Learning Avenues With MarkSharks...

I recently came across MarkSharks, an App that is bringing about a complete transformation in learning and teaching. According to me, it brings a complete paradigm shift in the phenomenon, as Marksharks believes that learning will never be the same again. 

MarkSharks is creating a complete system that aims to teach secondary school students. To start with, it is focusing on Maths and Science. The innovative approach is to combine phenomenal pedagogy with the power of mobility. Students can learn on-the-go thus preventing waste of time. In addition, it creates a meaningful engagement and enables ‘learning by doing’. 

Although there have been many significant innovative advancements in Education Technology (EdTech), there is no remarkable change in the process of teaching worldwide. In fact, it is the same for decades. The main drawback of our existing education system is that it is mostly unidirectional. Whatever mode a teacher adopts, it is usually passive learning. 

The various modes are chalkboard, whiteboard, smart board, audio-visual broadcast on internet or offline. But it lacks interaction and seems to be ‘watch’ and ‘listen’. That is why I call it Passive Learning. It is like watching TV which is a purely one-sided affair. 

MarkSharks is a result of disruptive technology to end this unidirectional mode of teaching and learning. In fact, the younger generation belongs to the digital age. Thus they need to learn in a

different manner. 

Now there is a learning app evolving fast to help them. Students can use mobile devices to create there own knowledge mechanism. MarkSharks helps them in learning classroom concepts in a real immersive, multi-sensory, interactive, and meaningful way. And all this happens in a very interesting manner. So it is more learning with fun. They have games, simulations, interactive exercises, and virtual experiments. In fact, it is visually more enriching and is an interactive experience. And that too in a student's own style, as per their own convenience. That is what I call as Active Learning. 

If we look at the current learning and teaching mechanism, it is quite raw and mechanical in nature. Students easily get bored and dissatisfied. There is no fun. 

Students are of the general opinion - “I have to memorize everything that makes studying painful.” On the other hand the statement of a parent is, “How can I get my child to WANT to learn? I spend so much of my time and energy forcing her to study because I know that education is the only way to secure a bright future.” 

And, in general, an educator has an altogether different predicament to share - “Marks are important and my time in class is limited. So I just cannot devote the time and energy I need to individual students’ learning requirements. I KNOW there are students who are getting left behind”. 

MarkSharks, on the other hand, imparts a unique experience of learning that enhances a student's interest and speed. It provides a one-on-one experience thus introducing a personalized environment. This happens because a learner is using their own mobile device with a freedom of anywhere, anytime. It provides 100% hands-on and learner-driven self-paced learning experience that is quite enriching. There is CBSE Maths & Science curriculum for classes 6 to 12. The app is easy to install and modules are available for Class 8 and 9 on Google Play Store. I was able to download and install it quite easily. It was a hassle-free experience. 

There are features like voice-over and text in English which helps to grasp the concept intuitively. Since the content is modular, it enables easy adaption into various languages and curricula. Learn, Analyze, and Connect is the lifeline of MarkSharks. Learning is a fun because there are interactive games and interactive exercises. In addition, a learner can easily analyze performance in real-time. In fact, parents and teachers also have access to the same information. Connecting with friends in a constructive manner is another remarkable feature of this app. There is a feature - ‘Social Learning Network’ - where a learner can share notes with friends, request help from online tutors, and network with others on MarkSharks. 

You can download MarkSharks Class 8 & 9 Science CBSE content for Android devices on the Google Play store here. Also, you can watch videos of MarkSharks content being used here. 

I tried a few of their modules, those were available on Play Store. All the modules begin with this screen: 

Also, one can read the MarSharks story via the module by tapping on 'Our Story': 

Sliding Friction 

Phases of Moon 

Seismograph 

Lateral Inversion 

Air Pollution

All of them ran smoothly and an intermediate pace, neither too rushed, nor too slow. However, in the Lateral Inversion module, it got stuck at the following screen, for some reason. 

Other than that, it was a nice experience exploring MarkSharks, both as a learner and an educator. :)

Gaps Between Educational Reforms And Education System In India

Reforms are always the need of the society. Those who lack proper focus of the destination and the path to be followed are left in doldrums. It has become so true about the bureaucratic system and the corrupt people of today's India.

Another so called thoughtful but not at all practical reform introduced at the school level is CCE system. Comprehensive and continuous evaluation of the child sounds good but it was introduced in such a hurry that the results are far from the expectations. This system's goal is to lessen the burden of rote learning but ministers, bureaucrats and top officials who made the steps to follow are not in the practical day to day interaction with the students. Only the teacher concerned knows the fact that the burden has lessened in the form of rote learning but has transformed to the form of preparing endless assignments, projects, models, charts, scrap files, activity files etc.to the extent which is mechanical for the child as their number is too many at secondary level.

If the number of activities is reduced, then we can still expect the child to do them in the class itself and hence the actual purpose can be solved. Also the emphasis should be on the content and creativity and not on just decorating the file and pasting the data downloaded through the internet. Also it will reduce the mushrooming of shops which are providing readymade material to the students instead of them doing the work themselves. Another angle to this is that poor children suffer as they have to spend a lot on buying the stationery required which is increasingly becoming fancy (a flourishing business for stationery shops).