For all those who wished to transform the boring blackboard and chalk into a more relatable, interactive and innovative medium, the change occured sometime in 2004, with the launch of KYan, the knowledge vehicle or the six-in-one wonder machine that was to revolutionise classrooms and teaching altogether. But then students wanted more: a steady, seamless virtual connect with the learnt matter, anywhere and anytime. Thus, was born Geneo, developed by IL and FS.
Speaking at the recent launch of the app in the Capital, R C M Reddy, Managing Director and CEO, IL and FS Education said, “The need to serve as a catalyst in order to ignite young minds to explore, discover and re-discover is a need we all feel. This is what served as a drive to pursue the challenge of developing Geneo.
Today, through our various interventions in education and skill development using technology, innovative digital content and training, we reach out to, and impact, over 10 million learners and half a million teachers every day, covering more than 30,000 schools and 300 skills training institutes.”
Explaining the features and USP of the app, Surya Ramachandran, Chief Innovation Officer, IL and FS, said the app offers personalized learning offered through curriculum-aligned curated content for Classes VIII to X.
Though it is mapped for CBSE, it is relevant for other boards too, where need-based help is available from nationwide experts anytime and anywhere. Digital textbooks can be personalised by adding notes, highlights and bookmarks, where tough science concepts can be cracked with amazing 3-D models, exploriments, and where mind-maps serve as rapid recall tools.
The best part is the app has both free content and payable content to choose from, that is made available in any language. It is Google Cloud Platform-based and has an operating band width that ranges from 96 Kbps to 3.6 Mbps.
The launch of this app in the Capital saw dignitaries such as Prof Amarendra P Behera, Joint Director, Central Institute of Educational Technology, NCERT; and Subir Shukla, former Educational Quality Advisor, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. Also present were principals, academic heads, educationists, innovators, among others.
Shourie Chatterji, Principal Lead, Digital Initiatives explained that the app was based on the didactic methodology called LARA ~ Learning, Application, Revision and Assessment. The diverse didactic tools in the app, have been designed keeping in mind the fact that there are different kinds of learners.
Ease in operation (the app operates on any system: phone, Linux or PC) and virtual labs, where experiments can be repeated any number of times. With future improvisations, based on valuable feedbacks, content personalisation and even adaptations for the visually challenged could be incorporated.
Aanya, a student of Bloom Public School, said physics was not a dread anymore thanks to K Class videos on the app, which helped her grasp concepts better. Her friend Sampada could not agree more when she said studying had now become a hobby for her!
Bani Dhawan, Country Head, Google for Education, summed the objective of the launch, “The world is closely knit thanks to evolving technology and its importance is becoming more predominant with the passage of time. This calls for innovation and adaptability to change, applicable to all domains, more so in the field of education, which is where this Geneo comes into the picture.”