Practically can turn your boring lessons into exciting virtual 3D models and simulations. Here's how

Imagine if while learning about the human heart, you could actually watch a 3-dimensional cross-section of it on a screen. How much more interesting and unforgettable the lesson would be. Practically, launched recently, is making this possible by developing over 4,000 visually stimulating videos, 1,000 high-quality simulations and 1,000 Augmented Reality (AR) videos for students between the ages of 11 and 17 for Math and Science. And up to two lakh students are making the most of them, more so during this lockdown. How exciting!

What you can experience on the app | (Pic: Practically)

After several meetings with schools, Subbarao Siddabattula, Co-founder and CEO, along with Charu Noheria, Co-founder and CBO, realised that teachers are open to using videos as teaching aid. "After all, students recall movies more easily than lessons," shares Siddabattula as he laughs. And that fit in perfectly with the duo's philosophy for their start-up, which was not to compete with teachers but to help them and encourage the spirit of learning in students. That's when they assembled 300 employees, including visual effects builders, academicians, content developers and others, to develop the aids. These aids can be used not just in the classrooms but for online learning as well. Similar to Netflix Party, used to host long-distance movie nights, teachers can use the shared view feature, annotate on top of the video, pause and play it as they please, use a smartboard while students watch online and take notes. "And just like Netflix Party, students can invite fellow students for a virtual group study. This will take e-learning itself to the next level," asserts Siddabattula. 

They have developed over 10,000 3D models that can be used in several formats

This one-of-a-kind feature, that will be introduced for the first time on an EdTech platform, will be launched soon. "The whole idea is to offer experiential learning as opposed to studying for an exam. Our aim is to reshape the way the world learns, challenge the traditional learning system and revamp the whole paradigm," says Noheria. But what about those not-so-tech-savvy teachers? "We have all been in this passive mode where we thought no one is going to shift but the lockdown has pushed us," says Siddabattula. And what about matching the content to the curriculum? "Since learning itself is ubiquitous, we are focusing on a universal curriculum that can be mapped to different curricula easily because every board has overlapping topics," explains Noheria.  

Subbarao Siddabattula and Charu Noheria | (Pic: Practically)

What is also under development are their VR classrooms. Since digital classrooms have been encouraged, the hardware is already in place, which helps their case. Then there are subjects like History and Geography that they would like to explore too. The start-up, currently operating out of Hyderabad, plans on launching its operations in the Middle East in May and the US in the summer.    

What lessons look like on Practically 

Simulation of pole height with angle | (Pic: Practically)

Augmented Reality involving a scan of a flower | (Pic: Practically)

Physics, anyone? | (Pic: Practically)

Math lessons | (Pic: Practically)

Methylpropane | (Pic: Practically)

Peek inside | (Pic: Practically)

The demo list:

- Science
youtu.be/HlgoXebul6M
How would you like to see an animated video of our lungs and hearts?

- Math
youtu.be/qo0B9Epl5a8
Problems become so much easier to solve when depicted visually

- Digestive System
youtu.be/uR3PMfH_18Q      
Let's walk you through the digestive system of the human body

For more on them, check out practically.com