Junkbot disrupts the world of eLearning

Junkbot enables learners to creatively use ordinary things available around them, including junk, to build working robots.

Estimates of the global eLearning market indicate that it will exceed $200 billion by the year 2023. Docebo's report eLearning Market Trends and Forecasts 2017-2021 is a comprehensive look at the education technology (EdTech) industry. One key number is $31 billion, which according to Technavio, is the size of the corporate eLearning market in 2020, growing at a CAGR of over 11 per cent from 2016 onwards.

Another rising trend worldwide is that adults consider themselves to be lifelong learners. Over 73 per cent of US-based adults surveyed in a recent Pew Research Centre survey identified themselves as such.

According to Makers and Shakers of Education Technology Index, a report sponsored by the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) and EdtechXGlobal, less than two per cent of educational content has been digitised. Compare that with the music industry which is currently estimated to be at about $5 trillion. Clearly, there is huge potential for digitisation in education.

Add to this the growing list of successful startups that are penetrating this area and it makes very interesting business reading. The largest deal in Q2 2016 was a $150 million private equity round by Iconiq Capital to Age of Learning, a California-based provider of early childhood learning software called ABCmouse.com. This was followed by a $60 million Series D to Udemy, led by Naspers, and a $40 million corporate minority round by Tencent to a Beijing-based mobile-learning platform called Yuanfudao. (Source Docebo)

Earlier in this column, the challenges with skilled and specialised education in the region had been described. There is massive potential in the region for self-paced as well as digital education. The 2016 figure for eLearning in the Middle East and Africa in 2016 is in the range of $1.3 billion and growing faster than the world average. This is driven largely by the prevalence of mobile data and smart devices.

In the midst of the strategic wave that is shaking up traditional education is a disruptor of disruptors. Interestingly, fields such as robotics and artificial intelligence lend themselves to non-traditional education. The coursework in fields like these, unlike say mechanical engineering, medicine, literature or even computer science, is far less formalised. That's primarily because these fields are evolving rapidly. Robotics educational kit manufacturers such as Lego, Makeblock and Fischertechnik usually have a restricted number of parts and plans. Also, the language and architecture contained in the kits tend to be limited. It is almost like boxing the minds of future innovators.

M. Rajeev, an engineer by training and a robotics educationist by passion, recognised the need to unbox this field and make it more flexible. He came to the UAE to help a local company deliver robotics-related content to multiple schools here. However, he was not satisfied with just designing the courses around standard kits. As an early learner, he had struggled with the twin challenges of expensive robotics kits and the lack of mentorship. He decided to solve the challenge by looking at robotics education differently. What if early-stage robotics education could be unboxed from an expensive kit-based approach usually linked with non-standard delivery of content by instructors? The creation of Junkbot (junkbot.co) was centred around this theme.

Junkbot is based on the concept that Stem/Steam education can be made available to everyone. In fact, it is an example of a good way to bridge the gap between purists who focus on science, technology, engineering, math and those who add the 'A' for art to the mix. One pillar is that it enables learners to creatively use ordinary things available around them, including junk, to build working robots. Students have built a robotic floor mop, a 'SmartStick' for the visually impaired that uses ultrasound to warn users about objects that are around them and a host of other mind-boggling inventions. All here in the UAE.

Although there is a focus on eLearning for children, anybody with a creative, learning and curious mind from six to 90 years can go to the Junkbot site and pick up what they need in terms of information and kits. A unique feature of Junkbot is an easy-to-use coding language called CodeBricks. It is based on the industry-standard language Scratch. It enables Arduino connectivity. Learners can build robots and smart tools using material as diverse as cardboard, throwaway plastic and literally anything that works, restricted by their imagination alone.

The company has achieved $400,000 in revenue in a very short time-frame. The website-based distribution makes it much easier for learners to download and order material. Learners in the region are catching on fast. What's more, the company is in the process of tying up with retailers in the education space to distribute the kits physically.

In addition to the free-format kit, learners get the value of two sessions about the architecture, programming language and concepts. Post these sessions, learners can stay in touch with guides via e-mail.

Junkbot was incubated by in5 and has benefited tremendously from the guidance and association. Rajeev also suggested checking out Originbase, a well-equipped makerspace in Dubai. More of that in another article.

The writer is a partner at BridgeDFS, a bespoke financial advisory firm (www.bridgeto.us). Views expressed are his own and do not reflect the newspaper's policy. He can be contacted at ves@vyashara.com