With more and more schools adopting virtual learning pedagogies since imposition of the Covid-19 induced lockdown in mid-March, here is an interview with Ms. Divya Lal, Managing Director of Fliplearn Education Pvt. Ltd, a company which offers K-12 schools a virtual learning platform to enable delivery of an unhindered learn from home school experience, while also enabling teachers and students to perform better. A visionary leader and TedX speaker who acquired over two decades of valuable work experience in blue-chip edtech companies, Divya is committed to developing 21st century future-ready education solutions for schools affiliated with national, state and international boards across India.
How are you and how does it feel to be recognised among India’s T op 50 Education Leaders?
I am well and I hope everyone reading this is keeping safe as well. I am truly honoured to be recognised as a key figure in India’s educational transformation. However, what makes me happy isn’t the recognition, it’s the fact that education in India is now swiftly moving forward in the right direction. The decisive and ultimately effective manner in which schools across India have adopted Digital Learning Solutions shows the world that 21st century education is very much a reality in India. Fliplearn alone is currently supporting 1,500 schools and guiding over 3.5 lakh students.
Having been at the centre of this education transformation to “blended” learning, what do you think will be the “new normal” for schools post-lockdown?
The Phygital Learning Model has been designed to supplement Classroom Learning, not replace it. By blending online learning aids and conventional classroom teaching-learning, students are offered a holistic learning experience that is standardised at home as well as in school. This is something that schools, teachers, parents and students alike have experienced during the lockdown. So I suspect that Digital Learning Solutions like Fliplearn will be adopted on a much larger scale post-lockdown. Not just to prepare for future pandemics, but to ensure students are always under the guidance of their respective schools.
Can you throw some light on the “Phygital Learning Model” and how it adds value to the current teaching methodology?
Phygital learning refers to a learning experience that uses Digital Learning Solutions to offer school-guided learning at home that helps students better utilise their classroom sessions in school. For example, if a classroom is assigned a crash course for a given topic to review at home, students can read up the theory and build curiosity which can then be addressed by teachers in the classroom. This helps add value to classroom learning which transforms into an interactive and thought provoking learning experience.
What are the key aspects of Fliplearn Edge that enables teachers to guide their students better?
Fliplearn Edge enables School Teachers to track individual student, as well as classroom performances across every subject and every chapter in the course. This is done using our Integrated Performance Dashboard that is directly linked to all tests taken on the app. In addition, with Fliplearn Edge Teachers Can:
- Personalized Journey for Every Child – The platform creates a journey which is mapped as per the learning style and pace of the child with three levels of difficulty
- Conduct Virtual Classes – Using our in-built platform for Virtual Classes, schools & DIVYA LAL Founder & Managing Director teachers can easily invite and host online classes for their respective sections. The same is further supported by an in-built attendance system
- Assign Subjective & Objective Homework Remotely – Teachers are able to not only assign students home work after school hours, they can also monitor and evaluate the progress made by students.
- Create Customized Question Banks – Teachers have the ability to curate their own question banks using over 250,000 questions from the multiple sample papers on Fliplearn Edge.
- Create & Conduct Topic Wise Tests – Faculty can create and assign test papers on one or many topics from any subject on the curriculum.
- Automated Checking and Scoring of Assessment – The system is built in a way that both objective and subjective tests are auto checked and scored.
- Review & Evaluate Student & Class Performances – Every test or assignment taken on the app will have the results automatically updated on the student as well as class performance dashboard.
- Personalised Dashboard for Parents – Students progressed can be closely monitored by the Parents as they have access to detailed dashboards
We’re keen to know how teachers using your platform are responding to this transformation?
The response we’ve gotten from teachers as well as School Principals has been really positive. Teachers went from welcoming Phygital Learning, to fully embracing it in order to benefit their students. Perhaps the most exciting news for our team was that it has supported different teachers in different ways
Some teachers & schools were struggling to host online classes, others were having a hard time keeping students engaged. With the infusion of Fliplearn Edge & its learning aids, teachers were able to optimize their time teaching and reduce the effect Covid-19 had on education. We also ensure that the teachers are handholded and multiple trainings are given to them till they are comfortable using the platform.
Is there any advice that you can share with the teachers on how they can use this platform even more efficiently?
Teachers can use Fliplearn Edge and its content to teach the theory of topics at home. This will enable Classroom Sessions the next day to be more interactive and thought provoking as students would be entering the classroom with some clarity and a lot of curiosity. This helps students find the “want” to learn as opposed to the feeling of “need” to learn. The best part about using Fliplearn Edge is that they can adapt and personalize it as per their requirement and even create groups of students based on their learning abilities
To get more engagement, they can give multiple projects to different groups of students and engage and involve them actively during the live classes
What are your thoughts on schools re-opening? Do you think it could happen soon or is still too dangerous to do so?
Needless to say in times like these any institute’s first priority must be safety. Currently there is no need for schools to re-open as online classes enabled by Digital Learning Solutions are helping students and teachers stay on track with their curriculum without compromising on safety. So until the Government of India deems the situation safe and under control, I don’t see any schools re-opening. Having said that we do hope to see schools re-opening as soon as it is deemed safe.
Can you also throw light on some myths or misconceptions revolving around digital education?
First of all let’s admit children are digital natives, and they take technology as fish to water, therefore, they are completely at ease when it comes to digital education.
The other misconception is that students will get distracted if learning on a device. This couldn’t be further from the truth as Digital Learning Apps use immersive content featuring animations, videos and cartoons to eliminate the element of distraction. After all, students only look for distractions when they are bored. Digital Learning helps students become active learners and as mentioned before, it helps them develop a “want to learn”
We’d like to know more about your philosophy of “Learning For Everyone” and how you’re progressing towards it
Learning for Everyone is pretty self-explanatory. It simply states that Education, is not a luxury, it is the basic right of every student in the country. Which is why Fliplearn Edge is constantly working with underfunded schools to help them reduce the gap seen between 21st Century Private Smart Schools & Government Schools. We’ve already helped a number of schools in Rural India incorporate Digital Learning Solutions in their curriculum. As a result, students in those schools are able to learn using the same digital study material that Private Schools use in urban areas
[email protected] Toll free no. 1800 103 0362 www.fliplearn.com
