Procare Solutions and Marcopolo Learning partner to deliver award-winning digital learning videos and educational resources to Child Care Centres

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June 16, 2022

Procare Solutions, the most widely used child care management software, and MarcoPolo Learning, the Emmy-nominated global developer of educational videos, games and digital platforms for educators and children ages 3-7, has announced a partnership that will provide high-quality educational resources through the Procare platform.

This partnership enables both teachers and parents to access MarcoPolo Learning’s award-winning library of English, Spanish and Modified/ELL learning videos and educator resources that align with the school’s early learning curricula. MarcoPolo’s video library is the most comprehensive for early childhood educators with over 1,200 videos, educator guides and other classroom materials that bring curriculum to life.

“Educational content is being used by most early childhood educators to enhance learning and engagement, but not all content found online is safe and designed for young children. Our proprietary video library supports teachers by giving them access to high-quality curriculum-aligned content, educator guides, and innovative child-facing technology that allows classroom content to be shared with families,” said Justin Hsu, CEO and Founder of MarcoPolo Learning. “By better supporting early childhood educators and young children, we can also positively affect teacher engagement and retention, as well as foster children’s passion for lifelong learning.”

“This partnership is another step forward in our mission to simplify child care operations and enhance children’s learning with high-quality education,” said JoAnn Kintzel, CEO of Procare Solutions. “Educators will now have the ability to access MarcoPolo Learning’s videos, resources, activity ideas and family engagement suggestions easily through the Procare platform.

Integrating MarcoPolo Learning’s program into the Procare Solutions platform helps solve some of the most common pain points for early childhood educators, and it provides institutional grade resources most commonly found in large school districts, national childcare providers and Head Start programs.

Woxsen University to set up Chair Professorship in honor to Prof. Dr. Ingmar Nolte in Financial Econometrics

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June 10, 2022

Woxsen University announces the establishment of the Ingmar Nolte Professor of Financial Econometrics in honor to Prof. Dr. Ingmar Nolte. The selection process for the chair holder is undergoing.

Prof. Dr. Nolte holds a Dr. rer. pol. (Economics), University of Konstanz, Germany, (summa cum laude) and a MSc Mathematical Finance, University of Konstanz, Germany, (with distinction).

He is a Full Professor of Finance and Econometrics, Lancaster University Management School, Lancaster University.

His research interests lie in the area of financial econometrics, market micro structure and forecasting. He is interested in high frequency finance & econometrics and the modelling of multivariate trading and volatility processes. Prof. Dr. Nolte is currently working on developing micro-econometric techniques (discrete choice, count data, point process models) for the analysis of complex finance relationships, which involves researching the econometrics of such models for time-series and panel setups.

These models are applied to gain a better understanding of the disaggregated trading process, which involves understanding the behavior of individual market participants such as traders, brokers, and analysts.

The endowed chair/professorship holder is expected to continue outstanding scholarly activity. This may include scholarship in discovery, integration, application, or teaching. Evaluation criteria include impact and contribution to the holder’s department, the profession, and society at large.

The endowed chair/professorship holder is expected to provide leadership and impact, on an ongoing basis and in the broadest sense possible, throughout his or her term as an endowed chair/professorship holder.

Edtech startup PhysicsWallah becomes India’s 101st unicorn

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June 8, 2022

Educational technology (edtech) startup PhysicsWallah (PW) has entered India’s unicorn club and is the 101st startup to have a total valuation of USD 1 billion.

It has raised USD 100 million in Series A funding from WestBridge Capital and GSV Ventures and was valued at USD 1.1 billion after closing the transaction.

Holberton partners with Jigsaw Academy to offer PG certificate in full stack development in India

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digitalLEARNING Network

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June 8, 2022

With an aim to make software engineering education affordable and accessible globally, US-based Holberton partnered with India’s leading data science and emerging technologies institute, Jigsaw Academy. Under this partnership, students in India will receive postgraduate (PG) certification in Full-Stack Development as part of the curriculum, which includes the concept, hands-on assignments, and real-world case studies using Holberton’s OS of Education.

Recognising the value of skilling fresh graduates, early-career professionals, and those seeking to change their career trajectory, the partnership comes as a part of Holberton’s OS of Educations’ initiative to support its primary objective of skilling people at the grass-root level. The goal is to make learners competent professionals with the relevant skills for a successful career. A Post Graduate Certificate program in Full Stack Development will help in training talented Indian students to become world-class software engineers who are ready to contribute from their first day on the job.

With its OS of education offering, Holberton will provide the projects, platform, tools and services required for the training purpose whereas Jigsaw will be responsible for delivering the Programs from the Holberton Platform and also provide mentoring support to the students enrolling for the program. The course includes a holistic curriculum (10 hours of learning per week) taught by industry mentors to polish learners into job-ready individuals who will assist them in their future endeavours. The 9-month program is the only Full Stack Development program that provides Weekend Online Live Instructor-Led training on Java Full Stack technologies and a Capstone Project.

Speaking on the occasion, Julien Barbier, Founder, and CEO of Holberton, said, “We are truly honored to work with Jigsaw Academy to drive the best global standards for the PG certificate program. The initiative will help in offering students and faculty members exposure at a global level. We aim to prepare Indian students to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s world and to achieve this we are stressing on skilling the current workforce and equipping today’s pragmatic youth with the necessary skill sets to become self-reliant.”

With digitisation seeping into our lives, there has been an evident gap in finding the right resources for the job. Organizations have started to understand the importance of skilling the current and new workforce in order to meet the growing demand for skilled workforces. The initiative aims to inculcate and touch upon the importance of holistic skill development and offer better career opportunities in the ever-changing technological landscape.

Highlighting this partnership, Sarita Digumarti, Co-founder of Jigsaw Academy, said, “Jigsaw Academy is excited to be partnering with Holberton for our PG certificate program in Full Stack Development. Holberton’s state of the art platform allows students to gain project experience that will make their full stack skills more relevant and real world focused. We are fully committed to offering the best experience to all our students and are looking forward to working closely with Holberton to create the next generation of skilled software engineers in India.”

UK varsities delegation discusses international education academic mobility with Indian counterparts

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June 8, 2022

A delegation of representatives from 22 UK universities and higher education leaders discussed with Indian counterparts, the new policy measures and activities to support internationalisation, quality assurance and collaborating through teaching, industry-academia partnerships and different models of transnational education allowed under the new National Education Policy (NEP).

The delegation on a five-day visit to India, first after introduction of NEP, met representatives from Ministry of Education (MoE), University Grants Commission (UGC), Association of Indian Universities (AIU), AICTE and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

“We welcome the delegation of UK higher education leaders to India to continue the bilateral collaboration in education benefitting both countries. The focus is on increasing two-way mobility of students, faculty as well as institutional mobility between India and the UK. We invite the UK HEIs to work with Indian counterparts to offer twinning, joint degree, and dual degree programmes; as well as explore setting up campuses in GIFT City Gujarat,” said Manju Singh, Joint Secretary, UGC.

The delegation represents apex education bodies such as the Universities UK International (UUKi), The Russell Group, Universities Wales, and 22 UK higher education institutions, making it the largest ever delegation of higher education leaders from the UK to visit the country.

Over June 6-10, the delegation has had planned to meet Indian central and state government officials, policymakers and senior university leaders from 10 Indian states, in the national capital, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Kolkata to discuss partnerships and collaborations that meet the NEP’s vision of internationalisation of Indian higher education institutions via promoting transnational education.

“This is the first major delegation Universities UK has undertaken since the advent of Covid-19, and it is important that so many of our universities are here this week. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to hear from our colleagues here in the India about the latest developments, including the New Education Policy, and to learn more about your ambitions for the India-UK relationship,” she said.

The officials said that the delegation intends to identify partnerships and collaborations for the UK’s coveted and trusted educational institutions, across major Indian education hubs.

Karnataka Education Minister announces collaboration between EMBIBE and State Education Department

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digitalLEARNING Network

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June 6, 2022

Primary and Secondary Education Minister of Karnataka, Sri. B.C.Nagesh earmarked a long-term partnership between the Karnataka State Education Department and EMBIBE (Indiavidual Learning Ltd.), India’s foremost AI-powered, Personalised Adaptive Learning platform. This partnership will see all Karnataka Board students benefit from their entire school curriculum content being made available in Kannada. The objective of this partnership is to provide students of Karnataka, access to the highest quality digital education with world-class, authentic 3D content for Science & Maths in their language. The platform caters to Classes 6th to 12th along with Engineering and Medical entrance exams.

Speaking about the partnership, the Hon’ble Education Minister said, “We are extremely happy to learn that EMBIBE is providing Personalised Learning Outcomes App free to all the students of the state. With built-in features of adaptive learning, practising and self-assessments, the app draws a personalised learning path for each student helping them to achieve the competencies and skills desired under National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and as envisaged in National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.”

Ms. Aditi Avasthi, Founder & CEO of EMBIBE expressing her delight at partnering with the Karnataka State Education Department said, “We’re excited to be working with the state of Karnataka to ensure that all students will now gain access to India’s first ever, immersive & interactive learning experience in Kannada & gain real-time guidance on how to improve. The platform, powered by Artificial Intelligence, plays the role of an expert teacher aligned to every student, truly personalising the learning experience. Not only does it serve the right content to students, but it also monitors their progress across learning , behaviour & skills, giving them the right guidance at the right time to ensure each student achieves their best. With built-in features of adaptive learning, guided practic,e and real exam-like tests, the platform draws a personalised achievement journey for each student, where no two journeys are alike!”

About The Company: EMBIBE, backed by Jio, is India’s leading edtech platform, powered by Artificial Intelligence designed to deliver truly personalised learning and outcomes for each student. It is the only platform with products catering to the entire education ecosystem including students, parents, teachers, schools, and the administration. It brings together world class content, aligned to every prescribed school & test prep curriculum, in every language & patented Artificial Intelligence that forensically tracks & fixes gaps in learning, behaviour & skills ensuring every student’s performance always matches their maximum potential. Launched in 2013, EMBIBE has been recognised by the World Economic Forum as a Global Innovator in the education space, truly harnessing the power of AI to deliver student success. EMBIBE has also won two of the most prestigious awards including the Webby People’s Voice Award 2022, as “The Best Platform in Learning & Education”, and the Google Play Best Of Users’ Choice Award 2021, as “The Best App For Personal Growth”.

Cloud Computing: The Way Forward in Education

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June 4, 2022

Bhavesh Goswami is a stalwart in the Cloud Computing space with an illustrative experience of working for companies like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft since 2005. He began his entrepreneurial journey as Founder & CEO of CloudThat in 2012. Read on excerpts from his interview for Digital Learning Portal.

How do you understand the change in careers in cloud computing?

A surge in careers in cloud computing has been witnessed in recent times and it can be attributed to the snowball effect of several factors fostering cloud growth, like:

· Gartner reports that by 2025, 95 per cent of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms, as against 30 per cent in 2021.

· Also, it is estimated that 85 per cent of the organisations will adopt a cloud-first principle by 2025.

· Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys hired a record 1.85 lakh freshers between them in the previous fiscal year that ended on March 31, 2022. Also, TCS and Infosys have plans to hire 40,000 and 50,000 freshers respectively in the fiscal 2023 and these roles are for digital native positions in the cloud space.

· Digitisation and virtualisation of all aspects for business functioning due to the pandemic.

As a result of all these factors, organisations are being forced to embrace cloud-native architectures to implement comprehensive digital strategies bringing a change in career roles in cloud computing.

Moreover, different cloud roles have gained prominence in recent days such as Cloud Consultant, Cloud Architect, Cloud Engineer, Cloud Service Developer, Cloud System Administrator, Cloud Data Engineers, Information Technology Architect, Cloud Network Engineer, DevOps Cloud Engineer any many more.

How do you contribute the increase in demand of digital transformations that have seen a boom in recent times?

Cloud Computing as a technology has a legacy of two decades and it gained popularity way back in the mid-2000s. In fact, I was part of the enthusiastic AWS team that worked on building and launching the AWS Simple Storage Service (S3) way back in 2006 at Seattle, USA. But the digital transformation caused by the pandemic and other factors have further accelerated the cloud adoption rate and has contributed significantly to a boom in the cloud space. I primarily attribute two factors to the boom in cloud computing due to digital transformation: Firstly, digital transformation makes it inevitable for organizations to embrace recent technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, and the internet of things to automate, speed up, and improve business outcomes. Importantly, all these technologies demand huge computational power and storage and cloud computing offers exactly that, along with the solutions to integrate all these technologies. Secondly, the need for business continuity and crisis management which gained more traction during the onslaught of the pandemic plays a vital role. The way organizations could find suitable solutions for their business continuity needs by adopting cloud computing and ensuring a more pervasive model of business is a key factor driving digital transformation through cloud technologies.

What are some of the skills required for better career opportunities in cloud computing?

In the CloudThat’s illustrative experience of 10 years, we have trained 500K+ professionals on cloud technologies. The insights we could draw from our vast training experience are quite interesting. From the data we have, alongside prominent cloud technologies like Azure, AWS, GCP, and VMware areas like DevOps, AI/ML, IoT (Internet of Things), Big Data Analytics, Microsoft Dynamics and Cloud Security are in huge demand amongst both fresh and experienced professionals. Even a recent LinkedIn survey endorsed the same. According to me, important skills for etching an illustrative career in the cloud arena include:

Cloud platform expertise, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Database Management, Network Management, DevOps, Machine Learning and AI, Cloud Security, Hybrid-cloud, Multi-cloud, Virtualization, Containerization, Automation, Cloud Orchestration, Linux & Programming Skills, Serverless Computing, Data Migration, Application Migration, and Deployment skills.

Importantly, earning certifications from major public cloud providers like AWS, Azure, Google, VMware, and others to endorse your skills, plays a vital role in building a career in the cloud space.

Moreover, we offer a Career Transformation Guarantee Program with live, hands-on sessions and capstone projects that prepare them with rigorous training to boost their learning in the cloud space. Following this, they can flourish in their career paths.

Looking at the aspirational value of cloud computing, do you think it offers a great career opportunity for students?

The career growth opportunities in cloud computing are phenomenal, According to Burning Glass Technology, a labour-market-analytics company, the demand for cloud skills in the US will see 28 per cent growth in the next five years. Also, according to a recent NASSCOM report, India will need 20 lakh cloud professionals by 2025, and with the current baseline growth, we are expected to produce only an estimated 14-15 lakh cloud professionals within this timeline. This statistic clearly depicts how career opportunities in the cloud space are expanding for students. Interestingly, start-ups, unicorns and big, small, and medium sized businesses from all verticals have a requirement for cloud skills in the current scenario. Interestingly, Microsoft, for whom we are an Authorised Training partner, is at the forefront of taking Cloud Skills to Universities through their program called ‘Microsoft Learn for Educators.’ This program incorporates training for industry-recognized Microsoft Certifications into the curriculum for the benefit of both the teaching and student community. Also, as part of our mission to enable the student community on niche technologies, we have taken numerous initiatives called the AI classroom series in association with Microsoft and NASSCOM to impart training for 1 million students in the Artificial Intelligence space. Moreover, as part of our mission to build a better cloud ecosystem, we offer Research Internships every year to meritorious students and train them on various cloud skills like Cloud Migration, AI/ML and IoT, DevOps, Cloud Security, Analytics by providing them access to real-world projects.

Centre to set up PM Shri Schools to prepare students for future

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June 4, 2022

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the Centre is planning to set up “PM Shri Schools” which will be aimed at preparing students for future and will be the laboratory of new National Education Policy (NEP). Pradhan said this while addressing the two-day National Education Minister’s Conference in Gujarat. “School education is the foundation on which India will become a knowledge-based economy. We are in the process of establishing ‘PM Shri schools’ which will be fully equipped to prepare students for the future,” Pradhan said in his address. He said these state-of-the-art schools will be the “laboratory of NEP 2020”. “We cannot deprive our new generation from 21st century knowledge and skills. I also encourage and solicit suggestions and feedback from all our states and UTs and the entire education ecosystem for creating a futuristic benchmark model in the form of PM Shri schools,” he added.

The minister said the 5+3+3+4 approach of the NEP covering pre-school to secondary school, emphasis on Early Childhood Care and Education Programme (ECCE), teacher training & adult education, integration of skill development with school education and prioritising learning in the mother tongue are steps for preparing global citizens of the 21st century. “I encourage Education Ministers of all states and Union Territories and also seek active participation from all stakeholders for developing our National Curriculum Framework as well as developing quality e-content for expanding the reach of digital education and for universalising education,” Pradhan said.

The minister said, “Best practices in education coming from different states and Union Territories will act as a cumulative force in transforming India’s youth as Vishwa-Manavs’ (global citizens). The education fraternity can immensely benefit from models of Karnataka, Odisha, Delhi, Meghalaya, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Haryana.”

“Today, at a time when we are celebrating Amrit Mahotsav, the National Achievement Survey 2021 has instilled confidence and has reaffirmed the sincere efforts of all our states and Union Territories in improving learning outcomes and in further strengthening access to quality education,” he added.

SBI Foundation launches UpSchool, a free digital learning program with Khan Academy

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June 4, 2022

SBI Foundation has introduced UpSchool, a digital learning program for students from class 1-10 in partnership with Khan Academy, an educational non-profit in India. This program will be available in English, Hindi and Kannada languages aiming to reduce learning gaps and build a solid foundation in math and reading for their current academic year. Students or their parents can register for the program for free by visiting https://learn.khanacademy.org/upschool and will receive learning links on WhatsApp for 4-6 weeks. Every student will receive a digital certificate at completing the program.

In line with Khan Academy’s mission to provide free, world-class education, all the resources available to parents and learners are 100% free and there is no cost to enroll in the program. The program focuses on revising important concepts from the previous year in Math and language comprehension, helping them narrow the knowledge gap and build a strong foundation for the new class. Additionally, there are fun learning activities such as dance and yoga where the students can participate by visiting the learning links. Every week, the students will receive a math lesson, a short story, and a fun activity/exercise based on their grade and preferred language. They can learn at their own pace and time from home

This is one of the many initiatives by SBI Foundation towards improving last mile access to education in India. Recently, SBI Foundation and Khan Academy partnered to localize high quality math learning content so that students can learn in their preferred language. The initiation of this partnership took place in Punjab, where SBI Foundation funded the localization project for creating new math lessons consisting of videos, articles and practice exercises in Punjabi aiming at all learners in Punjab’s public schools. With funding support from SBI Funds Management Ltd., Khan Academy’s team worked with over 6,000 public schools and trained over 11,000 teachers resulting in almost 4,00,000 students spending a total learning time of over 5.16 lakh hours. 53 per cent of total learning time was in Punjabi.

Talking about the initiative, Shri. Dinesh Khara, Chairman, State Bank Group commented, “We are proud to support the UpSchool Foundations Program that makes a difference in making education accessible and helps to reduce learning gaps. With our partnerships, we aim to promote growth and equality among the underprivileged communities and this program facilitates the same.”

Shri. Vinay M. Tonse, MD & CEO, SBI Funds Management Limited added, “At the onset of the back-to-school season, our UpSchool Foundations Program will benefit students to be ready and better prepared. We are glad to extend this program to all students, equipping them with fun and interactive tools developed by experts, making high-quality localized educational content accessible to all. We are happy to be working with Khan Academy on making this happen.”

“UGC’s dual degree move will help students acquire multiple skills”

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June 4, 2022

Ambrish Sinha is the CEO of UNext learning, an edtech firm that specializes in providing online certificate programmes. He spoke to the Digital Learning Magazine.

How is the online education industry faring in the global scenario?

Globally, the entire education system is transforming thanks to the burgeoning EdTech industry. Increased adoption of online education during the pandemic years attracted fresh funding that propelled innovations in the online mode of learning and teaching. Now, some elements of online mode have made inroads into traditional education as well. All the educational institutions are now preparing to adopt hybrid learning as an effective education mode. The sporadic growth of online education can be seen in the numbers. According to Facts & Factor, the global online education market was worth USD 144 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 374 billion by 2026. Most market research firms forecast double number year-on-year growth of the online education market across the globe.

With UGC allowing dual degrees, do you think online degrees like MBA, MCA and more will now get a bigger boost?

Definitely. Pursuing two academic programmes in parallel is the longtime dream for many learners. Soon, with the UGC approval, students can enroll and pursue two courses and earn two degrees at a time. The UGC guidelines underline this move for the benefit of the student community to acquire multiple skill sets and improve their career prospects. It allows students to pursue two degrees from one or more universities. This move enables students to graduate in two courses at similar levels.

Are online courses being seen as career advancement and skill updates by the youth?

Yes. About 60 to 75% of learners in online education are young working professionals who pursue programmes for career advancement, by upskilling in their own domains. Some of them look for career switches to other in-demand domains. By pursuing an online degree in any in-demand area, a learner can meet both objectives simultaneously. Upskilling is important for every fresh graduate and working professional because the business environment is undergoing tremendous changes.

We have seen a new trend of military personnel pursuing online degrees. How far do you think this is helping them create a second career option post-retirement?

The adoption of online degrees is seen in all quarters, such as military personnel, home makers, freshers, etc. For years, the military personnel have been a major chunk of learners in the remote mode of education – be it distance or correspondence. During peacetime, soldiers get some free time to spend for other purposes, including learning. Majority of soldiers join the army at a young age, after finishing secondary or higher secondary education, because it is the basic qualification for army recruitment. Once they settle in their military jobs, they realise the importance of higher education to grow in the army ranks or to find a suitable job after retirement. Online degree programmes are a very convenient mode for soldiers to pursue higher education and enhance their education levels to achieve better ranks and good employment post-retirement.

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