Is mentorship the missing ingredient in India’s edtech experience?
Edtech start-ups are having to reassess their one-size-fits-all models to include more ways to provide one-on-one mentorship.
Written by Priyanka Talreja Garegrat
You and I both have witnessed the accelerated sprouting of edtech platforms in the last few years. But recently, educational experts, parents and students themselves have begun noticing the limitations of templatized teaching. For example, Poocho researchers uncovered student demand for more 1-1 mentorship through a deep-dive research study spanning over 75+ hours of data collection and analysis with more than 20 students enrolled in online test prep platforms.
As edtech in its various avatars finds its way into all homes across the country, there is a clarion call for the definition of quality education to go beyond curriculum-based learning to life skills, emotional intelligence, and constant guidance. In a type of course correction, some brands now offer crucial 1-1 mentorship as a part of their digital education programmes. Here are three brands promoting their solutions in this space -
Byju’s
As per recent research, there are 4,450 edtech startups in India that guide over 300 million school students. One of the most prominent names in this space is Byju’s. This learning platform has an innovative advantage for its students i.e. each class has 2 teachers. While one teacher, who is the subject matter expert, focuses on teaching the concept clearly, the other teacher facilitates the class and pays attention to individual student’s needs during the class itself. Thus making the class interactive and engaging. Furthermore, this platform offers detailed mentor guidance and reporting through their monthly parent-teacher meetings.
Classes at Byju’s are being held from LKG - 12th.
MeritNation
Taking personalized online teaching a step further is MeritNation. They have a dedicated messaging app that helps students connect with teachers thus offering a 24x7 doubt resolution feature. With live classes that are curriculum aligned, each session promises to offer a complete learning experience. After each live class, they offer a class test that helps reinforce concepts. Mentorship comes in the form of smart reports which teachers share with students on a regular basis.
Live classes at MeritNation are being held for IIT, JEE, AIPMT, CBSE, Class 6-10.
ExtraMarks
Coming forth with their attempt to offer the best-in-class learning experience, ExtraMarks attempts to blend conventional and new-age methodologies. Their live program allows students to learn from expert subject matter experts. Detailed reports and analytics are offered to help students track their progress. This is backed by unlimited practice questions and tests. ExtraMarks promises students guidance along with regular practice to help them achieve their goals.
At ExtraMarks, classes are held from K-12, Foundation, JEE, NEET, CUET, CAP, SAT, PSAT and TOEFL.