Pranavan was the 22-year-old powerhouse responsible for the ideation and the birth of SP Robotic Works which rides on the core principle of fun practical learning followed by Pranavan from the age of 3. Born into a business family, Pranavan was keen to partner with Sneha who had an equal passion for the new way of learning and conceptualized the idea for SP Robotic Works. His innovation did not stop with just the idea, but also the go-to-market strategy which involved an A.I.-driven offline learning model that is hugely successful across India influencing students in nearly 27 cities and growing.
It is fair to state that the Indian education system has been recognised world over for its strong focus on academics as well as the non-stop quest to drive students towards an effective learning path. EdTech or Educational technology is anticipated to play a vital role in the country’s education system and grow at approximately 30% CAGR to reach a market size of USD 10.4 billion by 2025 (PWC). It is no surprise then that the Indian EdTech industry has received $16.1B in VC funding, which is a 32X increase from the 500M received in 2010 (IndiaToday). With a focus on alternative channels of content delivery, the growth spurt in EdTech is largely driven by the K-12 Segment, higher education, and upskilling categories.
The Future of Education
The future is going to be very different with Blockchain, NFTs and the Metaverse becoming hot topics currently. They are sure to have a significant positive impact on the future of the education industry as the industry today is very reliant on human services for multiple outcomes. Gone are the days of physical electronics as everything will be virtual and today’s kids understand this as they are living through this technology.
Subjects like robotics and coding are required for a child’s educational growth and that’s the reason that schools are also adopting the same. Our future generation can become either users or creators of this technology. If we want children to become creators of technology, it is essential to equip them with the right skills and that is what EdTech companies across India are undertaking today.
The Edtech Way
EdTech has the power to bridge the learning gap, given technology’s ability to obliterate geographical barriers. As much as educators understand that digital adoption is the need of the hour, they also want to retain a few unparalleled benefits of the traditional classroom setup such as peer discussion, one-on-one support from educators and creating opportunities to work on group collaborative assignments.
Subsequently, EdTech companies are basically filling the gaps as schools cannot upgrade at a fast pace. These essential gaps are something that parents must recognize and embrace in order to be able to provide children the right kind of support. It helps to discover children’s interests and encourage them to be more focussed. Coding and robotics improve logical thinking and teach teamwork at a much younger age. One can discover their area of interest and strength and thereby become masters of it. Consequently, with such a level of clarity, a child can make a clear decision in future as well.
Assessment of learning at various stages of course delivery and performance of students thereof should direct students to different processes. Students with slower learning speeds should be taken to remedial tracks and students with higher learning needs ought to be given more challenging tests. Interactivity and dynamic platforms will induce students to be more participative and hence give feedback to educators on their specific needs.
Tactics for the future
Given the volatility and ever-changing consumer demands, these start-ups should have a more data-centric view and an agile approach to stay competitive. At different levels (K12, College, PG, Executive), students’ demands change. By virtue of these being digital, it seems more crucial that they adapt tech enabled processes to track the needs to individual level. Continuous engagement with customers will help program necessary solutions. The beauty of tech enabled offerings is that one can attract masses as well as customise it to suit individual demands.
Providing the right level of personalisation to students has always been a trial for the education system in India. With AI-enabled platforms, knowledge gaps can be identified, how workforce students learn can be understood and online courses can be tailored as per the most effective learning pathway for each student. Integrating technology in the learning process also helps foster collaboration outside the classroom and also to utilise these interactive platforms or gamification.
Although we have one of the biggest pools of talented and educated professionals in the world, they lack industrial competency and skills. In a market where many jobs are being side-lined by automation and other technological interventions, it is mandatory to upskill to boost professional value. EdTech platforms offer the perfect solution for professionals to upskill. They make higher education and vocational/technical training accessible to students and professionals from all backgrounds. You can choose to further your knowledge in any specialization you want via online learning without hampering your professional commitments. The best part is that you can learn at your preferred pace and convenience.
The future of knowledge will rely on digitisation, thereby leading to technology driving affordability and equal access to quality education. EdTech start-up like us can substitute what our education systems lack. We, at SP Robotics, ourselves provide courses in electronics, robotics, coding, AR, VR, android app building, leading to a child (7- to 17-year-old) not just gaining knowledge about the technology but understanding more as everything is practical oriented.