Researchers develop a GPS for personalised eLearning

Similar to the concept of latitudes and longitudes, which are used to locate entities, scientists developed polylines, which would help locate learners. It will identify learning gaps at a personal level and provide resources to bridge those gaps

Once it is understood how the learners are assimilating what they have learnt, the navigator will enable AI-based solutions that can offer personalised learning interventions at scale. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

While most content available on e-learning platforms is designed for an average learner, a new tool has been developed that will provide learners with personalised material.

The core concepts of Gooru Navigator, a sort of GPS for learning, have been developed by the International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIITB) in collaboration with Gooru Labs.

It assesses the learner’s knowledge, interests, and mindsets and recommends personalised learning activities. Its makers say it will guide the users to their learning destinations, identify personal learning gaps, and provide resources to bridge those gaps.

Locating the learner

“In a fast-changing world, upskilling at scale is a global imperative. While several technological solutions exist to scale pedagogic practices over large populations, remote learning suffers from high dropouts and low learner engagements,” said Srinath Srinivasa, Dean (R&D), IIITB. 

He added, “It is currently assumed that most students are average and educational content is delivered accordingly. But there has been plenty of research to show that there is no such thing as an average individual. The focus should be on the learner. What a person is learning should neither be too easy nor too difficult; it should be at their level. Hence, locating the learner was the research problem we were working on.”

Similar to the concepts of latitudes and longitudes, which are used to locate entities, the researchers developed a concept called polylines, which would help in locating learners.

“Polylines have multiple dimensions. For instance, for any subject that is being learnt, many competencies are to be developed. Polylines put these competencies together. As it will be difficult to reason with so many dimensions, we came up with the concept to show (the student) on a 2D map. With the map, it can be recognised where the student’s learning level is and what they want to learn,” Prof. Srinivasa explained.

Once it is understood how the learners are assimilating what they have learnt, the navigator will enable AI-based solutions that can offer personalised learning interventions at scale. While the tool’s end-users will be the learners, it can also help teachers understand where students stand.

Locating students

“The map can also help teachers understand where each student is located and where they are faltering, unlike the grading or marks system that currently exists. We considered math scores of students in the same classes across Karnataka, and we could see that two students who had the same marks could have different competencies,” the professor said.

The navigator comes with MyGooru CoPilot, which eLearning providers can integrate into their applications to offer personalised learning experiences using their content. It also has another feature called MyNavigator LMS, which delivers competency-based personalised learning.

While Gooru’s tools are already being used in the United States, they will be launched in India on July 7, after the convocation ceremony, at IIITB.

“India is the top priority market for Gooru due to its large user base, strong learning culture and discerning customers. Achieving strong adoption in India positions Gooru well for global expansion,” said Prasad Ram, Co-Founder, CEO Gooru, said.