The Need of the hour AI, Coding & Robotics

Summary

The speaker, an educator and AI expert, discusses their journey and efforts to democratize quality education in AI and coding across India. They share their vision for integrating coding into the curriculum from a young age, emphasizing its importance for holistic brain development and future readiness. The speaker outlines challenges and solutions, including virtual labs, upskilling teachers, and tangible student projects, while highlighting their commitment to education without external funding.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The speaker is an educator with experience in AI and computing, heading a university department and aiding in the development of an AI campus.
• 👥 They have two co-founders, Vikas and Ajay, who have diverse educational backgrounds and have been involved in teaching thousands of students across multiple cities.
• 🏆 The team has received recognition and awards, including being the youngest in the Times 40 under 40 list and accolades from Economic Times.
• 🔢 They aim to make quality education accessible and affordable, with an annual fee under 10,000, targeting a broader audience that includes over 10 lakh schools.
• 🧠 The speaker emphasizes the importance of coding and AI in education, referencing research from MIT about the benefits of coding for brain development.
• 📚 The National Education Policy (NEP) suggests making coding mandatory from class 6, but there's debate among educators about the appropriate age to start teaching coding.
• 💡 The speaker's organization has created a unique pedagogy tailored to the Indian education system, focusing on pre-coding activities for younger students and more advanced topics for older students.
• 🏗️ Major challenges for schools include infrastructure, teacher upskilling, and providing tangible results to parents, which the speaker's organization addresses through virtual labs and training programs.
• 🤖 They have introduced innovative solutions like a humanoid robot named 'Indro' for children to build and program, offering a hands-on approach to learning robotics.
• 📱 The organization has also developed mobile interfaces for coding, addressing the issue of accessibility for students who lack personal computers at home.
• 📘 They have authored books with 0% royalty to make AI education more accessible and have integrated virtual labs into schools for a more interactive learning experience.
• 🌐 The speaker highlights the importance of integrating coding into the curriculum, upskilling computer teachers, and providing students with more screen time for practical learning.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the script and what is their background?

The speaker is B, who was born and brought up in Jamu, went to IBHU for preparation, and has been involved in education for the last four to five years. They are heading the Department of Computing and AI at JG University and also assisting Gandhinagar University in developing an AI campus.

What is the speaker's role in the education sector?

The speaker is heading the Department of Computing and AI at JG University and is involved in developing an AI campus at Gandhinagar University. They also co-founded an organization that teaches coding, AI, and data science to children across 50 plus cities.

Who are Vikas and Ajay, and what is their connection to the speaker?

Vikas and Ajay are the speaker's co-founders. Vikas is an IBU pass out, and Ajay is from IIT. They have been working together for the last 3-4 years, teaching over 30,000 kids in various cities.

What was the initial approach of the speaker's organization in teaching kids about AI and data science?

Initially, they started with their own franchisee, teaching kids about cybersecurity, data science, and AI. However, the high price point limited their reach to the masses.

How did the speaker's organization address the issue of accessibility to quality education in AI and data science?

They reduced the annual fee to less than 10,000 and started reaching over 10 lakh plus schools, making quality education in AI and data science more accessible to the masses.

What awards have the speaker and their organization received?

The speaker has received awards from the Times Group, including being named the youngest Times 40 under 40, and recognition from Economic Times.

What is the speaker's view on the importance of coding in education?

The speaker believes that coding is important as it helps in the development of both the left and right brain of children. They support the idea of making coding mandatory from class 6 onwards, as per the new National Education Policy (NEP).

What is the speaker's perspective on the current landscape of coding education?

The speaker criticizes the overuse and misuse of the term 'coding' and emphasizes that coding is not just about writing programs but also involves developing logical thinking.

What challenges do schools face in incorporating coding into their curriculum, according to the speaker?

The speaker identifies four major challenges: infrastructure, upskilling teachers, providing tangible results for parents, and creating an ecosystem that supports continuous learning and innovation.

What solutions has the speaker's organization proposed to address these challenges?

They have developed a pedagogy tailored to the Indian education system, created virtual labs to reduce infrastructure costs, partnered with NSDC to upskill trainers, and organized annual coding days to showcase tangible results.

What is the speaker's vision for the future of coding education in schools?

The speaker envisions coding as an integral part of the curriculum, with computer teachers being upskilled and students having access to real-time interaction with AI kiosks and virtual labs.