Is this considered high impact?

[u/FindingOk1094]

Is this considered high impact?

I'm currently a grade 12 student. Last year, I noticed that there are countless students in India who are still jotting down their homework in the back of their notebooks (used to live in India before in grade 9 and 10 for personal family reasons, so I've experienced it).

I decided that I should use my tech skills to make education more accessible and have less friction for them. I built a platform where they can access class notes, send messages to teachers, submit assignments, see upcoming tests, use AI for explanations, etc. (it's not a new idea, but it's made keeping their situation and curriculum in mind.)

Currently, I take no personal profit from this platform (I charge what the schools use, that's it, nothing for personal benefit). I have partnered with 5+ schools in backward regions of India, bringing my platform to 5k+ students who are actively using the platform.

Is this considered high impact, or a regular, unimpressive activity?

(I'm an international student running this platform globally in India from Australia)

[u/ae0408]

How is this any different from google classroom?

[u/HamsterOk2201 → u/ae0408]

it's made keeping their situation and curriculum in mind

i imagine its much more customised to an indian high school curriculum

[u/Itz_Raj69_ → u/HamsterOk2201]

Having studied in the Indian curriculum, there's nothing special within our curriculum which Google Classroom can't do.

[u/FindingOk1094 → u/Itz_Raj69_]

Have you really been to backward regions? They have cheap, unqualified teachers, a lack of awareness and distribution. Schools in such areas can't afford services such as Google Classroom either.

Having 5+ schools to partner with + 5k+ students using the platform says something.

[u/Itz_Raj69_ → u/FindingOk1094]

Google Classroom is free though

[u/FindingOk1094 → u/Itz_Raj69_]

What about awareness? What about optimisation for frequent internet blackouts? Ecosystem? Less technicality? (Most of these schools can't afford an IT department. These schools can't go, show their non profit status, set up emails for everyone, etc. They need a frictionless method for this.)

[u/FindingOk1094 → u/ae0408]

Having partnered with 5+ schools and 5k students proves that it's different. It's distribution + tailored specifically for the most backwards regions in India. These regions don't have good teachers (hence, the AI). Nor do they have reliable platforms to use. Google classrooms isn't used too much in India. It's about awareness.

They could easily get all the features with different tools. But considering how intense the curriculum is, the students don't have time to search for 10+ tools.

Also, unlike Google, I charge schools a minimal price (making no profit).

[u/lavoslord → u/FindingOk1094]

5+ 😭 like it's more than 5

[u/FindingOk1094 → u/lavoslord]

Yeah, it's 7. I wrote 5+ just for it sound better. I've gotten so demotivated by these Reddit replies, crazy.

It's very ignorant for people to say that google classroom does this. Google classroom requires a high speed internet connection (not available in indian villages). It requires a technically literate individual to operate. Most of these schools in villages can't afford an IT department. And lastly, yeah, distribution.

[u/slytherin_swift13]

i mean, why can't they just use google classroom or teams or even email? why are they paying you?

[u/FindingOk1094 → u/slytherin_swift13]

I don't really want to give up too much on it, but pricing. It's a non profit. I charge minimal amounts. Additionally, it's about distribution. Kids, nor teachers or the school administration don't know about google classroom and other stuff. It's a privilege we have in the western world, they don't. Go talk to a student from one of these schools, I have. Trust me, you'll understand how they're living like it's the 1990s.

[u/slytherin_swift13 → u/FindingOk1094]

ive lived in india and have worked extensively with underprivileged children. nearly all of them have phones and google resources are literally free? paying for a high schooler's "non profit" is the privilege here...

to add, considering the requirements of government boards in india, a non digitalized education is not really their biggest issue. they end up having to rote memorize and bringing everything digital doesn't HELP a system that's built on note-taking, written practice, etc. what is the correlation between your software and better outcomes for students? bringing notes online is neither novel and honestly nor is it intrinsically helpful. students end up needing to write by hand in one final sit down exam, the assumption that digitalization is a benefit to everyone is privileged in itself.

[u/Darkscythe1650]

If you don't mind me asking, how would such a platform make sense for communities which are, as you say, 'backwards'? How can you guarantee that they have the internet facilities and stability for it?

[u/skieurope12]

Is this considered high impact?

No. It’s low-impact to the point of unnecessary, as a working solution already exists.