Bengaluru:
The Science class in Anthony Claret School in the city is abuzz. Children are learning about photosynthesis. They have in their hands a gadget that beeps when it touches a leaf where photosynthesis is on. Every time there is a beep, there is a round of cheer around. Teaching of Science in some classrooms is changing with efforts to explore the subject better. A Bengaluru-based startup is helping in this endeavour in several schools in the country today. Started by a couple of IIT and IIM graduates, who were tired of their MNC jobs, Experifun designs and develops low cost Science gadgets that can be used in classrooms. The gadgets, uncomplicated and non-flashy, can be used by teachers to explain concepts faster, make learning interesting and inculcate the habit of questioning in children. “We studied in a government school in a small Bihar village. We hardly had any solid teaching in Science there. We know what will work in a place like that. We want the product to reach such schools,” said Rakesh Kumar, founder. The two-year-old startup has created 22 gadgets on various Science topics for classes 6 to 10 and will add six more soon. The team comprises 10 people, including professionals, who have worked in universities abroad. An IIT-IIM graduate, Rakesh has 15 years of work experience in corporate sector. Vivek Pandey, the cofounder, is an electrical engineer from IIT and has 13 years of experience. “When I interact with schools, I find teaching is completely text-based with little practical knowledge. For a lesson on light, the lab uses gadgets like lens that are 15 years old. We decided to create something innovative,” said Rahul Kundu, a team member.
“Often, schools get very expensive gadgets but don’t let children touch it. Also, they need to go to a lab to make anything practical oriented. We wanted to create something portable and light so that it can be easily taken to the class, handled by children and lets teachers complete their syllabus on time,” said Rakesh. “The children get to use the gadgets. It is simple and safe,” said Bindu Pillai, a Science teacher at the Anthony Claret school. Pearson Affordable Learning Fund (PALF), an education fund run by UK-based education company Pearson has invested in the startup. The company has also tied up with government schools in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.
INSTRUMENTS OF CHANGE
Insulator-Conductor
When you hold a battery, does current flow? You will tend to think it doesn’t because we associate some action with flowing current, like seeing a bulb light up or hearing a bell ring. Pressing an Insulator-Conductor gadget to a material, students can check if it is a good conductor or not.
Charge Sensor
A common example of charge transfer/static electricity is rubbing hair with a balloon and then picking up paper pieces with the balloon. But one can’t see the charge with other materials. Charge Sensor gadget enables that via light.
Plantell
It allows students to see plants make food in real time. They can interact with the plant by changing the amount of light falling on it and get instant feedback with the gadget.
MenDIYleev
The periodic table is not a well-loved topic in school because students have to memorize the order, properties and trends in it. Using some basic math and common sense, students can create their own table using MenDIYleev product, and experience firsthand what the chemist Mendeleev did when he first created it.
Digestion kit
It allows students to visualize the digestive system: where the food gets broken down, who does it and why it needs to be done. They can see what food is actually made of and break it down themselves.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Bengaluru / by Sruthy Susan Ullas, TNN / March 30th, 2015