“Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is a pedagogical approach wherein learning takes place via social interaction using a computer or through the Internet. This kind of learning is characterized by the sharing and construction of knowledge among participants using technology as their primary means of communication or as a common resource. CSCL can be implemented in online and classroom learning environments and can take place synchronously or asynchronously.”
This is what Wikipedia calls for “learning off the internet”. But, we just like to call it SOLO- See Online Learn Offline. We at Kidobotikz came up with this fancy terminology. It rightly sums up the kind of environment we have created for our students.
SOLO learning, even as the acronym suggests, is anything but “solo”. It tries to take a pedagogical approach where an individual student is introduced to an ecosystem of learning and competition via an online platform. This online platform has one role and one role alone. It aims to emulate the experience of a classroom environment onto the online world.
Today’s education is rapidly evolving. The explosion of content is so far-reaching that traditional teaching methods do not simply hold up to the pace at which students are required to learn. Concepts that were meant to be read by college going youngsters are today invariably forced to be learned by younger students in their school.
Concepts of physics, chemistry, electronics, algorithm and programming are introduced to students as young as 13. While the fact that these students are introduced such diverse subjects is one that we can take pride in, it would be imprudent to expect them to understand these concepts at the pace of our desire. Traditional classroom education fails to cater to the variation in learning ability of different kinds of students. Students cannot learn at their own pace in a classroom – teachers are perceived to be fast for some people while being slow for others.
However, Internet, the great equalizer, is capable of being the vast canvas over which subjects of our choice can be brought to life. The advent of video sharing websites such a YouTube and Vimeo have shown that people tend to favour learning via observation of videos. This appeals to their curiosity and entertainment alike. Students these days are also increasingly taking to the internet to learn. The depth of content means that they have a lot of choice to learn from.
But the great question is how much relevant is all this content to the contemporary formal education. There needs to be a platform where students not only find content to learn, but are also able to collaborate with others who are learning the same thing. Afterall, this is what school education is all about.
We at Kidobotikz believe we have emulated this. Our online platform which students gain access to is aimed at ensuring that students are engaged in the learning process at speeds that their school education may not be imparting them with. With robotics as a platform, students get to experience the best of core engineering subjects such as physics, mechanics, algorithm, programming in a manner that school education simply cannot cope with. The presence of animated videos means that students can now comprehend every concept and learn how it works. The online platform is gamified in such a way that learning can now happen in an entertaining experience that was hitherto only the forte of computer games.
