How Kunskapsskolan’s learning portal is truly revolutionary

Kunskapsskolan’s KED program is remarkable but what exactly is its learning portal like? We talk to parents and find out what makes it tick.

In June 2017, Swedish school Kunskapsskolan started operations in Bangalore with the flagship branch at Kunskapsskolan Bengaluru, Sarjapur Road and Pre-School establishment with Kunskapsskolan Early Years in March 2019. Kunskapsskolan other branches are in Gurgaon and Lucknow, Kunskapsskolan’s KED program is unique – instead of text books, the entire CBSE syllabus is on the portal in the form of web-based content.

What is different though is that this content is pluralised to tap into different learning styles and learning levels. Children can access the material online and learn at their own pace. Though a new approach for Bengaluru but it has already been implemented in Gurgaon for 7 years.

I spoke to parents from both the schools, who told me about what makes KED tick.

The Learning Portal is one of its kind

The Learning Portal is the backbone of Kunskapsskolan’s learning program. Developed by a team of subject experts, the portal is a repository of content, resources, worksheet, interactive exercises, games and activities that support the students to achieve their learning goals.

Priya Chaddha, whose two sons have been going to Kunskapsskolan ever since its inception, says that the school has many positives but the “gorgeous” platform is the one that her children love the most. “What I love about the portal is that it chooses the best material for the students and does not rely on only one source. For example, one text book may have a fantastic chapter on the respiratory system. Another might have an excellent one on the life-cycle of plants. The portal gives the child the best of all resources. Children get access to multiple sources and learn to cross-reference and research.”

The web-based Learning Portal contains all the learning material and documentation in a student’s life at Kunskapsskolan. Based on the curriculum there are work paths, tests, resources, reference links, examples that the students use to learn.. The Learning Portal provides many advantages – it can be accessed any time, so there are no siloed work hours of ‘home’ and ‘school’ work that traditional schools provide.

“What I love about the portal is that it chooses the best material for the students and does not rely on only one source. Children get access to multiple sources and learn to cross-reference and research.” – Priya Chaddha

Learning happens anywhere and at any time

Chaddha agrees that the board exams are something that her sons would have to get used to, because there will be a gradual shift in approach – while learning at their own pace to write tests and be graded. “The school handles this transition very well. But to be honest, between now and the time my son will take his board exams, many things may change. Today, the traditional science, arts and commerce streams are a thing of the past. It is all about connecting the dots and thinking out of the box.”

Children learn how to study, not what to study

Says Guneet Paintal, “Each class has a base group teacher (BGT) who stays with a class for approximately three years. The teacher knows the students thoroughly and the challenges each child has overcome. They take extra effort to rope in a child’s level of interest.”

The BGT’s role, however, is to make sure that children motivate themselves to learn. Says Chaddha, “Kids learn how to study and not what to study. My sons search the Internet, use the portal as a framework and really think out of the box. Also, the structure is excellent. After a lecture, there is a lab session and workshop to ensure that children apply what they have learned and can also work on their own. Each classroom does not exceed more than 22 children and the BGT can give complete attention to students.

“The teacher knows the students thoroughly and the challenges each child has overcome. They take extra effort to rope in a child’s level of interest.” – Guneet Paintal

Challenges ahead

Will the KED program have challenges ahead? Says Chaddha, “From a parent perspective, I sometimes worry that my children will find it difficult to adapt to a new system if we move. Given that families move a lot within India, a child who is very used to the personalised KED program may take a little longer to transition to a more traditional set-up. However , I find the students of Kunskapsskolan adapt well to change. Also , Kunskapsskolan is expanding and this should not be a problem.”

In the end, a school is much more than a campus under construction or the sum of its parts. Says Aditi Malhotra, whose daughter goes to the school, “The gleam in my daughter’s eyes, when she talks excitedly about 3D printing, archery, swimming, the maturity and seriousness when she talks about the planet, saving water, not littering, her ideas for recycling for the welfare of others, her people skills when she counsels her friends, how she observes, understands and accepts cultural differences by studying with children of multiple ethnicities, tells us loud and clear that we made the right decision and that she has truly found her soul school.”

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