EdTech's Playbook for Success in Vernacular Education

Over the last decade, India's education technology (EdTech) landscape has undergone a transformative surge, fuelled in part by the widespread adoption of digital learning accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Amidst this wave of change, there's a notable emphasis on the integration of vernacular languages into EdTech platforms, signalling a significant shift in the way education is accessed and embraced across diverse linguistic communities. India being a multilingual and multicultural nation, for learning to be made possible at scale, it is contextualised in the regional culture and languages become paramount. Mere translation of the content cannot bring the nuanced cultural flavours that each region of India carries.

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In recent times, there has been a growing recognition of the need for vernacular content in EdTech, driven by the fact that a substantial number of regional content users are enrolled in Government schools. Many of these students hail from first-generation learner backgrounds or families where parental involvement in education is limited. Their educational journey often begins directly in grade 1, bypassing the foundational interactions with preschool activities that are crucial for setting the stage for scholastic development. Consequently, the demand for content that effectively bridges this gap and guides learners through pre-conceptual and grade-specific learning has become increasingly apparent. And all this needs to be presented in their own language with their own culture!

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UNESCO highlights the significance of the mother tongue in enhancing learning outcomes, stating that it is a key factor for inclusion and quality learning. Studies further emphasize that instruction in one's first language leads to better academic performance and increased confidence, benefiting all students, including native English speakers. Aligned with these principles, vernacular languages are endorsed in the National Education Policy 2020 guidelines, aiming to promote equality, accessibility, and inclusivity in education for all. Education, as the great equalizer, possesses the transformative power to break down barriers and open new horizons for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

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Acknowledging this need, it is imperative that bridging content is not only simple but also engaging, incorporating audio-visual elements and emphasizing foundational literacy and numeracy concepts, thus, providing a holistic learning experience to the child for their lingual, cultural, cognitive and social development. The content designed in a way that slowly increases the complexity of the subject matter while ensuring that the child is becoming independent can create deeper learning beyond rote practices.

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Having established the importance of vernacular content, it's crucial to address the challenge of content contextualisation. While the need for regional content is undeniable, there's an equally urgent requirement for tailored content, especially in technical subjects like Mathematics and Science. Unlike languages, these subjects have universal content, but language-based subjects necessitate contextualisation to suit linguistic characteristics. Maintaining a consistent learning hierarchy across languages poses a complex task, requiring attention to nuances and context-specific variations.

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To address these challenges effectively, it is essential to curate content that caters to regional needs, identifying common challenges and establishing anchor points for uniform content. The EdTech programmes must focus deeply on the subject matter and subject pedagogy principles – STEM principles and Linguistic principles while contextualising them for the cultural and socio-demographic needs. Hence, while the Tech part is crucial and comparatively straightforward to ‘figure out’, the success of an EdTech programme depends on the amount of research and detailed analyses done of the shared and distinct skills across regions resulting in the identification of critical skills that can form a uniform subset of content across regional languages.

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As India's EdTech sector evolves, the integration of regional languages and learning methodologies becomes paramount. The coming years hold the promise of witnessing a surge in vernacular-content-driven education, with educational institutions and progressive EdTech platforms leading the charge. This shift towards vernacular education aims to make education a great equalizer, not just in theory but also in practice.

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While the challenges discussed are complex, effective solutions require a continuous feedback mechanism involving subject experts, teachers, field teams, and students. Quantitative monitoring of learning gains is essential, but regular interactions with students provide invaluable insights into how they perceive, process, predict, and perform using the provided content.

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In conclusion, the advantages of using vernacular languages as a medium of instruction are undeniable. Beyond improving learning outcomes, it fosters social cohesion and builds students' confidence. Looking ahead, the path involves creating content in more regional languages and actively seeking ongoing feedback from students, ensuring that education truly transcends linguistic and cultural divides.

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