Ed-Tech Start-Ups Can Allow Anyone To Become A Teacher

As the world sees a sharp rise in ed-tech platforms, there have been a number of start-ups that offer the flexibility and convenience of online tutoring. These businesses offer a unconventional avenue for students to discover a new way of learning.

According to the Economic Times, “The advent of ed-tech startups has now made it possible for anyone to become a teacher, all one needs is passion and obviously, the knowledge.” One of these ed-tech startups is eVidyaLoka. This unique start-up utilizes video conferencing to reach those in remote location. The service is able to give valuable resources to rural students.

“We have the connectivity today. But they are underutilized infrastructure. On the other end there are people who are willing to connect. We created an aggregating platform, where these people come on board and we do the leg work of connecting the villages,” said Venkat Sriraman, founder of eVidyaLoka.

While many students have had a positive outcome from using these services, the tutors are also reaping the benefits. These types of businesses have attracted several professionals who do not have formal teaching degrees, yet have plenty of knowledge to share. For example, Ravi Shankar is a IT professional by day, but after hours he tutors online in physics, chemistry and mathematics. By using his spare time to share his experience, he believes it is a way to give back.

“I always felt that when we were small kids, we were not given proper guidance. I always had the idea to teach, and I had some spare time in the evening, I thought why not teach?” said Shankar.

These startups have realized the huge potential tutor pool of business professionals. Having passionate people, such as Shankar, working for them is a key to their success. Some common recruiting processes for these ed-tech companies is referral campaigns and very few requirements to attract those that want to help. Vineet Dwivedi, CEO of another ed-tech startup, flipClass, explains that the tutor and the student make a connection that goes much farther than the classroom.

“For a housewife, they want to reconnect with knowledge, they usually have high academic credentials. For a retired person, you get to spend some time connecting with people and mentoring young children,” explains Dwivedi.

With more and more ed-tech startups popping up around the world, several large companies have offered financial investments and partnerships to these successful programs. Earlier this month, AT&T announced that they were partnering with 6 ed-tech startups for their annual Aspire Accelerator program. Investing more than $350 million, the program will offer financial support, mentorships and access to their invaluable resources. The Aspire Accelerator program also utilizes online platform learning with The Graide Network. This unique platform connects teachers, students and their families. The teachers are also given access to on-demand teaching assistants and tutors.

The appeal of these online learning opportunities is that they are able to provide a personalized experience for the student. Education experts have researched the connection of the learning process and technology and have discovered that utilizing technology can have drastic results in the classroom.

There are many opportunities for anyone looking to get into tutoring. The first step is deciding what topic you have an expertise in. There is a need for tutors on a variety of subjects from educational to recreational. Whether you are looking to make an impact in a student’s life or make some extra income, the resources are available.

Traditional brick-and-mortar educational institutes are seeing their own challenges, which further adds to the appeal to online learning. These online opportunities provide convenience, while making learning attractive and fun for students.

One founder of a successful ed-tech startup explained why these types of institutions are seeing such success.

“I see great potential in startups, which can bring in positive disruption in our education system through technology.”