Remember the days when our parents used to scold us because we enjoyed playing pocket video games, than doing our homework on time? What if I say, that you don’t have to do the same for your children or grand-children? They can now enjoy playing video games for hours, as long as they want and yet finish their homework on time. Yes! You heard that right!
In an exclusive interaction with AnimationXpress, CloneFutura & WhizJuniors CEO and co-founder Vidushi Daga social gamified technology platform is transforming the way we used to study.
We are well aware how teachers facing the struggles to make students (who are well versed with PS4 etc) understand about the ancient civilisation of Harappa and Mohenjedaro in 2018. Thus the classroom scenario ends up with a bunch of inattentive bored students in an unexciting class. But the same class can become more students engaging and interesting with the introduction of the video games and modern technology which will add a valuable opportunity to make the important material more relevant. Therefore the traditional teaching has a lot of drawbacks in 2018, whereas the use of technology may nullify the same.
Daga enlightens us how the key objective of teaching to pass examinations has transformed into the learning and knowing practical aspects through social gaming technology. “Social gamified technology platforms like Whizjuniors help students to clear their concepts through various quiz programmes, videos and regular interactive processes. It also helps to learn and practice technology courses which enhance innovation and creativity and produce effective results in lesser screen time”, she added.
How has Whizjuniors bridged the gap between age and learning through social gaming technology platform?
Whizjuniors is a social gamified tech learning platform for school students which are democratising learning & making learning fun. The platform is introduced to students through their schools. Our motto is to solve the problems of tomorrow, by making people realize that technology is what they need to know. Computer skills and entrepreneur skills are the major skills imparted currently through Whizjuniors platform.
How different are your technology courses compared to the traditional ones?
It is noticed that students often lack focus when it comes to online learning. They tend to avoid topics which may be considered difficult; hence students lack the opportunity to learn relevant tech courses outside of their school syllabus. We at Whizjuniors teach what is to be taught, teach the way it has to be taught and how much is to be taught. The courses are made specifically to cater to children using simple English, intuitive reasoning and a user-friendly interface. The platform also allows students to directly receive help on the platform. An additional feature in the platform also allows the teachers and parents to track the performance and progress of the student. These courses are different in many ways like the students earn chips while learning, which can be redeemed against real items like Xbox, computer or laptop etc. This becomes a good incentive for kids to learn at their leisure.
What improvements you have noticed among the students after the use of social gaming technology platform?
What we have identified is that our students have become learning oriented and very practical in their approach. The interest in computer skills has gone up. As the future is technology, the kids are able to do many things with the help of the learnings from our platform. Lots of new kids who come to our platform first time never had exposure to technology. In developed markets like the US and the UK, coding is taught since the age of 4 years. They have even learned to program and build games, apps, websites, designing, make their projects and more. Our student Aahaan Phadnis has won a worldwide Multimedia competition by UNESCO. Another student, Medhansh Mehta, eight year old genius, stunned Microsoft’s CEO with his coding skills, he is widely known as the Microsoft Boy! Adding to the list is Om Deshmukh, he has developed this brilliant App idea called, Ghar Ka Khaana.
What is your idea about the entire education system shifting to gamification model?
Today in the era of ‘Screen-agers’, the average time spent on screen has increased up to 6 hours per day (data as per Google & KPMG Study) the students have become unproductive which is an impact of their constant involvement on various social media platform or online gaming. Students often lack focus when it comes to online learning. So, with Whizjuniors we aim to simplify learning in a format which they would love to get engrossed in. Gamification of the learning involves fun, incentives like winning chips and redemption, regular assessments in the form of videos and certifications. The whole process is so interesting, that the kids are happy to spend their time and get certified in computer skills and learnings.
After social gaming technology platform, can AR/VR be the next generation for learning?
We have observed that our students love learning through Virtual Reality and to which they learn quickly. Through VR we tend to make their concepts easy to understand hence making learning becomes fun and larger than life. In our recently launched new product Whizjuniors Premium, wherein we aim to make a child an out and out professional with the best IT courses, at your doorstep, imparted by an elite and highly experienced set of mentors, all at your doorstep and convenience, thus, helping to build an ultimate tech dream.
Will, you enlighten us about Whizjuniors’ business model?
Whizjuniors is a creative computer skill imparting platform wherein 1.88 lac kids have learned to program and build games, apps, websites and more. Whizjuniors offers self-paced online courses for children to learn various computer courses at home, as well as an engaging computer science curriculum for schools.
Features of Whizjuniors –
- Guided, self-paced learning
- Step-by-step success & DIY projects
- Interactive approach
- Engaging puzzles
- Independent game-building
- Fun challenges
- Limitless creativity
Five years down the line where do you think will the social gaming technology platform be?
We would like to offer a choice to kids, schools, teachers and parents for learning various concepts & methodologies used in computer skilling. We aim to make this platform the first choice for kids in multiple skills. We have audacious plans of taking this model to the international market, that’s when we will reach a considerable size that we aim to achieve in this marketplace.
After Daga spilled the knowledge of gamification model, I am sure many of you must be wondering and wishing; if this was the education method used by your teachers back in those days then maybe you wouldn’t have fallen asleep in your history classes.