A slow evolution, but with the opportunity to innovate and disrupt wide open.

GUEST COLUMN | by Michał Borkowski

Think about a time when you had a problem – any sort of problem.

What did you do?

Look for a solution.

How?

Most of the time, we ask for help.

Today, there are 1.2 billion students around the world, and it’s likely that at least a few times a week, every one of these students comes to a point when they need to ask for help.

As technology continues to advance, we believe improving and transforming the way students around the world learn, through collaboration and engagement, will be the future of education.

Asking for help

There has always been a massive gap in how and when students receive help.

Depending on circumstances, not all students get the educational help they deserve; and for students across the world, access to resources can look starkly different.

For decades, the educational playing field has been unequal, crippling students’ journeys and motivations.

However, today, technology is closing this gap.

Educational Evolution

While we’ve seen technology disrupt other industries, the marriage between education and technology is still primitive.

Think about the way we watch movies – thanks to technology, we can access thousands of titles from the comfort of our own homes.

If we are feeling curious, we can explore new titles and genres, and discover we like something we might not have considered before.

Now think about the way we learn.

If you have a question, most of us might turn to a teacher, parent, or peer. However, what if these resources aren’t available?

While the Internet offers resources to find an answer – personalized learning that encourages real collaboration and engagement is scarce, and the opportunity to expand knowledge is even more so.

The evolution of education and technology has been slow, but the opportunity to innovate and disrupt is wide open.

At my company, we ask ourselves, how can tech fix the way students learn?

We not only want to transform learning processes, but inspire students to share and explore knowledge in a collaborative community.

As students get more comfortable asking and answering each other’s questions, we believe the opportunity to explore new subjects arises — increasing their knowledge base, inquisitiveness, and their motivation to embrace challenges.

Celebrating Learning

Getting stuck is natural and can be frustrating, but getting unstuck doesn’t have to be.

Every student should have access to a support system that enables curiosity and intelligence.

In a supportive environment, students have the ability to ask and answer questions – and with the help of their peers, they are empowered to continually learn and help one another, creating a cycle of knowledge and growth.

In fact, in a recent study, we found that through collaboration and engagement online, a majority of our student users reported expanding their knowledge base (83%), improving inquisitiveness (84%), and increasing self-confidence (86%) as benefits.

Every student brings value to the learning experience. Encouraging collaboration amongst peers across the globe facilitates the perfect environment for sharing strengths and weaknesses, spurring community, and building leadership. Now more than ever, students have access to the tools they need to revolutionize the learning experience.

Let’s Keep Going

Today, edtech is transforming learning, but we’re only 10% there.

Our company recently reached 100 million users.

While it’s a huge achievement, we know we we’re only scratching the surface and only reaching a small pool of the students who need help every day.

Knowing this, we’re not stopping.

As technology continues to advance, we believe improving and transforming the way students around the world learn, through collaboration and engagement, will be the future of education.

Through platforms that embrace personalized learning, more students will find the solutions they need in order to grow, lead, and support others.

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Michał Borkowski is the CEO of Brainly, the world’s largest student-powered peer-to-peer learning platform. To his friends, family, and the Brainly community, Michał is known as “Borek”, to whom he continues to inspire students, engage online, answer questions, and support students’ learning experiences around the world.