XPRIZE launched its most recent grand challenge last week, the Global Learning XPRIZE, a $15M competition to empower children to take control of their own learning.
The goal is to create an open source, scalable software solution that will provide basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills without the need for a teacher. In other words, the software itself take on the role of teacher.
What really excites me about this challenge is that it addresses many real world problems.
You want to win the War on Terror (a war against an abstract concept)? Fight it with another abstract concept - Education. Albeit, this is a long-term solution that will take a number of years to produce results.
You want to reduce human exploitation where there is a lack of education or where merely walking to school can cost you your life? Bring the school to the learner.
In the areas where this is most needed, smartphone penetration already exceeds most other technologies. In other words, the chalkboards are already there.
According to UNESCO, by next year, there will be a shortage of 1,600,000 teachers globally. We will miss that mark. But in 2019, the GLX will conclude and award a winning solution. Scalability, then, seems to be the most important aspect of this prize.
How can you fit a remedial education that can serve millions of children on to a tablet or smartphone?
We can't wait to see what innovators come up with.
