Decoding: Parents Asks versus Product Offers in EdTech
I have more questions than answers in this article. How do you view money? Small or Big? I see money is often viewed as big and small rather than affordable and costly. Today I read a write-up from a parent on a platform about an education product. Initially I thought it was pros and cons of the product. Then I see several threads intertwined. I shall try to decode the same.
Firstly the parent think – “my child didn’t like the product and its lying on the table as it is since some days.” The thread unfolds to help me to understand that it was a self-learning module. The question that continues to linger is – isn’t it choice of a parent? Any good product developers would develop for a larger application. I felt the issue wasn’t with the product but on the generalisation by the vendor and secondly the buyer on buying the idea that’s applicable for their child. Did the parent try a trail session? Or a smaller session? If the answer is yes, then the first and future points are more repentance of choice than the product itself. I believe that the parent has to understand that everyone’s (not just kids but adults as well) learning processes are different. Once the problem is understood fixation is required than asking the same offer to do wonders. It’s like asking Margherita Pizza to have all toppings! I am all in for deliberations to choose a product over ranting and raging.
Secondly the parents talk about school work load, tuition work load, busy and occupied parents and so on. According to me the conclusions were drawn of the product mostly relying on these arguments. Unending questions were popping out – Is an ambitious and career orientated parent doesn’t have time for their own child? Does the parent expect the self-learning module to do wonder by itself? Unlike in the past, today parents might have one or two children. Is parenting one child so difficult? Or priorities are misplaced?
I smiled ear to ear on reading the closing remarks – “let your children naturally blossom.” Perhaps this was only a point that resonated to me though with caution. I am not sure if the parent meant what Author Tim Harford shares about the slow-motion multitask in his TED Talk (click here) and Adam Grant shares about the habits on original thinkers in his TED Talk (click here) . Though, I doubt the parents meant the same!
Parent rant and rage is understandable if the promises are broken from the vendor. I am not sure what the vendor promised. I can only assume from the bit and piece from the write-up. I think anyone must read articles & ads as : “Nothing said in general to be read for specific and nothing said in specific to be read for general. Both cases aren’t wrong!” I think it’s also a good case for the vendor to revisit such a request from parents and promises to offer in the future. How do parents see such ads? I have a piece to read – click here
Let us revisit on my first thought – How do you view money? Small or Big? I see money is often viewed as big and small rather than affordable and costly. Let’s assume as a parent you are with your child in a supermarket. I am sure a child wouldn’t leave you till one favourite thing is bought. Let say you pick up a toy in order to give you peace of mind to shop for household needs. As you move with your child from one row to another row the child is occupied and busy with the toy. You have won and the child has won! Isn’t it? As you move to the counter to pay and you notice the toy is broken into pieces. You still pay for it either being a happy parent of a child utilised the toy to the maximum or regret handling behaviour. Lets extend with another possibility, the toy is intact. You pay and walk out and the child hands it over to you at the exit door and says, “I don’t want it”. Would you go back to return it? Would you blame the vendor? Would you blame the supermarket for stocking toys? Would you blame the child? Would you blame yourself? Would you pacify yourself with a pat thinking it was affordable? Would you go on a platform and rant about the toy?I warned you in the beginning I have more questions to seek answers over answers to them.
However this could happen with any product or service. My original intention of the article is firstly, for individuals to revisit on understanding the way we see and think about money. As I think every coin or banknote has a face value (a true story – click here). Secondly, ways to see ads and have deliberations and take a test ride before buying. Thirdly, not all services and products appeal; it could be aesthetic, value, promises or so on. Fourthly, don’t worry about failing an experiment and it’s going to help your child make an early better decision than repenting in mid-career. This would be very difficult to reverse. Several people would nod with the fourth point atleast if not all!
Santosh Avvannavar, Education Journalist at QtSTEAM, www.youtube.com/QtSTEAM
