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Building Blocks (BB) - The Maths Learning App

place India + 1 more

Making maths fun and interactive, for joyful learning.

EdTech worldwide has been limited to tools and content for those with choice and access. BB seeks to provide the 'bottom of the pyramid child' exposure to math learning at their pace. A set of 425+ interactive math learning games for children in grades 1 to 8, BB is FREE and a supplemental self-exploratory learning tool for all children, but especially focused on children from low-income families.

HundrED 2025
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Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED Global Collection 2025

HundrED Global Collection 2024

Web presence

2019

Established

1M

Children

1

Countries
Target group
Students lower
Updated
September 2024
Our vision is that by 2025 every child in India (180 million in age group 6-13 yrs )will have access to BB since all states in India are moving towards printing ETBs. If each child plays an average of 10 games each, 2 Billion games will be played by 2025. We also plan to explore BB adoption in other geographies( Africa, Middle East) in order that another 0.5 Billion BB games are played by 2026

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

Children in remote village communities have no exposure to any EdTech product that kindles the child’s natural curiosity and urge to learn and explore math. At home, there is no learning environment nor support from parents or other adults who, by and large, are uneducated themselves or unavailable to lend support. BB serves as supplemental tool to deliver last-mile access to joyful math learning.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

As a free gamified maths learning app of games for grades 1 to 8, BB is a unique social EdTech innovation. Its features include:
● fun, interactive and intuitive to use.
● relevant to the child's context - with daily life examples, concepts explained through stories / games.
● has progress tracker, visual gamification, animation to explain concepts.
● works on basic entry-level Android smartphones making it affordable on the fastest growing segment in smartphones.
● works online and offline.
● mapped to grade-wise syllabus.
● large selection of games in PRACTICE mode (to reinforce concepts taught in class) and also games in CHALLENGE mode (to assess levels of learning).
● available in 9 Languages – English, Hindi, Kannada, Odia, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu - covering four-fifths of India’s children studying in vernacular medium schools.
● designed using Open-Source tools and made available using a Creative Commons licensing format.

How has it been spreading?

We find BB certainly enriches the enablement and joy of math learning in children. BB is deployed on DIKSHA, India’s national digital education platform, where it is available as an app and linked through QR codes to respective chapters in state Textbooks (ETBs).
Currently, BB games are linked to ETBs of 10 Indian states providing access to over 33 million children. Our focus is on broadening reach through linkage to more state ETBs. Over 5.97 Million+ BB games have been played so far, 78% of these in various vernacular languages (implying usage by children in vernacular medium government schools or low cost schools). As we continue to link BB game content to more state ETBS and as more states print and distribute ETBs, we expect BB usage to ramp up manyfold.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

Free Download:
https://akshara.org.in/what-we-do/building-blocks/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.akshara.easymath&pcampaignid=web_share

Alternate link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AZmTtHOk7_HNsdC05iR-nXyw6JU-UvB3

Contact: pushpa@akshara.org.in

Impact & scalability

HundrED Academy Reviews

The project gamifies math, making it joyful and interesting for children, resulting in remarkable improvements in learning outcomes and increased interest and confidence in math for children with limited digital literacy opportunities.

Being accessible to the low-income group, having basic technical requirements, and being open source makes it easy to become widespread.

- Academy member
Academy review results
Impact
Scalability
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Read more about our selection process

Implementation steps

OPTION 1: Download it from GOOGLE PLAY
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.akshara.easymath&pcampaignid=web_share
OPTION 2: FROM OUR WEBSITE
VISIT https://akshara.org.in/what-we-do/building-blocks/ or https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1AZmTtHOk7_HNsdC05iR-nXyw6JU-UvB3
SCROLL DOWN to the bottom of the page
Scroll all the way down on https://akshara.org.in/what-we-do/building-blocks/ to download the Building Blocks games into your ANDROID* smartphone by clicking on the language of your choice. If you clicked on the drive link, the process is still the same.
DOWNLOAD the apk files on an Android smartphone
Download the entire apk file, it takes around 4-6 mins to unzip and install the app on your phone. Existing and fun math games are ready to play!!!
OPTION 3: On the government approved DIKSHA PLATFORM
On the Diksha platform, BB is deployed both as:
(a) an app - Download 'Diksha' app and search for Building Blocks by Akshara Foundation
(b) individual games linked to relevant chapter QR codes of state textbooks - Energised Textbooks (ETBs) for each grade.
Scanning the QR Code leads to the linked BB games. The state distributes free ETBs to all state schools and prescribes these for all other schools.
b) Access BB on Diksha - via QR codes in textbooks
Step 1: Go to Google Play Store. Search for the DIKSHA app and install it.
Step 2: Launch the DIKSHA app. Select a language preference and profile (teacher/student).
Step 3: Tap on the QR code icon. Allow app permissions.
Step 4: Scan it.
Step 5: On successful scanning of the QR code, the relevant practice games will come up.
Step 6: Select the ones with the BB logo (elephant) and start playing.
a) Access BB on the Diksha App - without QR codes
Step 1: Launch the DIKSHA app . Select a language preference and profile (teacher/student).
Step 2: Tap on the search icon. Type 'Building Blocks by Akshara Foundation'.
Step 3: Select the ones with the yellow BB logo (with the elephant) and start playing!
Sample links of games (for easy perusal)
1.https://diksha.gov.in/play/content/do_31252963604116275225181 2.https://diksha.gov.in/play/content/do_31251114012508160021542 3. https://diksha.gov.in/play/content/do_31251326294323200013722 More information on Diksha : https://pmevidya.education.gov.in/diksha.html

Spread of the innovation

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