students’learningexperiences,goalsand achievements.
bulbisasimple,easytousedigitalportfoliofor studentsandeducators,thatallowsanyoneto create,shareandshowcasetheirwork. Launchedin2011andheadquarteredin Colorado,USA,bulbispurpose-builtfor learningatalllevels.bulbmakesitquickand easyforstudentstotelltheirlearningstoryfrom theirlaptop,tablet,orsmartphone.Froman educator’sperspective,bulbDigitalPortfolios canbeusedtodocumentthelearningprocess, encouragepeerreview,facilitateproject-based learning,promotecollaboration,andfosterthe developmentofhealthydigitalcitizenship.Most importantly,thecompanystates,“bulb is yours forever; it’s not a system owned by the school
district, hence you always have a place to create, refine and share your work for a lifetime.”
Passionateabouteducation,thefoundersofbulbrecognizedaneed. Withoveradozenschoolagedchildrenamongthem,bulb’sfounders watchedtheirchildrenyearningforaplacetocreateideas,share projectsandultimatelyshowcasetheirbestwork.Throughoutthe20th century,studentworkhasendedupgatheringdustinfilingcabinetsand theteacher’sworkburiedinpilesofthree-ring-binders.Withdesign anddevelopmentbackgroundsinsoftwaredevelopment,thefounders designedapractical,simpleandbeautifulsolution.bulboffersstudents andteachersawaytoefficientlycreateaportfolioofacademicand professionalworkthatwillgrowwiththemforalifetime.
EricGoldreyer,theCEOandCo-founderofbulb,ispassionateabout creatingnewwaysforlearningtoprosper Theconsummate entrepreneurstartedBedandBreakfast.comin1995.Hegrewthe companyintoatopspecialtylodgingbrand,andexpandeditsoffering throughtheacquisitionofseveralwebsitesandlodgingsoftware companies.
OvercomingChallengesandCreatingaMilestoneintheWorldof EducationTechnology
bulbhasalwaysheldsteadfasttoavisionanchoredbeyondthemost popular,currenttrends.Thepurposeofthecompanyistomodernizethe mostsignificant,fundamentalprinciplesofeducationbytransforming themintobeautiful,practical,andeasy-to-use21stcenturytechnology.
“At our inception, we knew if we could establish a shared vision that stayed true to the effective, time-tested pedagogical approaches, we would weather inevitable storms,”Goldreyersaid.
Sixyearslater,thebulbteamisstillpursuingthatvision,withmore strength,successandconvictionthanever.
DesigningtheExceptionalStrategythatCounts bulbistheonlytrue“K-12andbeyond”portfoliointhemarket.
The
Oneveryimportantelementthatmakesbulbuniqueistheirclear purpose:buildthemostbeautiful,reliable,easy-to-usedigital portfolio.Thisisthesolefocusofthecompany Anothercritical elementisthatbulbisaboutaphilosophyofeducationratherthana tool.bulb’sclearfocusonhowusersteachandlearnaswellastheir impeccabledesignandcommitmentsetsthemapartfrommost EdTechcompanies.bulbbelongstotheusersotheycanleveragetheir portfoliowherevertheygo.Onceastudentoreducatorleavesthe classroom,theyareabletocontinuetobuildandrefinetheirbodyof work,anytime,anywhereandforalifetime.
Additionally,bulbbalancesthedemandsofITprofessionalsand educators,offeringeverythinganeducatororaschooldistrictneeds tosucceed,including:Learningsystemintegration,Auto-rostering, Administrativedashboards,On-siteprofessionaldevelopment,Robust privacy&datasecurityandCustomeducationpricingandmore.
“Education needs products designed by educators. The bulb team is made up of several talented teachers who know technology and know how people use it,”Ericsaid.
Schooldistricts,teachersandanyoneineducationarecurrently confrontingamajorchallengeintheEdTechmarkettoday,wecallit the“flood”ofdisparateEdTechsolutions.Everydayteachers, administrativeleadersandstudentsarebombardedwithshiny,new techtools.
“We’ve found that the edtech industry is quick to offer fast solutions to very complex education challenges. These ‘easy-fix’ solutions don’t often acknowledge the depth or expansiveness of the learning process and therefore don’t stand the test of time,”Ericsaid.
Additionally,withinthatfloodofsolutionsitisnearlyimpossibleto findawell-designed,easy-to-use,beautifulproduct.
That’swhybulb’stoppriorityistobuildanattractive,relevantand easy-to-useproduct.Veryfewcompaniesactuallyspendthetimeand moneyittakestodevelopthoughtfulandbeautifuleducation technologydespitethefactthatthefutureoflearningdependsonit!
Firstandforemost,investinginbulbmeansnotonlyinvestingina life-longproductbutintheprocessesofcriticalthinking,selective curation,narrative-making,vision-casting,reflectionand collaboration.
‘‘We don’t only want to be known as the best portfolio tool on the market; we want to transform the way students and educators think about learning.”
Additionally,bulbmakescustomercarea fundamentalpartoftheirmission.
“bulb took everything I’ve learned from the service industry and applied it to serve education,”Ericsaid.
Clientsaresupportedbythemostresponsivecare teaminthebusiness,offeringhighly individualizedtechnicalsupport,near-immediate feedbackandhighlyresponsivedesignreflecting theirclients’uniqueneeds.
ThroughapartnershipwithFutureReadyand DigitalPromise,bulbcontinuestolistenandlearn fromatalentedgroupoflike-mindedpartners. Thisyear,alongsidethebestandbrightestinthe industry,Ericplanstofurtherinvestinthe productandcontinuetobringdigitallearning opportunitiestoallstudentsandeducators.
Inrecentyears,theemergenceof
ArtificialIntelligencehasopenedupnew vistasinalmosteverysphereofourlives includingeducation.Thesetechnological wondershavegivenwingstotheworldof educationtoflyhigherandexplorenewer horizonsofsuccess.Ithasmadeitswayto theclassroomsnearyoutomakelearning moreinteresting,personalized,andfullof amazementforthelearners.
QueriumbringsinsuchaVirtualTutor, whichemploysAItechnologytomimicthe skillsofgreattutorsandteachers.Foundedin January2013inAustin,TX,Queriumhelps teensandadultlearnerstomastercritical STEMskills,enablingthemtoachievetheir collegeandcareergoals.StepWise™Virtual Tutor,thekeytechnologyofthecompany providesstudentswithlow-cost,24*7access totheSTEMtrainingneededtosucceedin theircourseandbeyond.
Lackofmathcompetenceisanepidemicin
theUS.SuccessinAlgebraisgenerallyconsideredtobean importantbenchmarktoacademicsuccessinhighschooland college,yetalargenumberofstudentsaresociallypromotedinto highermathlevels,leavingthemunpreparedandlikelytofailin futuremathorsciencecourses.
AcrosstheU.S.,studentsadmittedindevelopmentalmathcoursesin communitycollegesduetotheirlackofmathskills,havelessthana 10%chanceoffinishingtheirdegrees.
KentFuka,theCEOandFounderofthecompanyalongwith Co-founder,PattiSmith,designedQueriumtohelptacklethis problem.
Earlier,KentwastheChairmanandCFOofAustin-based educationalpublisherThinkwell.PriortoThinkwell,Kentwasan earlyemployeeorfoundingemployeeofthreeVC-backedstartup companiesthatwentontohavesuccessfulIPOsfollowedby acquisition,includingTivoliSystems.Kentwasalsoafounding employeeofConvexComputerCorpwherehewasDirectorof ProductPlanningresponsiblefordefiningnext-generationcomputer architecture.
PattiSmithhasmorethan20yearsofexperienceofdriving educationalproductstrategyandmarketingsolutionsthataddress emergingtechnologiesandmarketdemands.
Querium’skeytechnologyisStepWiseVirtualTutor,aSaaS-based tutoringsystem.StepWiseusesanAIexpertsystemtohelpstudents mastermathematics.
WithinStepWise,studentssolveproblemsbysubmittingeachstep forevaluation;theAIengineimmediatelytellsstudentsiftheirstep iscorrectorincorrect.
Ifstudentsrequesthints,StepWiseinformsthemwhythestepis wrongorsuggestswhattodonext.Studentsmayalsoasktobe
The10
shownturn-by-turninstructionstocompletethesolutionatany pointwhilesolvingaproblem.
AkeydifferentiatorforStepWiseisthatstudentsarenotrequired tofollowagivenpathinorderfortheirstepstobeunderstood. StepWiseencodesmultiplemethodsandassociatedrulesfor problemsolvinganderroranalysis,includingtechniquesat differentlevelsofexpertise.Aslongasthestepismathematically valid,StepWisewillacceptthestepandallowthestudenttomove forward.
Wheneverstudentsmakeerrors,regardlessofwhethertheerror comesfromanewskill,askillthatshouldhavebeenmastered previously,oracarelessmistake,StepWiseanalyzeserrorsand coachesstudentsbackonthepathtosuccessfullycompletethe assignment.
SomeofthemostexcitinginnovationsinEdTechareintheuseof datatoimprovestudentsuccess.Whilegoodteachershavealways beenadeptatreadingtheirstudents’visiblecues,theinsightsthey cangainfromlearninganalyticstoolsallowthemtointervene morequicklyandaccurately.Aproliferationofmobileandonline gamesandactivitiesinthemarkethasbeendesignedtoengage students,improvelearningoutcomes,andgeneratedatafor teachers.TheuseofAIforpersonalizedlearningisanother especiallyexcitingareaofopportunitybecauseofitsabilityto provideincrediblydetailed,individualizedfeedbacktostudentsat theirmomentofconfusionandsharethatinformationwith teachers.
SomeofthechallengesintheEdTechindustryincludethesheer numberofnewcompaniescompetinginanalreadycrowded space,dataintegration,andpricing.Itisdifficultforastartupto breakthroughthenoiseofsomanycompetingproductstogetthe attentionofteachers,andit’shardforteacherstofullyevaluate softwareproductswithouttestingthemwithstudentswhichcanbe timeconsumingandcounter-productive.Then,whenteachers implementproductsfrommultiplecompanies,theymustaccess studentperformancedataacrossdifferentplatforms,eachwith theirownlearningcurvefortheteacher AndEdTechcompanies mustbattlethroughthedownwardpressurefromschoolson pricing,makingittoughtoachieveprofitability.
TheClient-FriendlyApproachofQuerium
Queriumlicensesitstechnologytopublishersandotheronline
‘‘ StepWise analyzes students’ errors and coaches them back on the path to successfully complete the assignment
‘‘
contentproviderstointegrateintotheir solutions.Becauseofthetechnicalchallenges ofdevelopingbothin-houseexpertiseinAIand mathpedagogytodeliverasingleproduct,itis morecosteffectiveforthechannelpartnersto workwithQueriumthantobuildtheirown in-houseAIgrouptodevelopavirtualmath tutorlikeStepWise.Asforschoolsand teachers,thecompanyhasminimizedthetime andeffortforteacherstoimplementour products:noadditionalset-uporprovisioning ofstudents,noclassroominstructorsintheuse oftheproducts.
TheAItechnologyinQueriumStepWisecan extendtosupportothermulti-stepproblems thatstudentsfaceeverydayinclassesand careers.Thereisanexcitingrangeofadditional STEMsubjectareasthatQueriumcanexpand StepWisetohandleinthefuture,rangingfrom technicaleducationforautorepairandallied healthfieldsupthroughquantumphysicsand biochemistry
Educationhasalwaysbeenaninteresting phenomenonwiththeacquisitionofknowledge, skills,values,beliefs,andhabits.Schoolisoften regardedasthefirsthomeforthestudents,whichmerely focusesonthecompletionofthesyllabus.Buttheemerging EdTechstartupsarerampinguptotransformthiseducation sector Theyareacutelystrugglingtochangetheway
knowledgeisimparted,beatthecompetition,and revolutionizetheGlobalEdTechmarketandspace. Currently,manyoftheEdTechstartupentrepreneursare facingchallenges,beingattentiveandcomingupwiththe bigideastorenovatethehighlycompetitiveeducation industry
Inordertowithstandthecomplexities,itisnecessaryforan EdTechstartupcompanytoanalyzetheexistingmarket. Theyshoulddeveloptheirproductinsuchacreativeway thatitwouldsuccessfullysatisfythepoolofconsumersor theinstitutionswillingtobuythem.Theproductofferings shouldbeflexibleenoughtotheneedsoftheenduser.The companiesneedtofocusontheunderstandingofthe demandgapfortheEdTechproductsandconcentrateon realdemands.Keepinginmindthemarketchallenges,they shouldactivelyfocusonattractingandappealingtothe decisionmakers-principals,schooladministrators&policy makersaswellasstudentsandtheirparents.Theyshould remoldthetraditionaleducation-basedmarketpracticesto createabetterproductandtoattainstabilityinthepresent educationsector
Theeducationsectorhasenoughoptionscompetingforthe samepoolofeducationalinstitutions.AnEdTechstartup shouldhaveaperfectsolutionandstrategytodealwiththe growingcompetitionandbethebestinthecutting-edge educationsystem.Analyzingthesolutionsandtargetingthe productswillprovidetheEdTechstartuporganizationswith abetterproducttowithstandthecompetitivelandscape. Thiswillhelptheminsavingtimeandeffectivelyproviding insightsforadifferentiatedmarketingstrategytopositionit againstothers.Theyshouldhavethepotentialtocreatea benchmarkthatwoulddifferentiatethemfromthecrowd. Thecompetitivelandscapewillprovidethemwiththe chancestobeattheirownweaknessesandtobean incredibleEdTechstartup.
Theeducationsystemcannotberevolutionizedbyone;it needsasquadhavingthepotentialtogoalongway.This canbeattained,whentheEdTechstartupswouldfocuson possessingagoodnetworkandrelationshiptouplifttheir strategiesingettingthepurchaseorderfromtheirrespective clients.Tobroadenthecompanyhorizons,thereisaneed forthepersonnel,wellconnectedwithteachers,principals, andotherdecision-makerstogetproperfeedbackonthe Minimum Viable Product (MVP).Thiswouldhelpthe EdTechstartupenterprisestodesigntheirproductsasper
userrequirements.Thestaffshouldcomprisemembersthat candistinguishthepositioningoftheproductand effectivelymarketit.Additionally,thestartupenterprise needstherightteamforthesuccessfulmarketing,decoding therevenuecode,andprovidingsolutionstotheclient’s problem.
Itisnecessarytohaveanenterprisemetricsthatcantestthe scalabilityofthebusinessmodelastheinvestorsandclients arepossiblyskepticalaboutthegrowingentrantsinthe existingmarket.Thesecompanymetricsmaybethearising industrialopportunities,pricingofcurrentgoods,and understandingtheneedsoftheenduser.Thiswouldallow theEdtechstartuporganizationstoscaleintocurrentand growingcompanysector.Thescalablebusinessmodelwill helpthemtoexponentiallyexpandtheirbusinessandtheir operationalstrategies.Developingasuccessfulbusiness modelwouldsupportthebuddingEdtechorganizationsto becomemoreagileandadaptivetothechangesinthe dynamicbusinessenvironment.
TheEdTechstartupsneedtosustainthebusinesstillitstarts gainingpaidclientsandattractingexternalfunding.This commitmentisthesolutiontotheproblemsthatare imperativetobecrackedforthebettermentoftheeducation andhelpincorefunctioningoftheadministrationofthe organization.TheEdTechstartupsneedtohaveagood networkwiththeprimaryinvestorsoftheeducationsystem, stickingtothenormsofeducation.Theyoughttohavethe abilitytoscalethebusinesstotherightsizeuntilthetimeit anticipatesthefinancetocomeinthebusiness. PerseverancewillleadtheEdTechstartupenterprisesto attainstabilityandwithstandthegrowthcurve.
GlobalEdTechmarketispredictedtogrowat17%peryear toreach$252Billioninthenearfuture.Thisdevelopment willleadtogiganticbenefitsforthestudentsandopenup thepotentialforamassiverangeofappsanddevicesto supportthisdevelopment.Theinnovativeuseoftechnology inteachingandlearningwouldrevampthetraditional educationalsystemandtransformthefutureofthe educationsector,linkingthestudentsandprofessionals.
Adam Bdoyan, Founder & CEO
Flippedlearningisablendedlearning
processwhichmakeslearningmore engagingandfruitfulforlearnersand involvestheminthelearningprocesswithout mucheffort.Thisisthemostacclaimedand admiredprocessofeducationtodaywherethe classroomactivitiesandhomeworkassignments arereversedorflipped.Thenewgenerationhas becomesmartandsohasthelearningand teachingprocess.Withtheflippedetiquettesof technology,thelearningmethodologyhasalso beenflippedtoenrichtheclassroomexperience.
ShowMeisaflippedlearningtechnologythat turnsatouchscreendeviceintoapersonal interactivewhiteboardallowingteachersto easilyrecordvoice-overlessonsandsharewith theirprivateclassroomsoracommunityof teachersandstudents.Foundedin2009, ShowMegraduatedfromtheDreamItVentures acceleratorandreceivedaninitialfundingfrom reputableVCssuchasLererHippeau,SV Angel,Betaworks,LearnCapital,BoldStart, andEniac.ShowMeisbuildingaglobal learningcommunity-aplacewhereanyonecan learnorteachanything.Themissionofthis
companyistoconnectgreateducatorsandexpertswiththestudents acrosstheworld.WithrisingnumberoftabletdevicesandiPadsat schoolsacrosstheworld,ShowMeissteadilyexpandingitsuserbase, alreadyreachingmorethan20millionteachersandstudents.
ThePassionateLeader
AdamBdoyan,theFounderandCEOofShowMe,holdsaBSin RadioPhysicsfromYerevanStateUniversityandanMBAfromNew YorkInstituteofTechnology Theaccomplishedentrepreneur previouslymanagedthee-mailplatformteamatLycosEurope,which wasserving25milliondailyactiveusers.Apartfromthat,healso helpedtobuildoneofthebestRealEstatemarketingenginesofNew YorkCity
AdamwithSan,anotherCo-Founder,decidedtocreateShowMeto democratizelearningandconnectgreatteacherstostudentsacrossthe worldwiththehelpofadvancedtechnology
SurpassingtheInitialChallenges
ThefirstchallengeofShowMewastoovercomethefearoftechnology fromthemindoftheteachers.“They were skeptically looking at the flipped classroom concept at the early stages”,assertsAdam.
Itwastheuserfriendlyexperiencetheappwasproviding,thathelped thecompanytoovercomethatchallenge.Theappalloweduserstoget startedwithoutanyneedfortutorials.It’ssuperintuitiveandteachers couldeasilynavigateandcreatetheirlessonsandsharewiththeir students.
Initially,ShowMewasavailableonlyoniPadsandmanygroupsof teacherscouldn’tgetaccesstotheapp.AfterreleasingShowMeappon otherplatformssuchasChromebooksandAndroidtablestheapp becameabletoreachawidernetworkofteachers.
TheUniqueFeaturesthatMadetheDifference
ShowMeappisaninteractivewhiteboardthathelpsteacherstocreate instructionalvideolessonswiththeirhandwritingandvoice. Thisuser-friendlyclassroomapphasmanypowerfuland comprehensivefeatures:
1. Explore
WithExploresectionintheapp,anyteacherorstudent regardlessofwheretheyliveorwhatschooltheyarefrom,can getaccesstoallgreatlessonscreatedbyamazingeducators acrosstheworld.
2. Groups
Itisaconvenienttoolforteachersthathasmadeiteasierto communicatewiththeentireclassroomorstudentgroupsinside aclassroom.
3. Analytics
ShowMe’sanalyticssuiteletseducatorsrecordeachindividual student’sprogressthroughlessonsandtheintuitiveinterface.As aresult,teacherscangiveeachstudentthepersonalized attentionandsupporttheyneed.
4. Schoolchannel
SchoolteacherscaneffectivelycreatetheirlibraryofShowMe lessonswithSchoolChannel.It’sanexclusivelibrarytowhich school’sstudentswillonlyhaveaccessto.
5. Slides
WithShowMeapp,teacherscannotonlycreatevideolessons butalsoexportthemtoslidesandprinttheirlessonsanytime.
6. Courses
WiththehelpofShowMe’sCoursesfeature,teacherscanput togethermultipleShowMelessonsintoonecourse,oneplaylist makingitmorecompatibleforstudentuse.
7. GoogleClassroomIntegration
Itisanincrediblyimportanttoolforeducatorsacrosstheglobe. WithGoogleClassroomintegration,ShowMeallowsteachersto uploadtheURLoftheirslidesandvideopresentations,making iteasyforstudentstoview,download,andstoreteaching materialsastheygo.
SomeMorePositiveAttributesoftheApp
Theapphasmadetheeducatorsmoreempoweredtoutilizethe classroomtimeinamoreefficientandbeneficialway,todeliver personalizedlessonsmoreaccuratelyimprovingtheteacher-student interactions.
However,asthesectorhasbecomesomuchfragmentedwith numerousapplications,sometimesitbecomesreallychallengingfor theteacherstokeepupwiththeflow.
‘‘ Create beautiful tutorials with the tap of your nger
BeneficialFactorsforClients
ShowMeisatotallyfreeappwhichallowsits userstosignupforfree.Theappissuper intuitiveanddoesnotrequireanyspecialtraining. Usersjustneedtoopentheappandstartfocusing onlessoncreation.Teacherscancreateunlimited studentaccountsandeasilymonitorstudents’ individuallearningprogressandengageingroup activities.Teacherscanbuildamazingportfolios andshareitstraightaway.Mostimportantly, teachersandSchoolscanstorealltheirvideo lessonsandlibrariesindefinitelywiththecloud storageofShowMe.
FutureProspect
Today,ShowMehasover20millionteachersand educatorscreatingamazinglessonsandsharing thosewiththeirstudents.Thisnumberofusersis growingexponentially.Inaverynearfuture,the appisexpectedtobeusedandappreciatedbythe vastmajorityofschoolsandeducatorsaroundthe globe.
Thus,ShowMeisinitswaytobecomethething ofexcellenceinaclassroom–wherealllessons andnoteswhethervideosorslidescanbe permanentlyrecordedandaccessedfrom anywhere.
Theeducationrevolutionnowadayshasbeenhighly
drivenandgreatlyinfluencedbytechnology. Technicaladvancementinthefieldhastransformed thelearningsystemtoitscore.Thetechnologyisevolving theeducationandtheinnovationsarebeingembracedwith everystepsofitsevolution.Afterwaitingforseveralyears, educationaltechnologiesareimpactingonhowstudents, corporates,andbusinessprofessionalswishedtolearn. Investmentsareconstantlyflowingintotheedtechmarketat anunprecedentedrate.Thecloud-basedLMStechnologies includingvirtualclassroom,mobiledevices,digitalreaders, on-demandvideosandonlinecoursesareconstantly thrivingandcontinuouslycateringthemarketfor innovation.
Withthehelpoftheupcomingeducationtechnology companiesandentrepreneurs,educationalinstitutesare capableofidentifyingthepossibilitytoleveragethe innovativeproductsbeyondtheboundariesanddesignthe toolsthatquenchmillennialdemands.Bothpedagogyin educationalinstitutesandtrainingincorporateshavebeen
enormouslybenefitedwiththeintroductionofnewtools andtechnology.Somemajorsectorswhicharegoingto witnessprospectivedevelopmentandinnovationare:
Withthehelpofcomputerprograms,LMSplatform deliversseveraleducationcoursesinanorganizedway Thissystemutilizesdiversecustomerbasealongwithboth onlineandofflinebyvariouseducationalbodies.This educationalecosystemactsasaprimarytargetfortech companiesstrivingforinnovation.ThisLMSplatform enablesthousandsoflearnersacrossthenationtopursue onlinecertificatecourseanytime,anywhere.
It’samulti-modalplatformthatoffersseveralprogramsto studentsandexecutivesthroughonlinemodulesandvideo lectures.Intherecentyears,someglobalcompaniessuchas TataElxsithathassetupthefirstvirtualrealityor visualizationfacilityandalsoareworkingtowards designingVRbasedlearningmanagementsystems.
Forteachingassistance,thetechnologyisdeliberatelyopen forthedisruption.Variousvideoplatformsarestreaming acrosstheglobetosharethelecturesofteachers.The popularityofteachingassistancemethodshasramped-upin notimewiththeadventofchatbots,real-timeassistance, andextensivesupportsystem.Thetransformationof teachingmethodsandteachersiscertainwithinnovative approachesofedtechcompaniestowardsassistancetools. Thetraditionalteacherscanbealeader,facilitators,and innovatorequippedwithrealworldskills.
Thevirtualrealityisanewtechniquetocompletelyaccess educationasareal-worldobject.Thetechleaderssuchas Google,HTCandSamsungareinvestingmassivelyinthe developmentofeducationalapplicationusingVR technology Thestudentscangetabetteranddetailed understandingofthecontentbyincorporatingvirtualreality ineducationsystem,andcomplexdatacanberesolvedinto simplemodules.
Intheearlyyearof2015,Googlelaunchedthe ‘Expeditions Pioneer Program’ thathasalreadyallowedoverone millionstudentsfromalmostelevencountriestoexplore virtualworldusingGoogleCardboard.Virtualrealitywill soonbringimaginationtoreallifeforstudents.
Byempoweringedtechindustrywithautomationand awesomeness,Artificialintelligenceisahugevaultinthe educationsystem.Thesatisfyingthingaboutthissegment liesinautomatingnearlyallkindsoflearningresources. Bothteachersandstudentsareworkingefficientlywith specialneedsofchildrenwiththehelpofinnovativeAI productsanddevices.Itisheadingonthecreativepathwith theintroductionofrobotics,machinelearninganddesign thinkingunderthehood.
Today,numerousstudentsownamobiledevice.This learningtechnologycanimprovetheengagementand motivationacrossalllearningabilities.Mobilelearningwill alsoofferaccessibilityforlearningandgreaterflexibilityat home.Theteacherscanbeallowedtoprovideafully immersive,integratedlearningexperienceforalllearning stylesandabilitieswithintheclassroombyconnecting mobiletechnologyanddevices.
Withthestudent’sextensiveuseoftechnology,many schoolswillbeabletoadopttablet-likeexperiencesfor theirfrontofclassdisplaysandincorporatethiswith camouflagedlearningtechniquesandthegamificationof learning.Thetraditionalinteractivewhiteboardsare becomingcostlytoreplaceandhardertoscale,whereas SMTsareturningmorefuture-proofwithupgradeable technologies.Meanwhile,innovativeteachersarefinding waystousetechnologyfordifferentiatedlearningand gettingmorecreativewiththeiredtech,andincreased engagement.
Thegreatestpotentialimpactofeducationaltechnologyon studentswillbetheopportunitytonurtureskillstohelp themsucceed,increasethequalityoflearningacross mixed-abilityclasses,andprotectstudents’onlinesafety
Thekeyaspectofinnovationineducationtechnologyisthe adoptionrateofnewtoolsandtechnologiesbythelearners ofthemillennialcommunity.Theyaretransformingleaders forfutureandexploringallpossiblewaystoachievebest technicallyoptimizedlearninganddrivingideasinedtech companies.Theinnovationwillkeepontakingplacealong withittheeducationandtrainingindustrywillcontinueto evolve,andthemarketwillhavelastingimpactsforyears tocome.
Sincethearrivalandsubsequentgrowthinwidespread
useofdigitaltoolsinclassroomsallovertheworld, theeducationindustryhasgonethroughchangesthat manywoulddeemrevolutionary.
Devicessuchaswhiteboards,tabletsandsmartphones, coupledwithlearningmanagementplatformsanddigital resourceavailabilitymay,atfirstglance,justbeadditional educationaltoolsteacherscanusetofurtherstudents’ learningexperiencesandpromotegreaterknowledge acquisition.Firstandforemostitisstilltheteacherwho remainsthekeytothedevelopmentofthelearningprocess, and,ultimately,determinesitssuccessorfailure.Yet,itis alsoundeniablethattechnologicalresourcesinschoolshave
openedupamyriadofnewpossibilitiesforeducators,is greatlyimpactingthecurrentgenerationofstudentsand willkeepplayingacentralroleinthefutureofeducation.
Sincetheturnofthemillennium,theimplementationofa digitalprojectusingnewInformationandCommunication Technologiesappliedtoeducationhaveallowedteachersto buildanewworkingmodelforeverylearningenvironment, fromprimaryandsecondaryschoolstouniversities, vocationaltrainingcentrestolanguageinstitutes, homeschoolingandworkplaceskillsupdateprograms, amongothers.
Gonzalo Baranda is, since 2010, the Co-founder and CEO of BlinkLearning, an educational technology company present in more than 40 countries. He is a Business Administration graduate of CUNEF in Madrid and holds an MBA from Columbia University in New York.
Thisnewmodelisprimarilycharacterisedbythe gradualtransitionfromaone-waycommunication approachtoincreasinglyflexiblelearningsettings wherestudentinteractionandcollaboration,selflearningandadiversificationofinformationformats takeprecedence.
Theparadigmshifthasalsobenefittedgreatlyfromthe developmentofinnovativeteachingmethodologies whichhaveevolvedsubstantiallyorwereentirelyonly madepossibleusingtechnologicalresources.When correctlyappliedbymotivatededucators,severalof theseclassroomtechniques,suchasFlipped Classroom,Project-basedLearningorGamification havebecomeovertimeteacherfavourites,bringing aboutaparticularlearningdynamicandgenerally boostingstudentperformance.
Startingadigitalprojectfromscratchinanylearning environmentcanbeachallengingendeavour.Itisat once,time-consuming,budget-demandingandoften slowtoproducethedesiredresults.However,teachers andadministratorsagreethatitisbeneficialinthelong run,asBlinkLearning’slatestSurveyontheuseof technologyintheClassroomshows.Thesurvey, whichcollectedrepliesfromover2,000teachers, foundthat94.1%ofrespondentswouldrecommendto acolleaguestartingadigitalprojectattheirschool.
Beyondbeingausefultoolforteachersandstudents alike,inthesensethateducationalcontentisdisplayed inamuchmoreuser-friendlywaythanyesteryear’s formatsaswellashighlyinteractiveandwith immediatefeedback-whichisparticularlyimportant whendealingwithyoungerstudentswithshort attentionspans-technologicalresourcesareameans tobetterengagethe“anywhere,anytime,anyhow” mindsetoftoday’smillennialsandGenerationZ individuals.Accessingcontentdirectlyfromthecloud atschool,athomeoronthemoveanywherein betweenusingaslewofdifferentdevicesisan extraordinaryadvantagethatgoesalongwayto strengthencommunicationandinformationsharing.
And,atitscore,thatisthefoundationalpillarof learning.
Furthermore,astrongcasecanbemadethat technologicalresourcesespeciallydesignedfor educationpurposesandcustomizedtoaddresseach student’suniquelearningpaceandindividual strengthsandweaknessesis,sofar,thegreatesttool thatcanbeusedtoachievethemostdemocratized educationpossible.Notonlydothesedigitalformats helpopenupstudents’mindstoanunparalleledtrove ofinformationandpossibilitiestouseit,italso cheapenstheaccesstoit.Thisisespeciallytruein moreremoteregionsoftheglobewhere,forone reasonoranother,accesstotraditionaleducation resourcesisscarceorrestricted,asIndia’sSugata Mitra,winnerof2013’sTEDPrize,showedtogreat effectwithhisSOLEandSchoolintheCloudmodel ofeducation.
Butotheradvantagesawaitschoolswhodecidetostart adigitalproject.Theserangefromadministration efficiency,tostudenthealthandsecurity,parent engagementandecologicalgains,tonamebutafew.
TheadventoftheInternetofThings-atermcoinedin 1999butonlyrecentlystartingtoliveuptoitsoriginal promise-isturningschoolsintohighlyintegrated digitalinfrastructures,whereaccesscardsmonitor employeeandstudentattendance,grademanagement isautomatedtoagreatextent,riskystudentbehaviour isdetectedearlyandparentsreceivereal-time informationregardingtheirchildren.
Insidetheclassroom,thismanagementefficiencyalso helpsteachersconsiderablywiththeirworkloads, allowingthemtofocusonwhatmattersmost:the student.Asanever-evolvingtool,technological resourcescanpresentchallengesbuttheyalsooffer enormouspossibilities,anditisdifficulttoseehowa modernforward-thinkingeducationalinstitution wouldcopewithoutthem.
