Edutech platform with cartoons that teach the Malaysian program – Wired PR Lifestyle Story
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[Written in partnership with Supernewsroom, but the editorial team had full control over the content.]
Not long ago, we wrote about this founding story behind the educational cartoons for children, Didi & Friends. The show was created when its creators were given the effectiveness of educational content when it was given through cartoons. If done right, the content can be engaging, fun, and enjoyable, especially for young children.
A similar belief is shared GuruPanda, Edutech site in Malaysia for children between 4 and 15 years old. Instead of arranging live or pre-recorded lessons for teachers, GuruPanda chooses to teach Malaysian programming through cartoon videos and quizzes.
With 11 months to go since its launch in January 2021, GuruPanda has completed the first round of pitchIN crowdfunding on November 15, 2021. There, the platform successfully attracted a total investment of RM500,000.
A gap in accessibility
Kingsley Ting is the founder of GuruPanda. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Risk Management and Financial Engineering from a London institution, then worked in Shanghai for 7 years, although he set up a startup there.
In 2017, Kingsley returned to Malaysia to take over as his family’s CEO. Big Apple Kindergarten and Kindergarten, the company is now expanding from 5 centers in 2017 to 30 branches. And then edutech went into space.
With the launch of GuruPanda, many other online learning platforms were created, along the way. But Kingsley still saw a gap in the e-learning market, especially in the interfaces of other platforms, which did not seem to be quite easy to use.
And it was hard for us to disagree with Kingsley. we wrote about one few edutech sites last year, and often we couldn’t comment on the disorganization of their interfaces in our pieces.
On the other hand, the GuruPanda website is relatively easy to navigate, where you will find the different study plans it offers neatly categorized on its home page. This is important because those who use the website may be parents or their children, who may not be technological.
The platform’s study programs are currently divided into 2 categories:
- English and Malay content for children ages 4 to 7;
- SJKC science, math, history and Mandarin content for 10 to 15 year olds.
Focus on basic subjects
GuruPanda works by subscription, and is valid annually for RM130 and RM220, depending on the age and program chosen for the child.
As mentioned earlier, the content is provided via cartoon videos, which GuruPanda allows its subscribers to download, along with notes and quizzes.
“We offer a more holistic approach with 7 and 8 subjects including language courses and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math),” Kingsley told the Vulcan Post. “[There’s also] arts and crafts, stories, as well as songs on various topics such as wizards, fairies, traveling through Malaysia, etc.
Looking at the site, it can be said that GuruPanda is still quite empty for an edutech site compared to others in the market. But keep in mind that all videos and quizzes are animated, so they also need a story that takes time to imagine and run.
Kingsley also believes that GuruPanda stands out because the group comes from backgrounds that are involved in the front lines of teaching, such as being in the preschool and teaching center industries.
“So we understand more about how to provide better content as a first line. The content we make is relevant to our current students,” he said.
Gamified questionnaires for effective learning
Now endowed with funding of RM 500,000, GuruPanda intends to expand by building its app. It will be launched with a new user interface and additional features to encourage more participation from existing subscribers to attract a wider customer base.
One of the planned features will be to increase the gamification and animation elements of the programs.
“Today, students take tests and quizzes and play games in the learning process, collecting badges as prizes. The new interface will be more interactive and we anticipate that students will be able to exchange these badges for physical rewards such as laptops and cell phones, as well as program avatars and cartoon characters, ”Kingsley figured.
This add-on is to make education even more interactive and therefore more attractive to students on the platform.
The team also hopes to include AI and Big Data in the GuruPanda platform. The AI-learning algorithms it will use are intended to help users understand how they are learning, to highlight their strengths and weaknesses, and to promote appropriate content and teaching styles.
“But this requires more funding and teamwork to make it work,” Kingsley added.
GuruPanda is currently only available in Malaysia with a subscriber base of around 6,000 users. After launching its app, GuruPanda aims to triple its subscribers, especially entering the Malay market, to expand access to cheap and quality student e-Learning opportunities.
Before that, the company plans to enter the regional market with a Mandarin language program, which will be broadcast in Thai next year. Plans are also underway to expand to Indonesia and Vietnam.
“Our goal is to develop GuruPanda into a household name, both in Malaysia and in the SEA nations, which is synonymous with fun, accessible and effective learning,” Kingsley said.
To accomplish this, the company will embark on a new round of investment in its next crowdfunding initiative, looking for partners and investors with the same mindset to expand e-learning facilities.
Featured Image Credit: Kingsley Ting, founder of GuruPanda
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