Category: Education

Digitization of Education

By Bipin, Dama, Founder & CEO, Saras-3D, Inc

After a challenging school year of learning through video calls with a spotty internet connection, it is now apparent that the way we educate our children is ripe for innovation. This moment is an opportunity for school systems to be reflective, scrap the parts that don’t work, and find new ways to reach students beyond the traditional education model. Yet, it’s also a moment for parents to rethink the way their children learn and find strategic ways to best support them during this time so that they can reach their full potential. To achieve this, we need to leverage technology to engage students in ways they never have before.

To stay engaged, students need a way to mimic the in-classroom experience while they study from home. This engagement happens when students can learn through exploration, as if they were learning in a real-life laboratory. New technological developments are making this possible. We’re seeing new educational platforms that use 3D simulations and virtual hands-on learning methods that allow students to interact with the material.

This technique is based on stereoscopy, a technology that combines special eyeglasses with a booster box to create a three-dimensional, interactive learning experience. Using this tool, students can learn twice as fast with a deeper understanding and better recall. By playing with scaled models, topics are depicted in the same way they exist in real life.
Learning by doing brings back the excitement and joy of learning. For example, if students were to learn about apples simply by reading about them, their understanding would be pretty limited and quickly forgotten. But if those same students could see, touch, taste, and smell apples, they would receive the necessary context that is grasped only through an interactive experience. By lighting up the senses through interaction, sustained learning is achieved. This is the joy of learning. The same level of understanding is achieved digitally through 3-dimensional, interactive learning. The more students interact by playing with the objects, the faster they can understand and remember the concepts behind the topic.

We know that rote memorization doesn’t work because there is no engaging pattern or effort made to relate the content to students’ lives. The solution to this problem, is that the curriculum must actively relate new knowledge to previous knowledge. This approach is essential for mathematics because each concept builds on the last. By clearly stacking concepts, students are consciously aware of their progress, encouraging them to keep going.

When students recognize these patterns, exploration becomes more like a treasure hunt. Students seek out the “why” behind the concept, helping them truly understand in a much deeper way. Just like experiencing an apple through one’s five senses, the act of discovery helps students make connections and bridge ideas that build new pathways in their brains. This way, more brain connections are available when students need to recall the memory later on.

This solution for our children doesn’t require an internet connection to access the content. This also makes blended learning possible to study at home by layering different methods that mimic the in-classroom experience. For instance, virtual labs and 3D videos coupled with online learning fundamentals such as quizzes and analytics guide students through multiple media to guide them through each concept thoroughly.

The ultimate result is two-fold; students master skills swiftly. Parents relax, knowing their children are engaged and actively reaching their academic goals. Together it’s how we can strengthen our children’s ability to thrive as they study from home.

Our education system is at an impasse. For students to continue to learn and grow, education needs to evolve digitally. Without digitization, the best scenario sees students maintaining the status quo. It, of course, presumes that students continue to practice and study using materials they can find, even if it’s inadequate. While this would likely minimize further damage, it wouldn’t help students grow.

Unfortunately, most students don’t have access to supplemental resources, and the most likely outcome is regression. At the moment, some students are experiencing extreme physical and emotional stress. It is possible that without support, students can regress and begin the next school year even further behind than they were before school closures. In this situation, the knowledge loss can be rapid and set students behind for years to come.

This doesn’t have to happen. In fact, with a high-quality digital platform, students can quickly remediate any learning loss that previously happened. With continued use, students can far surpass their previous levels and come out ahead during this time. Stereoscopic 3D learning could be one of the best opportunities for students to accelerate their academic growth.

About Saras-3D:

Saras-3D, Inc is a dynamic start-up comprising technology innovators and educators who are harnessing the power of stereoscopic 3D technology and interactive visualization to elevate and transform the learning experience for K12 students. The company has launched its patent pending Genius 3D Learning solution, India’s 1st interactive stereoscopic 3D solution aimed at creating the right foundation for learning and acquisition of knowledge for K12 students to help foster STEM innovators and problem solvers of tomorrow and empower them to compete and succeed globally. Genius 3D Learning takes a hands-on, experiential approach to science and mathematics concepts that fosters deeper understanding, 2X faster learning and higher retention, consequently better test scores. Headquartered in Pennsylvania, U.S. the company operates in India through its wholly owned subsidiary 3D EdTech Pvt Ltd.

The University of Hull becomes full Chevening partner creating new scholarships on Postgraduate Courses

The University of Hull Announces 5 New Scholarships for 160 countries including India covering full tuition fees on masters courses

The University of Hull has recently become a full Chevening partner. Chevening is the UK’s leading Global Master’s scholarship programme and the University of Hull is announcing 5 new scholarships for students from eligible countries for full tuition fees on master’s programmes. Chevening is accepting applications from over 160 countries including India for the academic year 2022-23.

To be eligible prospective applicants must hold a bachelors degree equivalent to a high UK second class honours. Students must also meet the English language requirements set out in Chevening’s guidance for applicants on their website. Prospective candidates must apply for a University of Hull full-time postgraduate taught programme, which leads to a master’s qualification. Chevening Scholars are required to demonstrate qualities of influence and leadership, and applicants must be able to demonstrate they have at least two years of work or equivalent experience by the end of September 2021. Lastly, all Chevening Scholars need to return to the county they were selected from at the end of the period of study.

To be considered for a scholarship, students need to submit their applications via Chevening’s online application system and complete their master’s degree application on the University of Hull’s website. Chevening’s online application system will be open until 2nd November 2021.

Restrictions preventing students from applying for Chevening/University of Hull scholarships include individuals holding a dual citizenship where one nationality is British (unless exempt in Chevening’s guidance for applicants);candidates applying for D.Phil or PhD programmes; students wishing to study a course with a duration of either less than nine months or more than 12 months; students who are receiving or who have previously received financial support from either the University of Hull or the UK Government.

Talking about the University of Hull and Chevening, Emma Payne, International Recruitment Manager for India says, “While we have been receiving Chevening scholars for over 20 years, becoming a full Chevening partner this year and creating the five new scholarships presents a great opportunity for future leaders and innovators to come to the UK for their master’s studies. I encourage students in India to apply”.

Chevening is open to students from over 160 countries worldwide, and Chevening Scholars are renowned for demonstrating great potential to become future leaders, decision-makers and opinion-formers in their own countries. The University of Hull recognises how Chevening Scholars contribute enormously to the impact and influence of its global student community.

For more information regarding the new Chevening/University of Hull Scholarships, visit: www.hull.ac.uk/scholarships.

Distressed NEET, JEE Aspirants reach out to CollegeDekho’s #MarksNahiHaalPoocho helpline

Gurugram, October 14, 2021 – CollegeDekho, India’s largest ed-tech admission counselling platform is focused on offering end-to-end higher education ecosystem opportunities to its students. From the intel gathered after closely working with students, CollegeDekho is addressing an inherent problem statement that students face – stress due to marks and exam pressure.

Various reports have indicated rising academic pressure resulting in anxiety and stress among students in India. With ongoing admissions across colleges and expected results for NEET and other entrance exams, CollegeDekho is aiming at addressing pre-result and admission stress among Indian students with its partnership with the Suicide Prevention India Foundation (SPIF).

Launched on World Mental Health Day #MarksNahiHaalPoocho campaign is hosting toll-free helplines to help students and parents in distress. The toll-free 24×7 helpline 90528-90528 which will be active till October 16 has received students queries from across 15 cities including the Delhi-NCR region, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Dehradun, etc. around career choices, family issues, stress and anxiety, mood disorder, etc.

Ruchir Arora, Founder & CEO – CollegeDekho, said “The initial trends and feedback gathered on the basis of our interaction with students show that as a society we need to collectively work towards removing various layers of anxiety and stress that we put on children from a very young age in the name of education. It’s time that we broaden our mindsets to be able to drive a holistic development among students and help them make an informed choice while choosing a career path.”

He added, “With Soha’s reach and Suicide Prevention India Foundation’s team of experts, we are hopeful of helping as many students as possible. We remain committed to our objective of helping students in achieving different milestones of their higher education journey and #MarksNahiHaalPoocho campaign is an important part of this commitment.”

As a long term commitment, the startup has also created a dedicated email id seeksupport@collegedekho.com and a micro-website https://www.collegedekho.com/student-mental-health-awareness where students will be able to seek help from the experts and share their journey anonymously with others. Students will be able to access a self-help tool kit available on the micro-website alongside contact details of government-aided hospitals that provide free of cost counselling across India.

About CollegeDekho (www.collegedekho.com)

CollegeDekho (Girnarsoft Education Services Pvt. Ltd.) is India’s largest Ed-Tech platform for higher education services. Since its inception in 2015, CollegeDekho has counselled more than 2 million students and has helped over 750 colleges with their student recruitments. With more than 100 million sessions on its website in 2020, CollegeDekho is also proud of owning India’s largest common application form platform (CAF) which has serviced more than half a million applications by 2020. CollegeDekho also offers a full range of Study Abroad services from discovery to admission. The latest introduction of Ed-Fin-Tech offerings are powered by a simple vision to help each student get access to higher education of their choice.

Schools and Colleges reopen – ADYPU preps to equip to cater to e-smart students

New Delhi: After a long gap of 18 months students studying behind the screens from the closed doors of their homes will finally get to step out and resume school and offline classes. Pandemic forced students to study online and which came with its pros and cons. With this major responsibility has fallen upon schools and colleges to resume with complete COVID safety guidelines and protocols.

On this, ADYPU’s Chairman, Dr. Ajeenkya DY Patil added “It is a pleasure to welcome our students back. This has been an uncertain and difficult time for them. I’m encouraged to see that parents are also enthusiastic about children returning to school and are supportive of it. Our main objective is to ensure a smooth transition by creating a safe and welcoming environment. All Covid guidelines have been followed and we are prepared to open the gates. Getting back to school, routines, and peers is essential for students.”

Addressing parent’s concerns Dr. Patil further adds “We understand parents are concerned about safety protocols, so being transparent about cases and responses is very important. Make sure those measures are communicated and that there is a contingency plan in place. Parents understand how important it is for their children to return to class, and we are doing everything we can to ensure they are confident about sending their children to school again.”

This will be a time for exploring new learning methods with an amalgamation of online and physical learning methods and study how this can further evolve for both students and institutes.

About ADYPU

Ajeenkya DY Patil University (ADYPU) is a private university located in Lohegaon, Pune, Maharashtra, and belongs to the DY Patil Group, a network of educational institutions in India. It is officially certified by the University Grants Commission (UGC). Established in 2015 under Maharashtra Government Act, ADYPU was founded by the former governor of Bihar Padmashree Dr. DY Patil.

ADYPU was awarded for being the best private university in 2018 under Educational Excellence Awards. In 2019, ADYPU was awarded as the best private university by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and recognized as the ‘Best Innovation in Education. Also, Economic Times called Ajeenkya one of the Best Education Brand for 2018-19.

The University offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate-level education in the field of Technology, Management, Humanities, Design, Law, Hotel Management, Social Sciences, and Film & Media. Campus facilities for the students include a state-of-the-art campus, well-equipped labs, hygienic hostels, management labs, computer labs, and a high-speed Wi-Fi facility for students to remain connected with the faculty all the time. Education at ADYPU is offered under nine distinct schools.

A shift in mindset: Schooling the emotional, social, and behavioural health of your children

By Ms. Fatema Agarkar, Educationist and Founder of ACE

While some states and cities in India saw the partial opening of schools for a short period of time prior to the new virus mutations that make the second wave so much more severe, it is a fact that pre-schoolers and those in elementary years, including primary years, continued to operate with their virtual engagements. As it was not deemed ‘safe’ for them to be in physical environments other than the safety of their homes given a host of reasons that were agreed upon by governments, education departments, local administration, etc. In fact, if reports are to be believed, even those that could attend school as a physical class had many parents deciding against this, forcing schools to adopt the blended format of learning.

This ‘wait’ for the physical school for those that were denied entry, to the ‘anxiety’ associated with the physical classes did create a further impact on children and the way they express themselves.
The conversations around Covid are not joyous ones and be it news channels or discussions at home with everyone is locked in did its fair share of damage to these little minds who suddenly found themselves ‘distanced’, isolated, restrained, and being exposed to circumstances that were totally alien. From the ‘breaks’ they got from their home when in school, or outdoors, playing or even in classes, this around the clock with nowhere to go and dependent on their family for support was a challenge for these children and that is a simple fact. They missed their friends, the comfort of their teachers helping them and generally life turned on them!

The teachers tried their best to engage, create activities, parents with their own workload toiled away, but the ‘distance’ for the younger children was especially difficult and teenagers have complained of fatigue as well. Their little world turned upside down in the past 12 months, a school year has gone by, and to be told yet again that the world will not normalise despite some ‘vaccines’ because the ‘numbers are rising’ is all too much for children this young. If adults are experiencing languishing, lethargy, lack of motivation, depression, and loneliness, imagine the children!! As Harvard researchers point out, they are still ‘work-in-progress’ and do not have the experience to manage or cope, and yet they are being forced to!

Makes a strong case for adults be it teachers or parents to think long and hard about the well-being – emotional, social, and behavioural health of the children. For starters, consider that they are ‘little broken’ despite those smiles and the strong facade and with that create an approach of being compassionate, communicative, proactive, and empowering.

10 simple things to remember:

1. Be alert for signs and have a ‘routine’ of checking-in protocols which are not ‘how are you feeling’ questions, but instead sharing a story of someone feeling low and testing what their reactions are! Children respond with ease when the attention is shifted to someone else, and while they begin to identify with the story, they may find themselves opening up without pressure. That’s what you need to ensure that you understand their emotional state and deal with this accordingly.
2. Before jumping into solving the problem, and being very mindful of allowing them to express themselves without judgement, remember to focus on the ‘emotion’ or the moment as opposed to the individual. For example, during a temper tantrum instead of calling the child, a ‘bad boy’ considers saying, ‘I sense that you are feeling bad about something, and I know it is making you upset, once you are ready to talk, I am here to listen.’ Sometimes, a hug following that will work, sometimes walking away will work. You have to gauge the pattern.
3. The 2 F’s (Food and Fitness) for me are always a huge trigger point that results in emotional and behavioural challenges. 90 percent can be attributed to lack of exercise or fitness routines and a diet that does nothing for the nutrition that will not help them regulate their moods. I am not saying recommend to families to alienate their favourite foods (how much more will we distance them from the things they love) but social media is buzzing with recipes that make for delicious food that will work for children in keeping with their palate. Kids need to have some form of physical activity be it yoga, skipping, running, playing, or even doing errands through the day by organising themselves! For every two hours of sitting in one place, there must be 20-minute breaks – think of it as a long airplane ride, remember what the voice always tells you – move around. Apply this principle. Especially when planning lessons – include a treasure hunt, physical break time to dance or jump, etc!
4. Kids need to interact with the kids of their own age, and therefore recommend to families to make an effort (if safe) to connect with other families in their building or neighbourhood to meet with social distancing and safety norms. This ‘physical’ presence helps them develop the social skills and this can always be organised when consulting the family, their health status, etc. If this is a strict no-no then try games played online with fellow kids, chatting in zoom parties, or participation in summer classes where they can engage with children of their own age.
5. Sleep deprivation is another contributor to the emotional and behavioural changes in a child, and almost all the time, this is either an irregular and lopsided day with extreme access to the screen, poor eating habits, and almost no physical fitness routine. A child needs 10 to 12 hours of sleep to allow the mind and the body to develop and this sleep deprivation is a major cause, this would be non-negotiable as a recommendation to parents.
6. Communication does not always have to be direct with children – as explained earlier use books, perhaps YouTube videos, or a movie to get kids into conversations and discuss about their feelings, their fears, their joys. Often as adults, our instinct is to ask, ‘is everything ok?’ – instead of the negative, focus on the positives (did you see how she jumped with joy when she saw her favourite ice cream was available) as well and then make your way to the negative. It allows the child to ease into a conversation and makes it less threatening. Also, do not play the guilt game or reward them for opening up – they have nowhere else to go, so they will open up, but it takes time and patience and by maintaining this consistent communication, you have allowed them to know that they can connect with you which is critical for the emotional needs
7. Maintain a journal and a diary of the child’s behavioural changes if any. It is important to understand the trigger points, the pattern and in some cases of trauma or abuse, it must be important to report this to the counsellor to seek professional intervention
8. As facilitators, it is critical to understand that this Covid schooling requires a re-orientation of some academic targets for the students in favour of mental well-being. Children need to feel enthused to learn, and if there is a period of ‘languishing’ then better to bring in the ice-breakers and games than try and teach them fraction word problems. Be flexible, adjust and prioritise well-being.
9. Planning activities to include plenty of group work, group games, etc will help children slowly regain their confidence with social skills. They can be ‘taught’ these by encouraging words, giving them strategies, and reassuring them that they are on the right path by role modelling as well!
10. Home-school partnership cannot be emphasised enough, and the connection must be real-time, proactive, and transparent about the challenges faced in school and at home to help the child transition to this Covid phase. Some children breeze through it, some require direction while some simply struggle, so important to have personalised and customised approach for them.

Academic milestones are critical when one thinks of developmental goals, but these can be ‘made-up’, what is extremely difficult is regaining the strength or the confidence to be emotionally secure, and content, aware, etc. which means the focus for adults who engage with these children must be about well-being a priority.

Schooling isn’t about words and numbers, and learning about mountains and rivers and moon and stars, what does any of this mean when the child is lugging around a heart that is so full of emotion, and pain that it dulls every information coming in!

Time to prioritise!

Whiz League, a leading EdTech startup, champions the culinary world

October 12, 2021, New Delhi: Whiz League is a leading EdTech start-up that currently offers pre-recorded courses by industry experts and celebrities in the space of fashion, design, entertainment, culinary, hospitality, and entrepreneurship. It is now set to champion the culinary and hospitality space with 6 new exciting courses under legendary MasterChefs such as Ranveer Brar, Kunal Kapoor, Vicky Ratnani, and Rachel Goenka.

Whiz League has become one of the most exciting learning hotspots for food enthusiasts and chefs in India. Having mastered the art of cooking, these Mavericks have set a high benchmark in the industry.

“Our vision is for our users to truly master their fields of interests and turn their passion into profession. We have not only added a plethora of courses by the best in the industry but also made it possible for our learners to possibly collaborate with them via our Whiz Launchpad” share Sonia Agarwal Bajaj, Co-founder- Whiz League and Natasha Jain, Co-founder- Whiz League.

In addition to the celebrity chefs, the platform also features popular executive chefs from leading hospitality chains such as Chef Anuj Wadhwan and Chef Gaurav Chawla. From courses that will help one master the world of spices, to healthy cooking to the business of home baking, Whiz League has something for all food enthusiasts, chefs, and aspiring restauranteurs.

All the courses are online, self-paced, super affordable, and can be accessed from www.whizleague.com or via their app for apple and android devices.

XLRI Completes Summer Internship 2021

Fr Paul Fernandes S.J, Director XLRI- Xavier School of Management commented, “We have had another astoundingly successful summer placement season at XLRI, which has shattered all its previous records. In the current state of recovery market, XLRI has outshined as a beacon, with Summer Internship Placements getting completed in a mere 2 days – a testament to the quality of leaders that XLRI has to offer to the industry. We are extremely grateful to all our recruiters for choosing their next leaders from XLRI, and to the faculty, staff and students for their continued support in this journey”

XLRI – Xavier School of Management, amongst India’s premier B-Schools, announces the completion of its Summer Internship Placement Process (SIP) for its largest-ever class of 470 students (2021-2023 batch) of the Business Management and Human Resource Management programs across both XLRI Jamshedpur and Delhi-NCR. The highest stipend offered was INR 6.8 lakhs for two months in the BFSI Sector.

Even amidst the pandemic, XLRI saw the median stipend for the entire batch rise to INR 1.27 Lakhs per month, while the average stipend offered was INR 1.28 Lakhs per month. This is an increase of over 16% and 5% over the previous year.

The top recruiters in terms of the number of offers made were Amazon, The Boston Consulting Group, Bain and Company, Accenture Strategy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Aditya Birla Group and HUL. The average monthly stipend for the top 10 percentile students was INR 1,82,000 per month, while for top 25 percentile students the stipend stood at INR 1,63,500 per month.

The top segments based on roles offered were Consulting, Sales & Marketing, and BFSI. Consulting and Advisory firms extended offers to around 25% of the batch while IT and e-Commerce firms recruited 22% of the batch. FMCGs recruited 17% of the batch while BFSI recruited a selected 10% of the batch for some of their most coveted roles.

Sector-wise Turnouts:

The top segments based on roles offered were Consulting and Advisory, Sales & Marketing, and Finance. Other roles included functions in Product Management, Business Development, Brand Management, Analytics and Strategy. Organizations from a wide spectrum of sectors participated in the process, including FMCGs, Consulting, Pharma, IT and e-commerce, Government Agencies and telecom.

Human Resources:

XLRI is widely regarded as the best institution in the country for its Human Resource program. These credentials were endorsed by the sheer number of recruiters who offered HR roles across domains. Top-tier firms such as P&G, HUL, Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive, Reckitt, Coca-Cola, Asian Paints, Mondelez, Johnson & Johnson, Citi, JPMC, Walmart, ITC, Mars, Aon, Vedanta, RPG and Tata Group. Firms offered roles across a variety of HR functions like Learning and Development, Talent Acquisition, HR Consulting and HR Analytics.

Analytics & Consulting:

XLRI has grown into a significant talent source for Consulting firms as some of the top names in Consulting have chosen XLRI as their preferred campus. The Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Co., Accenture Strategy made their highest number of offers ever in XLRI. This year’s process also witnessed participation from Alvarez and Marsal, Kearney, Aon, Everest Consulting and FinIQ Consulting.

FMCG:

XLRI has established itself as a campus preferred by FMCGs, and the trend continued this year with top firms such as P&G, Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Colgate Palmolive, Reckitt, Nestle, Mondelez, Asian Paints, Samsung Electronics, Mars, amongst others, are participating in the process. Top firms in alcoholic beverages like AB InBev, Beam Suntory and Pernod Ricard recruited in good numbers. Roles in Strategy, Sales & Marketing, Product Supply, Operations, IT, and Human Resources were offered.

BFSI:

Finance did exceedingly well this year, aided by the participation of firms such as J.P Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Standard Chartered, Citi Bank, Axis Capital, Axis Bank, Natwest Group, ICICI, Arga and others. The roles offered in this domain were Front-end Investment Banking, Markets, Corporate Banking, Wealth Management, Equity Research, and Retail Banking. Regular recruiters like Bajaj FinServ, Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance participated in the process along-with firms like Mastercard, Intellect Design Arena amongst others.

General Management:

General Management roles were offered by conglomerates like TAS, Mahindra, Reliance, Adani, Aditya Birla Group, RPG, Capgemini ELITE amongst others.

Manufacturing, Industry and Automotive:

There was a strong participation from the automotive sector such as Bajaj Auto along-with strong participation from firms like Vedanta, JSW and manufacturing firms like Tata Steel and Wonder Cement recruiting from XLRI.

Healthcare and Pharma:

We witnessed the most extensive participation from the Healthcare and Pharma sector ever in the process, with new recruiters like Sanofi, Novozymes offering roles in the campus. Regular recruiters like Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Cipla, Sun Pharma offered roles in Sales and Marketing, Supply Chain, Finance, IT and HR.

IT/ITeS, E-commerce and Startups:

There was a great participation from e-Commerce firms with Amazon making the highest 43 offers on-campus across both Amazon and AWS across multiple roles, followed closely by Flipkart, Myntra, Udaan and Meesho recruiting students from XLRI.

XLRI has proven to be the choice of campus for Product Management roles, with IT Giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Media.net, Walmart Global Tech visiting XLRI with their prestigious Product Manager and Program Manager roles.

Placement was successfully coordinated by the placement committee of XLRI which includes Vrishank , Abhinav, Ankita, Appoorva, Harsh, Manju, Mansi, Rishabh, Ruchi, Saanchi, Saba, Sanjeet, Sagar, Vidushi