Our challenge is to unlock the power of education for everyone by using technology to create a step-change in learning outcomes.
Traditional education at the school level (K12) is beset with problems of access and resources, creating a gap that is daunting for most kids in the developing world and the underprivileged in developing countries. With this innovation contest, we hope to develop technology-based tools and solutions that can convert learning into an open resource to unlock the unique benefits only education can bring.
We are all familiar with online learning in many forms today, from a quick google search to e-learning for training at one’s workplace. Although mostly limited to higher education or skills retraining in technology-related subjects, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have become ubiquitous. However, the large enrollments and flexibility of these virtual classes create an impersonal atmosphere and they suffer from a high dropout rate.
Traditional education at the school level (K12) is beset with problems of access and resources, creating a gap that is daunting for most kids in the developing world and the underprivileged in developing countries. With this innovation contest, we hope to develop technology-based tools and solutions that can convert learning into an open resource to unlock the unique benefits only education can bring.
We are all familiar with online learning in many forms today, from a quick google search to e-learning for training at one’s workplace. Although mostly limited to higher education or skills retraining in technology-related subjects, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have become ubiquitous. However, the large enrollments and flexibility of these virtual classes create an impersonal atmosphere and they suffer from a high dropout rate.
Most current offerings in online education at K12 level have many shortcomings. Even worse, with the pandemic has come a forced adoption of online education that was never planned for and is severely limited in what it can provide young learners.
At the most basic level, most public schools in the US provide to each student a laptop or tablet device, along with subscription to a cloud-based subscription to productivity suite. However, the classroom is traditional in every sense, including instruction and activities.
At the K12 level, two major types of online classroom offerings exist: blended learning and distance learning.
In the blended classroom, teachers utilize computer-mediated personalization of instruction sets and flexible learning schedules for each student. However, the course contents are the same for all students and are the same as traditional classrooms. Automatic feedback from quizzes often do not relate back to concepts or skills of the subject matter. Tracking progress individually is also a challenge. Measurable gains in learning are hard to assess, partly because of lack of standards in metrics. The blended classroom is only available in a few schools in the US and is largely experimental and exclusive.
Distance education (also called remote or virtual learning), is typically only available as a supplement. Students and parents use online course material on a fully flexible schedule. Assessment-based personalization of material and progress tracking through coursework is available on some platforms but a sense of community is difficult to foster at scale. Pedagogical developments in this space are still evolving. Moreover, barriers to access remain strong.
We founded Broad Learnings with the vision to help everyone the opportunity to maximize their learning outcomes, regardless of barriers. Our platform not only provides free access to quality academic material to all, but also offers personalized learning paths for students. However, we find that to realize our mission, we need to wield next-level tools, technologies, and methods in innovative ways to win a step-change in learning outcomes for all students. This is our challenge.
Awards:- $6,500
Deadline:- 22-09-2020
