2021 EdTechX Challenge Finalists Imagine The Future of Learning and Work

Earlier this year, we launched the Edtechx Challenge — a virtual competition to source the best ideas that can transform the learning industry. Over the challenge period of three months, students from every region across the globe worked on ideas and proposals across our four submission categories: 1. Skills Over Degrees, 2. Learning Management & Tools, 3. Alternate Learning Formats and 4. Collaborative & Community-Led Learning.

Our judges were incredibly impressed with the submissions containing ideas ranging from a reimagined university to smarter chatbots. Submissions were judged by an internal panel from IBIS capital and MoocLab as well as an external panel of our sponsors and partners including Google Cloud, Net2Work, MindsStudio, and Transcend Network.

The top 3 finalist teams were chosen to pitch their ideas live at the EdTechX Challenge Awards Ceremony to compete for our prizes including internship and full-time work opportunities, mentorship, and exclusive merchandise and Cloud credits from our lead partner, Google Cloud. We are excited to finally share more about the top 3 finalist teams below:

Project 21 — 3rd Place

(Skills Over Degrees and Collaborative & Community-Led Learning)

Patrycja Wierzchałek and Victoria Stepanenko, both undergraduate students at Minerva Schools at KGI, presented Project 21 — a curriculum of team-based gamified online challenge sessions lead by a trained moderator to develop collaboration competencies and prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century workplace. Given that the future of education will increasingly be online, the team focused on the problem of students lacking the soft skills required in the 21st century workplace. Each of the sessions includes a problem-solving scenario and engages participants through directed teamwork, enhanced by structured reflection. The pair ran multiple pilot sessions of the program and found that participants reported feeling increased levels of confidence in their skills after the session, including leadership, creativity, and active listening. Judges were impressed by the specificity of the program and noted the potential scalability of the curriculum for various audiences.

QuaesterBot — 2nd Place

(Collaborative and Community-led Learning)

Phaina Koncebovski, a Masters student at the University of Basel, took second place with her presentation of QuasterBot — a modern chatbot that understands and speaks natural language. Based on the Latin phrase, “Docendo discimus” (by teaching, we learn), as well as literature based on learning by teaching, she created Quasterbot to build upon these principles for continued learning anytime, anywhere. The chatbot’s continual questions can help expose holes in a learner’s knowledge and allow them to delve deeper into different facets of the topic. The judges marked this project highly on its scalability and potential applications and partnerships with learning institutions or other programs to supplement student learning.

LitSquad — 1st Place, 2021 EdTechX Challenge Winner

(Learning Management and Tools)

Asami Wright, an MBA student at the Quantic School of Business and Technology, won 1st place with her pitch of LitSquad — a mobile-first game bringing teens together from around the globe in virtual literature circles to read, connect, make meaning, and create. With the rise of the internet and digital media, teens are no longer engaging enough with long-form text that develops the necessary reading stamina and skills for the 21st century. LitSquad aims to tackle this issue through a creative, gamified approach in which users play and create literature-based games as evolved animal avatars saving the world from the effects of climate change. Judges were impressed with this comprehensive solution and were excited by the novel approach to this critical issue in the next generation.

The EdTechX Challenge was based on the belief that bringing people together to collaboratively ideate — from students to industry leaders — would have the power to further connect the global learning community and catalyze innovation across the industry. The judges and the EdTechX team were energized by the ideas and look forward to seeing how these ideas and projects continue to grow. Watch the EdTechX Challenge Awards Ceremony here >>