Saiju Aravind asks me to write down random numbers between one and 50 and a word against each. After a cursory glance at the sheet of paper, he recalls each object against the number. In these times when remembering one’s own mobile phone number can seem like a memory feat, this is magic. Saiju, however, calls it a simple trick that anyone could do.
The founder and CEO of Edubrisk, an AI-based digital learning platform, believes in training the brain to enjoy the process of learning. “Everyone has an innate desire to learn,” he says. But often, it gets drowned in the whirlpool of today’s educational norms and ‘learning’ feels like a burden. Saiju is trying to change that by making learning joyful.
The ‘Best Startup Enterpreneur of the Year’ at the TiECon held recently in the city, Saiju has been shattering conventional methodologies of teaching and learning.
Through a well-researched set of techniques and methodologies, EduBrisk enables teachers to teach in a more inclusive manner, so that even students who have not been scoring well, can benefit.
Saiju, a scientist, formerly with the DRDO, has a simple philosophy: brilliance can be mimicked. It is commonly believed that some are born brilliant and some are not, but Saiju says brilliance can be achieved through mimicking. “We learnt how to walk, talk through mimicking. In fact, most of the learning takes place in the 3-6 age group and that was purely through imitation. Later, as we grew, we didn’t know whom to mimic, and when the adult ego came in, mimicking became a bad thing.” It is about decoding the technique that a successful person follows and emulating it, he says.
During the initial days of research, as an experiment, he brought a few “brilliant” students, who fared very well in school to his office, just to observe them and understand their learning technique.
Though registered as a company in 2014, Saiju had been ideating since 2012, conducting extensive research on education, the processes and approaches currently followed, discussing with educationists and academicians from across the world.
The idea here is not to replace the existing education system, but provide support, to act as a knowledge partner for schools. “As a knowledge service provider, we can help create templates and successful models that would help the school focus on its area of delivery,” he says. Setting up STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and Robotics labs in schools, for instance.
Saiju’s own journey into being an educationist was an unexpected one. He joined the Navy as a cadet after his 12th, learnt Naval architecture and did his PG in IIT Delhi in warship technology. He served in the Navy in various capacities and was posted in the DRDO in 2001. He became a commander. As a scientist specialising in fluid mechanics, the DRDO requested for his permanent absorption and Saiju worked there till 2013.
Saiju had always been interested in the teaching-learning process. His journey after taking voluntary retirement from DRDO saw him go from a scientist to a teacher, father to a mentor and a technologist to an educationist. And his child grew from a slow learner to a high achiever, clearing the Common Law Admission Test.
Saiju feels that the teachers of these schools have contributed greatly not just to the content in the site, but also improving the user experience and processes.
