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Solar-powered device is jazzing up the way children are studying in rural Maharashtra.
Lehar Tawde and Lavin, both management graduates from NMIMS were not content with cosy jobs and wanted to contribute to the society. Their research revealed the need for skill development of teachers. The result was ConnectEd Technologies; an edu-tech company develops and makes available customised
2014 had just begun and Lavin and I had nicely settled in our 3-year-old jobs. Our jobs were cosy but were not challenging enough and had no social impact in any way. We wanted to do something where we could bring about change using technology, reminisces Lehar Tawde, a management graduate from NMIMS, Mumbai. Their first port of call was the education sector.
“Everybody knows that the rural education system in India is not perfect. Both of us are products of the urban education system and while we knew that schools in our villages generally needed reforms, we did not know what the exact problems were,” he adds.
The duo plunged headlong into research for about 6 months. Finally, they zeroed in on enhancing teacher skills so that they could use technology for effective classroom instruction.
Before 2014 could end, they had quit their jobs and started ConnectEd Technologies, an edu-tech company that will develop and make available customised educational content to underprivileged kids through technology.
A smart classroom system forms the core of ConnectEd’s offering. It aims to enhance the effectiveness of teachers by providing audio-visual content to the teacher’s instructions. The system consists of an all-in-one device which is not only easy to operate but also has integrated content. It is a battery-operated, HD projector, with in-built speakers, that runs only on solar energy and doesn’t need any computer knowledge for operation. The teachers have to simply switch-on the device, find the multimedia content file relevant to a particular day’s lesson plan and play it.
The projector itself constitutes of two components:
Hardware: It is a projection-based system with a simple device that needs just a button and a remote control to start. Once an agreement has been entered into, the ConnectEd technical team not only installs the system in classrooms but also trains the teachers in operating it. The device battery lasts 2 hours on a single solar charge and boasts of built-in speakers. By integrating all the components in a single device, the start-up had done away with the need for PCs, UPSs or any other hardware.
Content: Besides providing the hardware, the ConnectEd team also develops the content which comes pre-loaded in the device and maps the state board curriculum. Firstly, the chapters in textbooks are converted into scripts to create ‘movies’ of sorts. It involves simplifying the content to such an extent that it becomes easy for the children to connect with. Teachers trained by ConnectEd are also involved in the process of converting chapters to scripts. The content thus formed is passed on to other experts like animators, voiceover artists, editors, etc.
Lehar shared that each video is about 12-15 minutes in length. While teaching, the teachers can either play the entire film at a stretch and then begin discussions or intermittently pause it to encourage discussions. Conventionally, the entire period is dedicated by the teachers in delivering content. The videos make the class more engaging and interactive.
The team first piloted the device in Palghar district of Maharashtra and is now expanding to other areas too. The system is currently designed for use from grades V to X.
This year, ConnectEd has joined hands with the Education Ministry of Maharashtra and initiated the EkShiksha campaign to take the product across the state. Through this campaign, socially-responsible corporate organizations, NGOs, school management boards, and grassroots-level educators are brought together to bring better education to children in rural schools.
ConnectEd today has a team of 27 people in their 20s. Lehar and Lavin have bootstrapped their venture.
Keen to understand the impact of their product and to incorporate improvements, ConnectEd conducts assessment tests to check if there have been any improvements in learning outcomes. The idea is to conduct a baseline test at the beginning of the academic year and then follow it up with an end-line test later. As of now only the baseline test has been conducted in Palghar.
“We have been receiving feedback from teachers that the product helps them improve the learning environment in class. Earlier, teachers would just read to the children from books in the class. Delivering lectures too was not very helpful. But the video content corresponds with what they are going to teach in class and children love it too,” says Lehar.
Read the original story by Tanaya Singh at www.thebetterindia.com.