Extramarks - GESS Dubai 2019

GESS Dubai 2019 Silver Sponsor, Extramarks follows a comprehensive method of learn, practice and test for deep immersive learning. It uses robust technology platform and rich media that include interactive learning modules to make learning easy and engaging. We’ve caught up with Atul Kulshrestha to find out more about their latest E-Learning platform developments and what you can expect to find on their stand - L50 this year at the show.

It’s fantastic to have Extramarks as Silver Sponsor for the event this year. What is it that makes GESS Dubai such an important event for suppliers such as Extramarks to be a part of? Who is it that you are looking to attract to your stand L50 during the show?

GESS is a great place to be because of the spectrum of attendees it covers. We are looking forward to meeting, engaging with and showcasing our state-of-the-art technology led learning solutions to people from this region.
We are looking forward to meet educators,teachers, government representatives and school managements who wish to implement the best ed-tech product in their instutions or want their students to use edtech for home learning.

What can visitors expect to find when they visit you on your Stand L50?
Our Stand at L50 is a showcase into the wide range of learning solutions and programs we’ve built that have global competence and applicability.
Extramarks has been at the forefront of employing technology in education to make learning stimulating, interactive and fun. An understanding of our pedagogy, process and capacities can be gained at the stand. In addition, visitors can also gain a firsthand peek into what our visual and personalized learning modules look like.

What exciting new projects has Extramarks been working on since you last exhibited at GESS Dubai?

Innovation is at the heart of our efforts at Extramarks. Each day is an opportunity to apply our minds towards making the process of learning engaging and smooth for the 21st century learner.

To this end, our latest offering it the Total Learning App, where all stakeholders involved in a child’s academic trajectory are brought on a single platform – the parent, the teacher, the school and of course, the learner too. With this innovation a student is always connected to his learning environment that includes Extramarks learning solutions and a mobile app to connect with his teacher and parent. It is a great tool for parents to monitor and measure the performance of their ward that helps them to decide on timely interventions in the study of their child. Through this tool students use Extramarks Learning Solutions at home too that bridges the gap between the school and home study.

We also constantly investigate and improve upon the quality of interface and optics for our learners. Storytelling  and gamification have been employed to make learning exciting for junior kids whereas a structured pedagogical environment that moves from simple to complex level is implemented for senior students. Interactive modules , AR and VR are used to explain difficult concepts.
Extramarks has also implemented a robust testing platform that is adaptive and helps students identify their learning gaps.

Tell us more about Extramarks’ after-school learning solutions for students? What are the offerings and why is it important for students continue learning outside of the classroom?

Extramarks Learning Solutions help build continuity of learning from school to home. Having created completely curriculum aligned learning solutions for all subjects, and each chapter and topic within the subject, Extramarks empowers students with everything needed for independent study. Through using the Extramarks Learning App and Tab, a child can access the classroom anytime, anywhere.

Through rich, engaging and visual modules, Extramarks creates excitement in the heart of the learner. A student should be able to learn at their own pace and space, enabled through Extramarks after school solutions, which can also be accessed in the absence of internet. Our learning solutions are based on a thorough pedagogy of Learn-Practice-Test. In addition, we generate extensive reports and data to help a child understand own learning patterns and trends, and plan studies accordingly.

The learning content a child accesses at home is exactly the same as provided through Extramarks in-school learning solutions. As a result, scope of confusion is completely eliminated.

Last, but not the least, Extramarks focuses on concept learning. All concepts are explained in an easy to learn manner and the student is rigorously tested to ensure that he has mastered the concept.
For any teachers that might have reservations about incorporating EdTech into their classrooms, what are the benefits to both teachers and students?
Several. It is time now that educators and students unequivocally understand the benefits of integrating technology into education and let go of traditional reservations, if any.
A technology enabled classroom is able to address the unique learning needs of each child by assessing, understanding and analysing his unique study pattern. A bag less and paperless environment can also be promoted through edtech integration. Assignments can be submitted and graded online, feedback and response to feedback can be easily analysed.
The smart learning modules allow and help  teachers to explain difficult concepts in a very easy manner and they accomplish improved efficiency both in terms of timely completion of curriculum and overall class results.
The possibilities with edtech are endless. All information is at the fingertips of educators now, along with a variety of enabling tools. It depends upon them how they can innovate and fruitfully integrate technology in class.

The #10yearchallenge was huge on social media this year. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in education in the last 10 years?

The landscape of education has undergone a paradigm change in the last decade. There has been a positive shift in the way teachers perceive technology integration in classrooms - they are looking at enlisting digital assistance to make their classrooms a more effective, responsive and learner centric space.

Students today are much more tech savvy than ever before. These digital natives require stimulation, and are also easily bored when served traditional content. The same reflects in their quick adaptability to interactive digital learning modules, which stoke their imagination and make learning exciting. They obviously learn better in the audio-visual mode, compared to traditional chalk-board methods.
In addition to the above, learning in the past few years has flown out of the classrooms into the hands of students, literally. Being able to learn anytime, anywhere, in an environment personalized to their unique learning needs is the ask of the day. Extramarks is addressing all these and already has several innovations in place which keep pace with these changes and challenges in education.