Gamification is the next big trend the EdTech industry is moving towards: Karan Shroff

Adgully’s annual feature – TRENDING NOW – has been presenting the strategies and views of a cross-section of industry leaders as they go about reclaiming lost time and market opportunities and build for a stronger future, armed with the lessons of the pandemic period.

Over the last few weeks, Trending Now has been bringing insights from industry leaders on how their organisations are geared up to seize the opportunities in 2022, break through the Covid disruptions and find growth and remain resilient.

In conversation with Adgully, Karan Shroff, Partner & CMO, Unacademy, speaks about the emerging trends in the EdTech industry in 2022, the challenges and opportunities, changes in the Indian education system and more.

What are the trends that you expect to dominate in your sector in 2022?

The digital shift due to the pandemic has paved the way for exceptional growth in the EdTech industry. The pace at which the numbers of players and students are increasing is encouraging the sector to lay the next step towards making it mainstream.

EdTech players are also focusing on personalised learning plans, where students can learn at their own pace with the help of customised plans. With the overall increased digitalisation of education, study and assessment methods have become more interactive. Furthermore, there has been an uptick in demand for upskilling and test prep courses, leading to the growth of such certifications.

For Test Prep courses, students need a gamified approach to benchmark their performance on a national level while preparing. Hence, gamification is the next big trend the industry is moving towards. This has aided in bridging many economic demographics and making knowledge and skills more accessible.

Along with these, hybrid learning is also evolving rapidly as people look for high-quality, affordable education. To enable it further, at Unacademy, we keep introducing innovative features on the platform such as community learning, ask a doubt, mentorship, planner, and open house that create a more personalised approach to helping students achieve their learning goals.

What are the challenges and new opportunities that you see emerging in the year ahead?

The EdTech sector has opened up experimentations with advanced technologies to bring innovative products to students. Mobile learning is providing an opportunity for the EdTech sector as people focus on the accessibility of reliable learning experiences instead of a platform. Hence, companies can work on mobile-specific offerings to students.

However, at the core of leveraging this massive opportunity is the Internet connection and infrastructure that are necessary for democratising education. The majority of the Indian population resides in rural areas, where operational problems and a lack of trained teachers are still challenging. EdTech companies are bridging this gap and are democratizing education.

To address these challenges and leverage the opportunities, Unacademy is enabling online education for millions by optimising high-quality user experience at lower bandwidths and better thermal performance. This digital form of education allows students to thrive academically while avoiding the risks of dropping out due to external factors.

How is this year’s turnout expected to be in this sector compared to the last two years? How strong will this sector's growth and recovery be compared to the previous two years and the pre-Covid period?

One of the main facets of the Indian education system is that it has been based on a traditional model. The previous two years were spent developing platforms, raising awareness, and developing courses. This year will see several new developments that will further solidify the role of digital tools in the country’s education sector.

At Unacademy, we have seen significant growth in paid subscribers during the lockdown. Now, as the world is moving back to normalcy, there has been incredible growth in Q1 of 2022 compared to 2021. I am confident that the industry will keep evolving through novel innovations that will cater to the needs of the students.