Page 58 - EW January 2025

People

future prospects. “Over the past 25 NCR, Punjab, Karnataka
years, we have acquired sufficient ex- and Jharkhand have
perience of providing highest quality signed up with VIL.
school education. Establishing ODM Direct talk. “Our VOS
International in Gurugram will be a teaching pedagogy is
test and great learning opportunity. wholly experiential,
Every child in the country has the without lectures. Learn-
right to equal opportunity in educa- ing concepts are intro-
tion. My mission is to try my best to duced through physical
make that a reality,” says Minaketan. learning tools, mobile
Wind beneath your wings! apps, multimedia videos
Dilip Thakore and power point presen-
tations. Students engage
Experiential learning Gupta: wholly experiential pedagogy in prescribed activities
and discover concepts
innovator Moreover, all teachers (100 percent) are introduced much later. In short,
on their own. Books
reported improvement in students' students first learn by doing and
INESH GUPTA is the Delhi- interest levels and conceptual learn- study theory later. Learning is also
based founder-CEO of Vikalp ing capability. enabled by our positive 1:6 teacher-
DIndia Pvt. Ltd (VIL, estb History. An alum of Jawaharlal Ne- student ratio which helps teachers
2010), an edtech company which hru University (JNU), Delhi Univer- to pay individual attention to each
over the past 15 years has leveraged sity and Asian College of Journalism, child. Moreover, VOS teachers are
the power of technology and the Chennai, Gupta began his career intensively trained and enabled by
research expertise of eminent as a journalist in Tehelka, building AI-driven technologies. As a result,
educators to develop a well-designed a good reputation in high-quality the quality of teaching-learning is far
experiential learning program education reporting. After working ahead of traditional schools where
for K-12 education that has been with Tehelka for three years, he ven- students are taught using the black-
successfully implemented in 300 tured into the textbooks publishing board and textbooks,” says Gupta.
private schools countrywide. In industry with the mission to make Annual tuition fees range between
2018, Vikalp India promoted Vikalp school textbooks easy and enjoyable Rs.25,000-57,000.
Online School (VOS) which provides for children. Future plans. Gupta is aware that
activities-based online schooling “But I soon realised that the era for online education to become the
to over 5,000 K-12 students in of textbooks learning was over,” he acceptable alternative to bricks-
India, Europe, US and the Middle recalls. In 2010, Gupta together with and-mortar school education, VOS
East. Taught by 58 dedicated JNU acquaintance and Indian School needs to become acceptable beyond
VOS teachers, these students are of Business, Hyderabad graduate Indian boundaries. “Currently, we
given the option of choosing the Neha Chowdhry, invested Rs.3.5 are limited to offering our online
NIOS (National Institute of Open crore (from their personal savings) learning to English-speaking
Schooling) or CBSE board for their to promote Vikalp (‘alternative’ in countries. But I believe there is an
class X and XII board examinations. Hindi) India Pvt. Ltd to develop opportunity to offer our English
Newspeg. Last August, a New York- “innovative experiential pedagogies language curriculum to non-English
based assessment agency, Acumen for maths, science and language speaking countries by using new
Academy, conducted a lean data learning”. instant language translation digital
study, interviewing VOS parents The business model of the com- technologies. Moreover, we are
and teachers to assess the impact pany was — and remains — estab- finalizing a high-potential project
of the online school on students lishing maths, science and language to provide a lifelong learning
and teachers. The study revealed learning laboratories in partner companion for every student. This
that 80 percent of parents reported schools and training teachers to put AI-driven companion will be fully
improvements in their children’s them to best use. Schools that sign aware about the student’s interests
exam scores; 83 percent parents ob- up with VIL pay the company Rs.750 and goals and will build on this
served improvement in their child's per student annually to avail experi- knowledge to help her decide what to
quality of life; 95 percent observed ential learning to enhance students’ learn, where and how,” says Gupta.
an increase in students' capabil- learning outcomes in these core sub- Wind in your sails!
ity to enhance learning outcomes. jects. Currently, 300 schools in Delhi Paromita Sengupta

58 EDUCATIONWORLD JANUARY 2025