Revolutionizing education: Future of global learning through immersive technologies and AI

BrightChamps is an upcoming player in the EdTech space that offers innovative learning programs in coding, financial literacy, robotics, and communication for K-12 students. Bajrang Charan, director of engineering, BrightCHAMPS recently spoke to Dataquest about how the company is different from other EdTech players in the market.

DQ: In your opinion, what are the key technical challenges facing the EdTech industry today, and how would you address them?

Bajrang Charan: Access. The problem of access is triple-fold. First there is access to high-speed internet and affordable data, which is still something large parts of the world struggle with. Then there is access to devices with high-processing power at, again, prices that are affordable by even the more vulnerable sections of the society. And, finally, there is access to high-quality learning materials in multiple languages, so sociocultural factors don’t hold back a child. One of the biggest challenges for quality in education has always been that of scale. With the leaps that AI technology has made recently, that part of the three-prong equation looks excitingly solvable. We’re in the process of leveraging AI tech that’s currently available and adding our own multiple layers of customisation and cultural contexts to it to create tools that will exponentially improve learning outcomes and will be accessible by the masses. For the internet and devices part, we definitely need government will and support across the world, and stronger public-private partnerships within education. 

DQ: Can you provide an overview of BrightCHAMPS's mission and the specific role the company plays in the education technology sector?

Bajrang Charan: In a nutshell, BrightCHAMPS’s mission is to ensure that every one of the world’s 2 billion kids under the age of 18 has access to high-quality resources to learn next-gen skills. The idea is to level the playing field for every child, everywhere in the world so they are able to unlock their full potential by discovering their talents, interests, and passions. We also believe that this will help them live more happy and fulfilled lives. Imagine what the world could look like if a whole generation of future adults were not held back or limited in the scope of what they know because of lack of learning opportunities. Imagine a generation of young, energetic young people in the future doing things that they are truly passionate about. From a technological standpoint, the aim is to ensure that we are able to create multiple nodes of delivery for kids to be able to acquire next-gen skills like coding, robotics, AI, design-thinking, communication skills, and financial literacy in a manner that is easily scalable, accessible, and affordable, worldwide. 

DQ: What differentiates BrightCHAMPS from other EdTech companies in the market?

Bajrang Charan: The fact that we’re almost obsessed with improving access and learning outcomes for kids – not as an arbitrary competition with others, but because we want each child to be more curious than they were yesterday, and be better than they were yeaterday. Everything we do is in service of either one of these two things. For example - we’re creating multiple avenues for kids to be able to access next-gen skills, depending on their life situations. We have 1:1 online classes, blended learning through online and offline classes through the BrightCHAMPS Next-Gen Hubs, product-led delivery where the pace and difficulty level are controlled by the kids and supplemented through intelligent, customised prompts and nudges, co-curricular learning in schools through the BrightCHAMPS Next-Gen Labs for the skills mentioned above, and group classes that are free of cost through the BrightCHAMPS Foundation, which is tasked with impacting 1 million students by 2025. 

DQ: How do you ensure that Brightchamps' educational content and resources are aligned with current educational standards and curriculum requirements?

Bajrang Charan: We’re in the co-curricular space, so there are government mandated requirements for the skills we teach. But given our obsession with learning outcomes, we have an independent self-regulatory body called the BrightCHAMPS Global Curriculum Advisory Board made up of experts from Roblox, Kyron Learning, GEMS Education, Nous Group, GSV Ventures and world leaders and personalities like Gurcharan Das, etc. We’re also STEM-accredited, with most of our learning, innovation, and teaching team having multiple masters and even doctorates from institutes like IIT, IIM, MIT, NYU-Stern, etc. Given this talent pool and robust vetting and approval process, the learning side of the company is the most scrutinized one internally, with frequent updates and improvements based on student learning data, global policy changes, technological innovations, and research. 

DQ: What steps does BrightCHAMPS take to personalize learning experiences and cater to the individual needs of students?

Bajrang Charan: One of the cornerstones of our curriculum is that we understand that not every child learns the same way – some learn through analytical problem-solving, others learn through creative collaborations and brainstorming. We also know that not every child uses the same resources the same way. Some want to read, others want to watch, and still others want to learn only through experimentation. One of the biggest tasks within our learning and innovation team is to make sure there are resources available across all content formats to cater to all kinds of learning styles and learners. 

Take the example of one of our most recent releases – Money Lessons – a graphic handbook and app that helps kids understand the fundamentals of global money. There is a book component for those who want to learn through text.  There are QR Codes within the book that take you to superhero videos into the app for those who learn through animation and creative story-telling, and there are challenges, quizzes, and riddles that nudge the child to apply what they have learned so they can level up and move ahead in the quest. We’re working on replicating such exciting and minutely customised journeys across all our verticals. Over the last few months, given the massive advancements in the field of AI, we’re in the process of building, training, and testing various tools that will further use the massive volumes of student learning data we’ve gathered to make learning journeys even more seamlessly and immediately customisable for our students across our multiple delivery channels. 

DQ: What are your thoughts on the future of education technology, and how do you envision your role in shaping that future?

Bajrang Charan: Education is undergoing a global transformation, as anyone can now learn from teachers located across the globe. In the future, our vision is to enhance this experience by incorporating immersive technologies such as AR/VR. By leveraging generative AI technology, we aim to make high-quality education accessible to everyone, regardless of their economic background, demographic, or geographical location. This advancement will revolutionize education, enabling learners to access the best possible educational resources and experiences, breaking down barriers and creating equal opportunities for all.