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In Conversation with... Karunn Kandoi, President Global Business, Extramarks

We are delighted to have Extramarks as the Gold Sponsor for GESS Dubai 2017. This month we have been catching up with Karunn Kandoi, President Global Business, to find what you can expect to see from them at GESS Dubai and learn more about their Total Learning platform.

What can visitors expect to find when they visit you on your Stand D10?

The visitors can experience Total Learning Solutions at Extramarks stand. Total Learning is a comprehensive learning method with a 3 pronged approach of Learn. Practice and Test. Powered by state of the art technology and expert-curated solutions, it helps learners combat half knowledge and gain in-depth understanding of difficult concepts.

We are also showcasing One-on-One learning Programme. The programme makes learning engaging and personalised in the classroom and maintains continuity of learning at home through handheld devices.

What are the latest trends in education that you are noticing? Your products are used across the world, are these trends worldwide or are there differences in all the markets you work in?

Teachers today are in-charge of multiple aspects, apart from empowering students with information. These umpteen tasks often leave very little time for teachers to prepare for lessons incorporating interactive approaches. And this has turned around to become a global trend, where schools worldwide are looking for a one-stop effective solution that serves the entire education ecosystem.

Total Learning™ by Extramarks is that perfect solution which helps complete the education ecosystem.

Extramarks Smart learning Solutions use curriculum aligned multimedia content that is developed by subject-matter –experts having years of experience in teaching and pedagogy. These include interactive multimedia tools such as mindmaps, animations, virtual labs etc. and are based upon three- pronged approach of Learn, Practice and Test for comprehensive learning.

Apart from providing engaging, learner-centric environment that integrates state-of-the-art technology infrastructure and professionally-developed multimedia learning modules, Extramarks also offers School Management System. This is a powerful, user-friendly ERP platform for managing man, money and material of an educational institution.


Digital learning tools and devices are relatively new in classrooms and are sometimes treated with suspicion. What’s the biggest barrier you have seen in the Middle East & further afield to teachers using digital learning tools in their classrooms and what can you do to break down these barriers?

There still prevails a big fear among teachers in switching from the traditional to digital classroom. The main reason is they fear these devices would cause unnecessary distraction among students and result in depleting attention towards studies. Another major fear is a misconception that the usability of these devices is extremely complex.

To break down this barrier we provide demo classes that takes the teachers through the entire process. Moreover, the solutions are extremely easy to use and understand.

Apart from this, we also provide a Teachers’ Training Programme that is aimed at enabling teachers to upgrade their skills, helping them further improve learning outcomes. The teachers are provided with real time support for proper usage of software and hardware.

What would you say to a teacher or institution who are potentially nervous about employing Digital Learning tools in their classroom over traditional methods?

It goes without saying that the entire world is becoming digital and education being an extremely important aspect of our economy can’t stay away either. And in order to prepare students for their careers, it is extremely important that technology is integrated in education as well.

An effective roadmap that can help in implementation of digital solutions in hesitant schools   would be starting with a pilot project. This could involve implementing digital solutions in a couple of classes, once the students and teachers are comfortable with the new teaching-learning method, the project can be expanded to other classes as well.

The classroom is a very different place to what it was 10 years ago. What piece of Ed Tech would you love to have been able to use when you were a student and why?

3D learning platform, as it brings alive even the dullest concepts by adding multiple dimensions to the learning environment. This helps to not only read the content but also listen and watch it, helping learners develop a deeper understanding of every concept. Another added advantage of digital learning is the continuity of learning that it offers. The traditional method never gives the opportunity to look back at what was taught in class, causing huge learning gaps.

Extramarks after school solutions give the learners ample opportunity to revise concepts after school hours and revisit the concepts taught in class, to maintain continuity of learning from school to home, thus providing deep retention and lifelong learning.

What can visitors expect to take away from your talk at the conference this year?

As a leader in digital education, we will be showcasing case studies of schools where we have implemented our revolutionary solutions. This will give visitors an overview of our solutions, the easy implementation process, the effectiveness and the outcomes. Case studies we are presenting are of the schools that have limited access to resources like connectivity, budgets etc. However the leadership team of these schools have an immense desire to transform their schools and make its learners globally competitive.

Continuity in Learning: Classroom and Beyond, Karunn Kandoi President, Extramarks Education, Tues 14 March, 14:00 - 14:30, Innovation Stage.