From One-Time Content to Lifelong Connection: How QurioKid is Rethinking Online Education
Recently, I came across an interesting article in The Hindu titled “Beyond videos: Why India’s EdTech must evolve from content to connection” by Atul Kumar. It highlights the importance of investing in connection, not just in content. True learning, after all, involves interaction, adaptation, feedback, practice, and social reinforcement—something I absolutely agree with.
The author points out that the Indian EdTech space must actively encourage affordable mentoring, peer-to-peer learning, live doubt resolution, and community-driven accountability, while also investing in richer, more relational learning architectures. Interestingly, this is exactly what we at QurioKid are working to build. Heidi and I are often asked how we can scale QurioKid, since we focus on one-to-one, personalized learning experiences. How do we reach more students while staying true to our approach?
Our vision is for mentors not to deliver one-time content, but to become long-term partners in a student’s learning journey. For example, if a child enrolls in QurioKid in Class 7, we want them to have access to the same set of mentors until they complete Class 10 or even Class 12. By building deeper connections with students, we create genuine relationships. As mentors, teachers, and educators, we understand their capabilities, individuality, and learning styles—and adapt ours to theirs. This fosters deep learning, preparing children not just for exams, but for the complexities of life ahead.
Relational personalization is equally important. Pushing data alone isn’t enough; matching learners with mentors, peer groups, or social support mechanisms that align with their learning style, pace, and goals makes all the difference.
In today’s digital era, high-quality content is often considered “king.” The EdTech industry has certainly improved in both content delivery and pedagogy compared to traditional methods. But the million-dollar question remains: Should the success of online education in India be measured by the number of hours students spend consuming extraordinary content, or by their ability to relate to and recall what they’ve learned?
We often come across ads that sell education packages for young children at ₹29, ₹49, or ₹99. It’s surprising to see how these products are marketed—and how many parents purchase them without critically assessing whether they truly help their child or are simply a timepass and waste of money. This system monetizes affordability while ignoring the child’s unique learning style. Since scaling human connection is harder—costly, labor-intensive, and logistically complex compared to video delivery—many online courses fall into this trap.
This concern is especially relevant given the dropout rates for online courses, which can be as high as 85%. While there are many reasons why students drop out midway, two key issues stand out:
Illusion of Learning: Watching recorded content once or twice doesn’t mean a student has fully grasped the concept. True learning requires application—solving problems, engaging in quizzes, and connecting concepts to real life. Personal interaction with a mentor or teacher can create a paradigm shift in the learning process.
Illusion of Equity: Every child is unique, yet most content is mass-customized rather than truly personalized. Actual learning needs vary, as do intelligence levels, styles, and contexts. Each student deserves a personalized approach.
Learners who can ask questions, get clarifications, and engage in discussions are more motivated, less likely to drop out, and more likely to persist in learning. A relationship with a coach, mentor, or peer group builds accountability and deeper engagement than self-study ever could. At QurioKid, we believe that critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and creativity are best nurtured in dialogic, relational learning environments—not in pure video-watching modes.
These gaps made us—Daisymol and Heidi—think deeply about how we could create a solution. That’s how #QurioKid was born. We are one of the youngest education initiatives in India, just a few months old. While we may not have a large team to market QurioKid or its philosophy, we have a clear focus: to promote real learning, not the illusion of learning.
Ours is a hybrid model that combines scalable content (videos, quizzes, exercises) with on-demand interactive support, peer communities, and mentoring. Beyond one-on-one classes, we encourage our young learners to participate in peer-to-peer activities, discussion forums, and collaborative sessions to foster meaningful interactions with like-minded peers. Our aim is simple yet ambitious: to prepare young learners not just for academics, but to excel in all walks of life.
