Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:23 AM on Wednesday, April 8th, 2020
When a company’s trading gets halted for a prolonged period of time, it is more than likely a death knell. For BTRU, it was a resurrection. Â
Under intense scrutiny of its business by regulators already, CEO Brad Loiselle and his team undertook their own serious evaluation of the Company’s powerful but faltering B2C online education platform. They realized they were in the right space and had superior technology to deliver online education ….. but they were in the wrong target market. B2C quite frankly, has massive upside but it involves an enormous amount of heavy lifting to target and attract enough individual customers to become viable. Â
As such, the Company decided to take its offering and really focus in on B2B instead. And they didn’t just make the decision, they used the halt to tweak their software and reach out to hundreds of companies about how their superior offering could skill, reskill and upskill their workforces. Before coming out of halt, they were already having serious conversations with serious organizations. Â
And it doesn’t hurt when your existing clients include McDonald’s India, Central Bank of India and Indian Oil Corporation. Â
With Easter just a couple of days away, add this resurrection story to your must watch list this weekend.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 8:59 AM on Monday, April 6th, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.
Why Edtech Is Becoming Investors’ Delight
E-learning has a considerable potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of traditional education.
Globally, the interest in edtech-based apps and websites, particularly e-learning, is on a rise
Nowadays, both students and teachers know the need for advanced learning solutions
There are many unexplored opportunities, despite the many advancements made in the edtech sector
Neetin Agrawal Founder, Dronstudy
Since decades, the Indian education system has largely remained unchanged—teachers have kept the wheels turning using the same age-old tools until the dawn of education-technology based start-ups. With an array of innovations happening in every sector, education has not remained untouched; rather, it is evolving holistically. Today learning has expanded beyond the four walls of a classroom or the traditional teacher lecturing and students taking notes method.
Now, learning involves the use of a variety of resources and methodologies, such as pre-recorded lectures in regional languages, online classrooms, audio and video material, interactive learning exercises and interactive books. E-learning has a considerable potential to improve the quality and effectiveness of traditional education.
Culturally speaking, Indian parents are considered highly invested when it comes to their child’s education and willingly spend money on giving their children the best education as per their ability. Traditional educational institutions are unable to keep up with the pace of changing educational needs, thereby providing ample opportunity for edtech start-ups to explore this ripe market, which has a massive untapped potential.
A Billion Dollar Industry
Globally, the interest in edtech-based apps and websites, particularly e-learning, is on a rise. Nowadays, both students and teachers know the need for advanced learning solutions. There are many unexplored opportunities, despite the many advancements made in the edtech sector. Augmented and virtual reality-powered educational apps are still at their nascent stages. E-learning aids have also received a tremendously positive response from investors who realize the massive amount of unexplored opportunities in the educational-technology industry.
The iGeneration Is All about Technology
For the modern generation, information technology is increasingly redefining the face of contemporary education. E-learning is expanding the reach of education to the remote parts of India, where anyone with a smartphone and an Internet connection can be a part of a virtual classroom or explore the realms of full-time to part-time skill-based online courses. Edtech is keenly attracting the attention of investors, along with those associated with the educational sector.
Life-long Learning Has Become a Necessity
Concepts, technologies and information—they seem to be becoming obsolete at a shockingly fast pace. What the students are learning today in school may become outdated by the time they graduate. From medicine to architecture—everything is evolving at a breakneck pace. Micro-learning has become a necessity—the only way to survive in the professional world is by upgrading one’s skills routinely. The edtech industry shows promising potential as businesses are also increasingly encouraging their employees to enhance their skills to keep up with automated processes at work and global markets.
Emerging Trends in E-Learning
Tech innovations such as augmented and virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D technology and robotics are showing real and tangible benefits by significantly reducing the cost of education, breaking down geographical barriers, and encouraging a goal-driven educational model over the conventional curriculum. Mobile learning is becoming a part of the educational system, be it at educational institutions or home, we now have access to education on the move. Mobile devices are no more being used just for entertainment or business; they are no more a distraction from learning, rather an integral part of it.
Edtech companies are effectively combining the power of technology and the thirst for knowledge to provide a highly scalable educational system. These factors, coupled with the increasing penetration of smartphones and low-cost Internet, is allowing edtech companies to scale expeditiously fueled by astute investors who know the importance of high-quality education at affordable prices.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 11:28 AM on Friday, April 3rd, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.
Edtech pioneer Vedantu throws open #21DayLearning during the lockdown
Vedantu is encouraging everyone to keep themselves engaged and motivated while learning a new skill right at their homes
While Vedantu is offering free LIVE classes for students belonging to standards 1-12, JEET and NEET from the safety of their home, it is taking learning to a new level by encouraging people to challenge themselves and acquire a new skill
New Delhi: Vedantu, a pioneer in LIVE online tutoring in India has unveiled the #21DayLearningChallenge involving social media influencers from various walks of life including Hrithik Roshan, Shikhar Dhawan, Sania Mirza, Jannat Zubair to convey a message of learning should never stop & that it can be continued from the safety of the home. While India braces itself towards the second week of lockdown, these personalities are trying to learn a new skill and make the most of the self-isolation period. While Hrithik’s Instagram post where he is learning the piano is trending, Sania is attempting to bounce the tennis ball on the frame of her tennis racket and Shikhar Dhawan is mastering the art of juggling three balls. Inspired by Vedantu’s 21 Day Learning Challenge, these influencers are throwing open the challenge for others to learn something new and post their experience on social media.
With this unique initiative, Vedantu is encouraging everyone to keep themselves engaged and motivated while learning a new skill right at their homes. While Vedantu is offering free LIVE classes for students belonging to standards 1-12, JEET and NEET from the safety of their home, it is taking learning to a new level by encouraging people to challenge themselves and acquire a new skill. Anyone can take up this challenge by learning any soft skill be it painting, play a musical instrument, learning a new sport, cooking or even a new trick.
Vamsi Krishna, CEO and Co-Founder, Vedantu said, “Vedantu has always envisaged to transform the face of learning in India through LIVE online classes. We are constantly striving to create new consumer experiences and build intangible value. With this #21DayLearningChallenge, we want to make Vedantu synonyms for overall learning and not just academic learning. As the pioneer in LIVE, online learning we are committed to ensure that India’s learning won’t stop. There’s always a silver lining to any situation and here’s an opportunity to make the most of our free time by engaging in something meaningful that inspires others.â€
Shivani Suri, Chief Marketing Officer, Vedantu said, “We are delighted to collaborate with inspiring individuals from all walks of life for our 21-day learning challenge. This initiative is an echo of Vedantu’s conviction that India’s learning won’t stop, and we are extending this to everyday life. In times as such it’s important we stay positive, stay home & keep on learning! So, go ahead and challenge yourself as well as others to learn something fun all from the safety of your home!â€
To participate in the 21-day learning challenge, take a picture or make a video of what you’ve learnt new today. Share it with us on our Instagram handle @vedantulearns with the hashtags #21DayLearningchallenge #LearningWontStop
Vedantu is offering support to students, parents and schools across to provide Free access to its complete learning platform. Vedantu is providing Free access to all LIVE classes & Premium Courses with Vedantu Master Teachers, Study Material, Tests & Assignments, LIVE Doubts feature during this outbreak, where students & parents can be rest assured as they can continue their learning from the safety of their homes. Vedantu’s vision is to make the best quality education accessible to everyone and is committed to help students have uninterrupted learning. Vedantu’s LIVE classes can be easily accessed at home from your Mobile, Desktop & Tabs.
Tags: COVID-19, edtech, india, online education Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on INDUSTRY BULLETIN: #Edtech pioneer #Vedantu throws open #21DayLearningChallenge during the lockdown – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:09 PM on Tuesday, March 31st, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world.
The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by
developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE
COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.
The coronavirus pandemic is reshaping education
The International School of Monza is part of the world’s biggest educational technology (edtech) experiment in history
With 1.5 billion students out of school and hundreds of millions attempting to learn solely online, the experiment will reshape schools, the idea of education, and what learning looks like in the 21st century
On Sunday, Feb. 23rd, rumors started that schools in the Lombardy
region of Italy—the country’s economic powerhouse—might close. Confirmed
cases and deaths from the new coronavirus were soaring. The healthcare
system was teetering, and Italy had to dramatically change course in a
bid to halt the virus. By evening, the region was in lockdown.
Within 24 hours, Iain Sachdev, principal at the International School of Monza, had organized his teachers and filmed a short video clip
for students, faculty, and parents. School would open at 9am on
Tuesday, he said. Be patient, he implored. Taking a school online in 24
hours was a massive feat which would be messy. Everyone would be
learning.
Five weeks later, the school is still running—unfamiliar in many
ways, identical in others. Teachers teach via video conferencing every
day. Kids participate using Padlet, a virtual post-it note system that
lets students share ideas; and Flipgrid, which lets teachers and
students create short videos to share. Students do individual work,
group work, and confer with teachers when needed. Sachdev has overhauled
the schedule from 50-minute units to longer blocks. Teachers no longer
use email, but Microsoft Teams.
The International School of Monza is part of the world’s biggest educational technology (edtech) experiment in history. With 1.5 billion students
out of school and hundreds of millions attempting to learn solely
online, the experiment will reshape schools, the idea of education, and
what learning looks like in the 21st century. The pandemic is forcing
educators, parents, and students to think critically, problem-solve, be
creative, communicate, collaborate and be agile. It is also revealing
that there is another way.
“It’s a great moment†for learning, says Andreas Schleicher,
head of education at the OECD. “All the red tape that keeps things
away is gone and people are looking for solutions that in the past they
did not want to see,†he says. Students will take ownership over their
learning, understanding more about how they learn, what they like, and
what support they need. They will personalize their learning, even if
the systems around them won’t. Schleicher believes that genie cannot be
put back in the bottle.
“Real change takes place in deep crisis,†he says. “You will not stop the momentum that will build.â€
But as tech connects people in their homes, its limitations for
learning are on display for all the world to see. The crisis has cast a
bright light on deep inequalities not just in who has devices and
bandwidth, which are critically important, but also who has the skills
to self-direct their learning, and whose parents have the time to spend
helping. It is a stark reminder of the critical importance of school not
just as a place of learning, but of socialization, care and coaching,
of community and shared space—not things tech has hacked too well.
The pandemic is giving tech massive insights at scale as to what
human development and learning looks like, allowing it to potentially
shift from just content dissemination to augmenting relationships with
teachers, personalization, and independence. But the way it is has been
rolled out—overnight, with no training, and often not sufficient
bandwidth—will leave many with a sour taste about the whole exercise.
Many people may well continue to associate e-learning with lockdowns,
recalling frustrations with trying to log on, or mucking through
products that didn’t make sense.
“This may be a short-term commercial opportunity for some vendors,
says Nick Kind, senior director at Tyton Partners, an investment banking
and strategy consulting firm focused on education. “But for this to
become transformational for teachers and learners, you wouldn’t have
wanted to start this way.â€
When the storm of the pandemic passes, schools may be revolutionized
by this experience. Or, they may revert back to what they know. But the
world in which they will exist—one marked by rising unemployment and
likely recession—will demand more. Education may be slow to change, but
the post-coronavirus economy will demand it.
Equity
Moving the world’s students online has starkly exposed deep
inequities in the education system, from the shocking number of children
who rely on school for food and a safe environment, to a digital divide in which kids without devices or reliable internet connections are cut off from learning completely.
According to OECD data, in
Denmark, Slovenia, Norway, Poland, Lithuania, Iceland, Austria,
Switzerland and the Netherlands, over 95% of students reported having a
computer to use for their work. Only 34% in Indonesia did. In the US,
virtually every 15-year-old from a privileged background said they had a
computer to work, but nearly a quarter of those from disadvantaged
backgrounds did not. These divides will likely worsen, as staggering job
losses and a recession devastate the most marginalized in every
society, including all their kids.
Schools face a difficult choice: if they don’t teach remotely, all of
their students miss out on months of curriculum. If they do, a sizable
group of already disadvantaged students will be left out and will fall
even farther behind.
The gap between students isn’t limited to internet access; it’s also
about the power and privilege of parents. “If you are called to duty
right now as a nurse or delivery person, you have no time for
homeschool,†says Heather Emerson, managing director for IDEO’s
design for learning group. And not every parent has the level of
digital literacy necessary to help their kids shift to online learning.
Schleicher says that his optimism for technology uptake is paired
with pessimism about what this means for equity. Those from privileged
backgrounds will find the tools they need, through parents or tutors or
their better-resourced schools. But those from disadvantaged backgrounds
will face multiple challenges, from the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy to
the top: food and shelter, which school helped to provide, connections
to support children’s learning, and a lack of financial buffers to carry
a family through.
“It is clear that this will not reach everyone and it’s not just a
matter of access to devices,†he says. “If you don’t know how to learn
on your own, if you don’t know how to manage your time, if you don’t
have any intrinsic motivation, you won’t be very successful in this
environment.â€
The OECD is one of many organizations advocating to increase access
to open free, online educational resources and digital learning
platforms for teachers and students. For schools to succeed, teachers
will also need access to training and support.
Meanwhile, the crisis is highlighting the role schools play outside
of education. At a moment when schools need to adapt how they teach,
many are consumed with how to feed their students. Gwinnett County,
Georgia, one of the largest school districts in the US, is feeding
90,000 students a day. “It’s a prime example of how schools have become
not just learning institutions, but the heart of the social fabric of
America,†Emerson says.
She argues that coronavirus offers an opportunity to see clearly all
that teachers are asked to do. That includes everything from meeting the
latest state standards, implementing district priorities, mastering new
technology platforms, and caring for the physical and emotional well
being of their students. She suggests that schools can free up teachers
to do more learning.
“What can we do to liberate teachers to focus on their craft?†she
said. “And shouldn’t we pay them wages that match the magnitude of
their roles they play in our lives?â€
Indeed, the pandemic has woken people up to the challenges of
teaching and focused some attention on another equity gap: that of pay
for teachers. After one day of home schooling in the US, Twitter lit up
with calls for teachers to be paid more than investment bankers.
Classrooms
Many schools were woefully unprepared to move online overnight. Those
that were ready may hold clues for the promise, and pitfalls, of
e-learning.
Students at the International School of Monza all had MacBooks; last
August, all teachers were given them too. Sachdev is aware that as an
independent school, it was fortunate to have everyone equipped to learn
online. But he also said there were still a lot of pieces that had not
been pulled together. “We had the systems in place but we never really
used them,†he said.
Julia Peters, who teaches economics and individuals and societies at
the International School of Monza, says being forced online has allowed
her to moved to a more “flipped classroom†in which students do more
learning about basic skills and knowledge at home, via videos or
platforms, and then come to school online to do work together. “That
way, when they come into the classroom we can work on the higher level
skills such as analysis and evaluation,†she says. It’s not a new idea
at all, but circumstances are forcing adoption.
Another positive, Peters says, is that software like Microsoft Teams
allows her to see her students as they are writing. That allows for
real-time feedback, rather than waiting for the work to be completed.
She has also found ways of reaching struggling students. Her Grade 7
students are preparing an essay on beliefs, in which they “choose a
debatable question†and research it. “While they are independently
researching and creating a presentation, I can call a weaker student to a
private call and quietly work with them giving them the extra support
they need,†she says. That would be harder in a noisy classroom.
And some students who shied away from participation are stepping up.
“The quieter, more introverted students can participate more because
they are not being seen by their peers,†says Peters.
Naima Charlier, director of teaching and learning at the Nord Anglia
International School Hong Kong, says moving everyone online has had
plenty of challenges but also has increased teacher confidence around
technology and e-platforms. “There’s a massive energy about how to do
this incredibly different and difficult thing as well as we possibly
can,†she says. Teachers are trying and adjusting and sharing at warp
speed what works and what doesn’t.
Sachdev agrees. “Teachers share far more than they normally world,â€
he said. “Every single teacher can see what others are doing, which
isn’t how things typically work.â€
No such silver linings exist for the millions of students who can’t
get online, or whose schools and teachers do not have the resources to
even experiment with e-learning. Depending on how long the pandemic
lasts, governments may be forced to find creative ways to get more kids
learning.
Technology
What happens to education technology after the coronavirus pandemic
fades will rest in part on the quality of the tech itself. Not everyone
is optimistic.
HolonIQ, a market intelligence firm for the education market, poses
questions twice a year to a panel of more than 2,000 global education
executives and investors across public and private institutions and
firms, from pre-kindergarten to lifelong learning. In its most recent survey,
half of ed tech firms said they were pessimistic about whether the
coronavirus pandemic would make things better or worse in the short
term.
“There’s a discussion now about how this is a golden era for ed tech,
for digital transformation, but more than 50% of ed tech is saying that
over the short term, it’s worse or substantially worse off as an
organization,†said Patrick Brothers, co-CEO of HolonIQ.
Meanwhile, 91% of educational institutions say they will be worse, or substantially worse off in the short term.
Schleicher, from the OECD, said the pandemic will expose how ed tech
has largely failed to do what would be most powerful: leverage the
relationship between teacher and learner.
“The big question for me is will we develop an ed tech solution that
capitalizes on the relationship between students and teachers, as
opposed to just broadcasting stuff,†he says. “I think if we want to
give this any chance of success for large numbers of students and
learners, the teacher is going to be absolutely key,†especially in the
younger years such as primary schools. Pair good teachers, who coach and
facilitate, with good content and good tech, and the sky is the limit.
Adaptive, interactive, science-based learning platforms may start to
take hold—especially for those using the opportunity of a crisis to
help, rather than build market share. Starting in early February,
Century Tech, an AI-driven learning platform for schools, made its platform free for all schools who need it. By March, it had expanded the offering to include all students who needed it, too.
Today, the British-based Century
is giving training and access to its platform, which combines
neuroscience and AI to individualize learning, to schools in 17
countries, including China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, the UK, Nigeria
and Georgia. Founder Priya Lakhani says anyone who wants it can use it.
“This is why we do what we do, and if we can help we should,†she says.
Innovations are abounding, but not in a coordinated manner. Saku Tuominen founded Finnish nonprofit HundrED
five years ago, to research education innovations from over 150
countries. In those five years it has studied 5,000 such innovations and
packaged 1,164 on its website, with ideas for everything from
creativity, to the environment, to “forest schools.†Two weeks ago, HundrED pivoted to work full time
on coronavirus. It is in the process of selecting from its library
simple innovations that have the potential to work in many places in a
home learning environment. One example: the Global Oneness Project,
an interactive community series about storytelling in which filmmakers
and photographers share their work and explain how stories can connect
people.
HundrED is following up with those innovators to see how they are
adapting them for the crisis. On April 3rd, a curated list of resources
will be released; on the 7th, webinars will be available to train
educators. “There is not a lack of tools,†Tuominen said. But he
believes there is aren’t enough ways for the best ideas to be shared.
Beyond tech
So far, coronavirus has offered a stark reminder of the very human
nature of schools. Peters, from the International School of Monza, has
leapt into online learning, but cannot wait to get back into her
building. “Being online, I don’t think you really get a true sense of
whether a student is really engaged and properly understanding,†she
said. Tech hasn’t solved that most basic of things. “I look forward to
the social interaction with the students.â€
Sachdev says it has been so hard for teachers to be removed from
their students and from each other because teaching is such a human
endeavor. “None of us are used to smart working,†he said.
His school’s own journey shows the power of community, along with
agile learning. In the first week, he and his team focused on providing
seven hours of online learning. By week three, they eased up, freeing up
more time for one-on-one and small group support, as well as offline
projects. They responded and adapted.
By weeks four and five, a small number of members of the school
community were ill or had died. Students had lost loved ones. The school
pivoted again. “It’s not about academics,†Sachdev said. “It’s all
about wellbeing for students and parents, and managing that from afar.â€
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:16 PM on Monday, March 30th, 2020
SPONSOR:Â BetterU Education Corp. aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing an integrated ecosystem. betterU / Ottolearn launch FREE COVID-19 mobile resource toolkit to fight the global crisis – Click here for more information.
Coronavirus: How tech companies are fighting against the pandemic – Edtech brands step in
The Coronavirus pandemic has tech players helping in key areas including donating essential equipment, providing cloud solutions, filling in for shut down schools and everything in between.
At this point in time, neither the Coronavirus nor
the damage it has done to the world needs an introduction. Affecting
over 190 countries around the world, the pandemic has brought most
industries to a complete standstill. In countries like Italy, Spain and
the USA, everything but essential services is on hold. A similar
situation has recently hit India.
However, despite the global slowdown, there are brands that are still
working. Working not just in their respective fields, but in new
avenues, aiming to curb the disease or help those fighting against it.
Tech brands across the globe are using their resources for the greater
cause. Let’s have a closer look at how companies are making a difference
in India.
Smartphone brands to the rescue
Smartphone brands probably have a closer connect with the public than
other tech companies. Popular brands like Xiaomi and Vivo have taken
steps to improve the ongoing situation in India. Vivo recently donated a large number of N95 masks for doctors and healthcare professionals. Xiaomi
went ahead and also provided hazmat suits to the brave doctors who deal
with many coronavirus patients on a daily basis. Oppo also announced
recently that it has donated 300,000 masks to affected countries apart
from China.
Customers in need not abandoned
There are also companies that are extending their warranties and
customer-centric services through the lockdown period in India. Brands
like Oppo, OnePlus, Realme
and Huawei have extended their warranties. Moreover, despite manpower
hitting an all-time low, brands are continuing to offer real-time
support via email, chat and more. Service centers are still running, and
brands are adopting measures like only taking in four customers at a
time. Huawei is also providing doorstep repair services for users of the
Huawei Watch GT series in India.
There are also leaders who are using their resources to help countries in need. For instance, Alibaba founder Jack Ma
sent out a shipment of 1 million masks and 500,000 coronavirus testing
kits. The billionaire recently took to Twitter to let people know that
the first shipment was on its way to the USA. The Jack Ma foundation
also announced in January that it will donate 100 million yuan ($14
million) to support the research and development of a coronavirus
vaccine.
Cloud computing – The pandemic’s unsung heroes?
Most countries depend on various websites to keep things running.
These include e-commerce platforms that are on war-footing, delivering
groceries and other essential items. There are also OTT platforms
including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video that people are using at a much
higher rate due to them staying at home. Most of these websites and
domains are running efficiently and catering to a large population like
that of India because of well-run cloud computing.
Players like Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services
(AWS) and Microsoft Azure are making the shift from personal to virtual
possible. “We have taken measures to prepare and we are confident we
will be able to meet customer demands for capacity in response to
COVID-19,†said an AWS spokesperson to CRN. Microsoft meanwhile
is prioritizing its cloud services to first responders and emergency
services. This means that even if the scale of the Coronavirus pandemic
grows larger, Microsoft has partnered with governments across the world
to support critical infrastructure and emergency management services on
priority.
Google is prepared, should Coronavirus make things worse
Meanwhile, Google also has been prepared for unseen circumstances like these. In a recent Google Cloud
blog post, the company mentioned that “peak traffic to Google services
including cloud, increased by up to 16 percent between February 10 and
March 16 in Europeâ€. Further, it also mentioned that despite the shift
from enterprise-grade office networks to people’s personal networks, the
company has surplus computational resources. As per the post, in
locations like the US, Google is utilizing only 25 percent to 33 percent
of its total capacity during peak hours during the Coronavirus
pandemic. That still leaves 75 percent to 66 percent of resources to
allocate in these regions.
How are e-commerce players in India keeping up
Since March 24, Amazon
and Flipkart, India’s largest online retailers, restricted customers
from placing orders. Amazon mentioned that it would prioritize the
delivery of ‘critical’ items like household staples, packaged food,
healthcare, hygiene, and personal safety products. “This also means that
we have to temporarily stop taking orders, and disable shipments, for
lower-priority products,†wrote the company in a blog post.
Many Amazon customers also reported that their ‘non-essential‘ orders placed before March 24 were canceled as well. Meanwhile, Flipkart
started the Coronavirus lockdown by ceasing all operations. It later
started operating after a few hours only for grocery and essentials
deliveries.
Edtech brands step in
Back in November 2016, digital payments became mainstream in India
over the course of a single night. That was the consequence of India’s
Demonetisation. Now, popular Edtech platforms in India are temporarily
filling in for schools. Taking the opportunity, Edtech platforms Byju’s
made all its learning platforms free till April end. Applicable for
students from class 1 to 12, the platform will help kids stay on track
with the syllabus.
Rival Toppr also offered free access to its live, video classes for
school kids till March 31. The company also said that free sessions will
be further extended if schools can’t reopen after March. Meanwhile,
Unacademy announced 20,000 free live classes for people preparing for
various entrance exams. “We want learners to utilize this time…We will
support the education system in every way possible to weather the
storm,†said Gaurav Munjal, co-founder, and CEO of Unacademy.
Tags: COVID-19, edtech, india, online education Posted in betterU Education Corp | Comments Off on #Coronavirus: How tech companies are fighting against the pandemic – #Edtech brands step in – SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp. $BTRU.ca $ARCL $CPLA $BPI $FC.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:13 PM on Friday, March 27th, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The
company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
What Indian Edtech Leaders Are Saying About COVID-19 Pandemic
Employees of most IT companies have been directed to work from home
Furthermore, many of these organizations have taken various initiatives to extend their support to employees who have been struck by this pandemic
India has been going through a difficult time. COVID-19 has proven to be a bigger problem than what anyone could have anticipated. The pandemic has been spreading at an alarming rate and has impacted everything – from people’s daily lives, to operations in various industries.
Employees of most IT companies have been directed to work from home.
Furthermore, many of these organizations have taken various initiatives
to extend their support to employees who have been struck by this
pandemic.
Here are some of these initiatives led by business leaders as they get together to combat this disease collectively:
Vijay Shekar Sharma, Founder of Paytm
Vijay Shekar Sharma has pledged Rs 50 million for any medical
innovation related to COVID-19. His company has also launched an ‘India
Fights Corona’ campaign in partnership with consumer goods company
Hindustan Unilever’s Lifebuoy and Yuvraj Singh’s YouWeCan Foundation.
Paytm also plans to distribute one million soaps to those affected.
Paytm users can contribute to the ‘Donation’ section in the app, or on the website.
Innovators, research teams and doctors can also reach the company for support at [email protected].
Sridhar Vembu, Founder of Zoho
Sridhar Vembu recently announced a Small Business Emergency Subscription Assistance Program.
The plan is to waive three months’ fee for software that small
businesses have already been using. This move will benefit 20,000 of its
existing customers who have 25 or fewer employees.
These small businesses
will get a Zoho Wallet credit, which will be equivalent to three months
of their bill, and the business owners can choose to use the wallet
credits as they deem fit.
In addition to these efforts, Zoho is providing free access to its Zoho Remotely
suite of web and mobile apps to offer remote working options for all
businesses until July 1, 2020. This includes a set of 11 apps which
provide services like document management and video conferencing, among
others.
“You will see the impact on guidance and revenue growth (by Indian IT
companies) for next year. Next year, growth is going to be very
challenging for the Indian IT services industry.â€
Ex-CFO, Infosys Ltd V Balakrishnan in an interview.
Byju Raveendran, Founder of Byju’s
The popular edtech firm’s flagship app – Byju’s – will have free
access for users, and the offer stands until the end of April. It will
offer math and science lessons suitable for children from grades 2-4,
along with Disney Byju’s Early Learn app that offers math and English
lessons for students from grades 1-3. This app could help thousands of
students who have been stuck at home without the guidance of teachers.
Manoj Bubna, Gautam Gurtoo & Biren Shah (Nitrogen founders)
Nitrogen is a Mumbai-based SaaS company that announced free use of
its digital platform for three months for hospitals, grocery outlets and
pharmacies. The founders believe that the three industries –
healthcare, consumer products and pharma – could face a lot of traffic
during the 21-day lockdown. It can help websites handle peak traffic and
strengthen their security.
“The IT sector may see
some indirect impact in the medium to long term as some of the clients
have exposure to manufacturing in China.â€
Pravin Rao, NASSCOM vice-chairman, as well as COO of Infosys in an interview.
Mukesh Ambani, MD of Reliance Industries
Although not necessarily considered a tech leader, Ambani has
announced a multi-pronged plan that involves prevention, mitigation and
ongoing support related activities to stem the spread of COVID-19. His
foundation has set up India’s first dedicated COVID-19 centre with 100
beds and a fully equipped isolation facility in Lodhivali, Maharashtra.
As far as tech is concerned, the company’s telecom arm has increased its
data limits for its existing broadband users and waived charges for new
ones.
With Jio Haptik Technologies, the company’s digital unit has also
built a chatbot for free. This chatbot is built for Government
functionaries and is called MyGov Corona Helpdesk. The bot is created to
answer questions around the pandemic and provide accurate information
to curb false news.
Outlook
As India battles COVID-19, there has been an extended lockdown for
the entire country. This pandemic has disrupted all industries.
Moreover, many analysts say that these companies might not be able to
recover from the impact for many months to come.
The pandemic has put the IT sector’s ability to deliver services
on-site to test, and that is why the majority of them have been moving
towards working remotely. Many believe that this will cause a recession
that could be worse than 2008 one if the pandemic is not brought under
control fast.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 5:44 PM on Tuesday, March 24th, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The
company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
Coronavirus: Students Flock To Online Learning Amid Lockdowns
By: Debroop Roy
With edtech start-ups such as Byju’s and Toppr coming up with free learning courses and modules to help students during the pandemic, engagement numbers of these online platforms have seen a massive surge
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has resulted in
lockdowns across states in India, students and institutions too have
seen a disruption in their learning. While schools, colleges and other
educational places were among the first to be asked to shut down,
several boards have since taken the decision to postpone examinations.
At such a time, several start-ups that use technology to bring
quality education to students across the country, and around the world,
have come up with free courses to help learners and teachers through the
crisis.
Massive Surge In Numbers
Edtech Unicorn Byju’s was among the first few to take the initiative
and provide free access to all of the company’s learning programmes till
the end of April. “Since our announcement last week, we have witnessed a
60 per cent increase in the number of new students using the app to
learn from home daily,†said Divya Gokulnath, co-founder of the
Bengaluru-based company.
Gokulnath said the number of queries from students and parents for
home learning programmes had more than doubled in the last week with
learners across metropolitan and non-metropolitan cities increasingly
using the app. She added that while students with year-end exams were
using video lessons to revise crucial concepts, younger grade students
are learning new concepts to prepare for the next year’s curriculum.
“We have seen a 124 per cent increase in student engagement on our
platform amid the coronavirus outbreak,†said Anant Goyal, founder at
Bright Tutee, a platform that offers video lectures for 18 state boards.
Mumbai-based Toppr, a learning platform spanning across the K12 and
competitive exam verticals, has made all live classes free till schools
resume. Separately, on demand learning videos are available as a free
learning resource on the app.
The company has seen massive growth in engagement over the last few
weeks, according to co-founder Zishaan Hayath. There has been a 100 per
cent growth in free user engagement over the last month while the time
spent across modules has risen more than 50 per cent, with the highest
growth seen for Ask Doubts.
Specifically for live classes, subscribers have grown by 50 per cent
as well. In terms of age groups, he said that growth in time spent by
students of senior classes (10-12) had been double that of those in
junior classes (6-9).
Another edtech start-up Gradeup too has found numbers increasing
since launching free live classes for students between grade 8 and 12.
The free classes launched have a “focus on topics that are covered
during the first 2 months of school…parents want their children to
utilise this time, and an offer like this fits very well. Since this is
the period when the new session begins, it makes sense to cover the
topics taught in the first two months of school,†said Gradeup
co-founder Shobhit Bhatnagar.
Bhatnagar added that while there has been a spike across segments,
ranging between 25 and 40 per cent, it was especially true for aspirants
of competitive exams such as JEE and NEET.
Across Verticals
This surge in online learning is not, however, limited to these.
Testbook, a start-up that provides an online learning platform for
government job aspirants, on Friday announced that it was making all
courses free to use for the next few days. According to co-founder
Ashutosh Kumar, the company saw 250,000 transactions in the first 48
hours, which compares to 300-400 transactions on any normal day. 41.7
per cent of the users registering for courses were first timers.
Similarly, professional courses platform Great Learning has seen
increased traction since launching its free of cost learning resource.
“We are receiving tens of 1000s of visitors daily on free learning
resources; content consumption for our learning programs is seeing a 3x
increase week on week,†said Great Learning co-founder Hari Krishnan
Nair. Most of the surge was coming from metro cities such as Bengaluru,
Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 12:10 PM on Monday, March 23rd, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The
company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
Lido Learning pulls in 25% new organic users amid Covid-19
Platform has observed 25% new organic users visiting the website daily since the beginning of March as well as a 2x pull in acceptability and adaptability of users
Company has also initiated a new outreach model which will provide additional data in terms of quantifying demand
Delhi: Online tutoring platform Lido Learning is gaining immense traction with students becoming more digitally inclined amid the social distancing period. Catering to the K-12 market for students from Class 5-9, Lido offers classes in Math, Science and English. The platform has observed 25% new organic users visiting the website daily since the beginning of March as well as a 2x pull in acceptability and adaptability of users. The company has also initiated a new outreach model which will provide additional data in terms of quantifying demand.
While schools, workplaces and even recreational centres have been
shut down with immediate effect, EdTech companies have filled the
education gap for students seamlessly. Hence, students as well as
parents are steering towards digital platforms to bridge the learning
gap.
Continuous learning is imperative for a child’s holistic development
and therefore Lido Learning is a no-brainer solution for students to
continue building upon their skills while also staying safe and
practising social distancing.
While individualized attention towards every student is the need of
the hour, Lido Learning has always ensured that the teacher-student
ratio is always 1:6, ensuring that each of their academic progress is
monitored and built upon individually.
With the Government also promoting online education in recent
announcements, Lido Learning aims to deliver the best learning
experience for each student with state-of-the-art technology, engaging
content involving quizzes and games, coupled with highly-qualified
faculty.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:17 PM on Friday, March 20th, 2020
Announced the launch of a curated COVID-19 Resource Toolkit to help support individuals, employees, employers and governments in managing this crisis by providing access to relevant, current and critical global information
Over the last several weeks, betterU doubled down their efforts in the development of the COVID-19 Resource Toolkit
OTTAWA, March 20, 2020Â — betterU Education Corp. (TSX VENTURE: BTRU, Frankfurt: 5OGA) (the “Company” or “betterU”) is pleased to announce the launch of a curated COVID-19 Resource Toolkit to help support individuals, employees, employers and governments in managing this crisis by providing access to relevant, current and critical global information.
The speed in which COVID-19 has hit the world, closing businesses,
cities and countries, has created a global panic and confusion that has
only been compounded by the wave of both social media and the
sensationalism of the media. betterU who is focused on education
realized that their recently launched SaaS Mobile Enterprise solution, Ready-To-Go,
could be adapted to help support the world by curating global content
into one source application that could be made available instantly
across the world in up to 20 languages. Please visit https://readytogo.betteru.ca/ to start the process of downloading the app and getting access to your COVID-19 Resource Toolkit.
Over the last several weeks, betterU doubled down their efforts in
the development of the COVID-19 Resource Toolkit. The Company added
modules into Ready-To-Go that comprised of content, links, fact sheets,
PDFs, videos and graphics to support detailed information on the virus,
live updates, risks of infection, symptoms and treatments, how to
prepare, proper hygiene, self-isolation, managing anxiety and stress,
travel advice, information for children, vulnerable populations, myths
and questions and more! The information has been curated only from
reliable sources such as the World Health Organization (WHO), Centre for
Disease and Protection (CDC), the Canadian Government, many medical
professional and leading global experts.
In addition to critical information about the virus, betterU has
reached out to many of their global educators and partners for
assistance in being able to provide their technology and learning
programs that could support a free solution supporting people now
working from home, to help deal with financial management, their home
working environment, support risks and fear management, effective
communication virtually and much more. The goal is to provide a fully
comprehensive resource toolkit that provides an all-in-one solution that
informs, supports and helps advance personal and business successes in a
time of critical need.
“When betterU approached us about working together on this
important issue, we had already been thinking about the how we could
create something similar, so it was a no brainer for us to join
betterU’s efforts. Our customers, their employees and their families are
very important to us and we are working hard to support them all in
this time of need.†Said Dan Belhassen, President of Neovation Learning Solutions – creators of the OttoLearn Agile Microlearning platform (Ottolearn.com)
betterU, Ottolearn and their education partners are providing these
services and content for free to ensure we can help everyone,
everywhere. betterU is continuing its efforts to bring together global
educators, influencers and more to help support the world.
“These times are not easy, and we are all facing our own
challenges. We need to come together as a community, a country and a
world to support each other the best we can. This is what we thought
could help, and while we know it is not enough, we hope it does support
you.†Said Brad Loiselle, President and CEO of betterU.
About betterU Education Corp.
betterU is an education-to-employment technology company offering an
end-to-end solution leveraging business intelligence to automate
skilling, reskilling and upskilling for companies operating on domestic
and global scales.
betterU has integrated into its platform the content, technology and
support for tailored skills assessments, learning pathways and training
modules from 100+ of the world’s leading online education providers.
betterU’s eco-system includes detailed job, skill, employer, and
educational profiles spanning 3,000+ standardized jobs. betterU’s
integrated platform is the most efficient solution to address evolving
skilling challenges for employers and employees through the employment
lifecycle from entry level to executive. We don’t sell content, we help
build better people.
Led by award-winning Winnipeg entrepreneur Dan Belhassen, the
Neovation Learning Solutions team is committed to providing over 500
clients worldwide (representing nearly a million learners) with “best-in
class†L&D services. Clients reap the benefits of Neovation’s
leading-edge software platforms (SmarterU.com and OttoLearn.com) and
content creation services (Flarelearning.com.) Since 2012, Neovation has
built a diverse and growing team of software developers, instructional
and graphic designers, client care specialists and a sales and marketing
team united with one purpose – to make learning magical for
their clients. OttoLearn.com is Neovation’s agile microlearning platform
that delivers knowledge retention and learner engagement to help
companies improve their training KPIs.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
COVID-19 Resource Toolkit is comprised of content, links, fact
sheets, PDFs, videos and graphics to support detailed information on the
virus, live updates, risks of infection, symptoms and treatments, how
to prepare, proper hygiene, self-isolation, managing anxiety and stress,
travel advice, information for children, vulnerable populations, myths
and questions and courses with more to come.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:57 PM on Thursday, March 19th, 2020
SPONSOR: BetterU Education Corp.
aims to provide access to quality education from around the world. The
company plans to bridge the prevailing gap in the education and job
industry and enhance the lives of its prospective learners by developing
an integrated ecosystem. Click here for more information.
Focus On Survival Amid Coronavirus: Lightspeed’s Lessons From China For Indian Startup Founders
By: Bhumika Khatri
The VC’s partners from China and India suggested startups work on reducing cash burn, spending
Lightspeed China’s James Mi said the Chinese ecosystem is focussing on extending runway through cost-cutting
Mi advised founders to have at least six months of runway
The Indian startup ecosystem has joined the fight against the
coronavirus pandemic, as over 125 confirmed cases have emerged in India.
With three deaths so far, India has not yet seen the worst of the
outbreak. While many startups have advised employees to work from home,
some are also offering medical support, while helping employees take up
self-quarantine for Covid-19 and creating contingency plans — life has
truly changed in the age of the pandemic for many people, startup
founders included.
Many are saying that India is in the same place as China was almost
30-45 days back when the coronavirus had not yet been given the pandemic
status. So startups may have a few lessons to learn from their Chinese
counterparts. To make this happen Lightspeed India hosted a closed-door
founders-only online session recently to facilitate interactions between
Indian startup founders and venture capitalists in China so that each
group can learn from their experiences.
The discussions were led by James Mi, partner, Lightspeed China,
Udaan cofounder Amod Malviya with Lightspeed India partners’ Bejul
Somaia and Hemant Mohapatra. The VC fund received over 200 questions
from founders, with over 60 founders joining the session.
A founder who was part of the interaction told Inc42
that the session focused on fundraising, business environment and work
from home. From the experience of China, James Mi noted that the
strategy was first to focus on containment and as a result, hospitality
businesses saw decline while businesses like grocery delivery grew.
However, logistics was impacted negatively.
Other businesses that saw high adoption, traction and growth were
digital content, video streaming, edtech among others. Mi also said that
enterprise SaaS businesses saw some downturn due to the lack of
face-to-face meetings, which are crucial for large sales contracts.
Shoring Up The Runway
In terms of fundraising, Mi advised founders to have at least six
months of runway and first focus on optimising unit economics. However,
if they don’t have such a runway, they should aim to reduce burn by
cutting down unnecessary expenses on marketing and even reduce headcount
if need be. Founders were also advised to find alternative financing
options like bank loans.
Mi also urged startups to lock any existing offers and secure the
funding to support the runway as VC funding is expected to slow down in
the next quarter. He also suggested that businesses should go back to
decisions taken at earlier stages to reduce burn and work on unit
economics, rather than increasing market reach.
Lightspeed India’s Somaia shared a similar sentiment and said that
fears in financial markets are similar to the consumer market as the
capital gets scarce and selective. He said that even though financing
won’t stop, it would now be more selective, focussing on quality and
business fundamentals.
He noted that in such situations, reckless spending isn’t appreciated
and that startups should plan in a way where they can spend 2020
without external funding. Somaia advised that the startups can top-up
from the recent funding round as well if there is an interest. The trio
emphasised that founders should focus on survival on priority.
The three experienced VCs also noted that the conditions are benign
today but may become severe tomorrow. The impact on business from the
pandemic is expected to last at least two quarters. The responsibility
of businesses has changed from being equitable and fair employers to
taking precautions ranging from temperature checks to masks and
sanitisers.
Mi recollected that in China, even though factories were allowed to
work, they didn’t have the infrastructure like masks and other sanitary
needs set up to fulfil recommendations, which meant many workers
couldn’t come in. So founders need to provision for all manner of things
that they had not earlier.
Udaan cofounder Malviya shared the experience of work from home
saying that it needs a planned approach and should be embraced
correctly. He said that it becomes important to document decisions and
startups should have well-defined touchpoints on a daily and weekly
basis for different groups.
He said that work from home requirements are different for teams
which are in operations and are on managerial work etc. Among the
challenges with work from home for operational teams that Malviya noted
was a drop in productivity. He advised founders to rely on products like
Notion for documentation, Kettle.ai to track daily productivity and
Hangouts and Zoom for video collaboration.
