– Dipta Joshi

Bangalore-based ed-tech company, Learning Matters (estd.2016) has introduced several tech and non-tech-enabled educational products to enhance the quality of online and offline teaching, thereby improving learning outcomes. The company’s latest product, TARA uses voice technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to teach communicative English language to both teachers and students. The cloud-based, natural language processing (NLP) software acts as a two-way interactive platform that can even be used by multiple users at any given time. TARA which is programmed to listen and respond to the learner’s speech gives students feedback that helps them understand and correct the mistakes they make. The programme offers the option of learning English through the Hindi-to-English mode too. Available as an app across India on the Alexa skill store, users can learn English using their smartphones and voice-enabled devices like Google home, and Amazon’s Echo Dot etc. 

“In the current COVID-19 situation, learning has become hugely dependent on technology. And this dependence is here to stay in the future. Technology must truly impact learning outcomes while also ensuring that the digital gap between urban and rural India does not widen. Voice technology is the perfect solution for many reasons and will be the way forward.” says Saraswathy Ramamoorthy, co-founder and CMO, Learning Matters.    

Learning Matters has created a suite of teaching-learning solutions for schools including Kengine – a digital content platform containing curated videos and assessments aligned to all major Indian syllabi and StarTeacher – a comprehensive, customised professional development programme for teachers.

Voice-assisted-technology can be a feasible solution to the issue of  detrimental effects of longer screen time due to visual-based learning, especially for younger children –  one reason for the current ban on e-learning for primary and pre-primary children by the state governments of Maharashtra and Karnataka was attributed to negative impact of the virtual world.

Also read: Coping with the online learning revolution