Traditionally, online learning was the option pursued when in-person tuition was not available and/or was too expensive. However, due to COVID-19, online learning platforms has become the primary means of delivering education worldwide, and it is anticipated that it will remain a leading modality in the coming years. Ricardo Allen, Founder of One on One Educational Services, has been leading the charge with regard to personalised online learning in the Caribbean region. In this episode, we learn more about his company and his entrepreneurial journey to date.

 

This episode is also available in Apple iTunes, Google Play Music and on Stitcher!

By this time, mid-August in previous years, we would be just a few weeks away from back-to-school. School books and supplies would be in the process of being purchased, school uniforms would be on order, and parents would be encouraging their children to ‘open a book’, in order to be able to hit the ground running when the school year begins.

However, this year, education and school attendance has been turned on its head, thanks to COVID-19, which resulted in schools worldwide being closed from as early as February. From that time until the end of the school year (in the northern hemisphere), countries have had to step up their online learning game, thus allowing schools to stay closed, in order to reduce infections rates and the possibility of ‘community spread’, whilst still allowing classes to be held, and students to learn.

Although many countries are planning to re-open schools in September for the new school year, we are still in the throes of a pandemic; hence, considerably smaller class sizes will crucial. However, it also means that it will be equally important to augment that limited face-to-face time with digital modes of education and learning. More importantly, and unlike the ‘stop-gap’ provisions that had been made in the first half of the year to address a then-unforeseen school closures, that same excuse cannot be used now. Cogent and coherent plans are crucial in order to ensure that the upcoming cohorts of students do not fall behind unduly, which would have a long-lasting impact on their overall educational achievement, and the extent to which they will be marketable and competitive in the job market of the future.

In the absence of the hands-on teaching and learning experience, the focus has become digital. However, an automatic translation of teaching modalities that traditionally have been used in the classroom, tend to be not as effective at keeping students and learners engaged, which in turn affects test results. Similar to our general experience online, where our likes, interests and browsing history are used customise the content we see, there is considerable scope to provide a personalised learning experience, which takes into account an individual’s existing knowledge-base, skills and areas of deficiency, in order to optimise new learning and skills acquisition.

 

Introducing our Guest

Ricardo Allen

One on One Educational Services is a Jamaican-based company that provides personalised online learning to governments, businesses, and schools across the Caribbean region. Founded in 2013, by Ricardo Allen, who now serves as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer, he is our guest for this conversation on the company and his entrepreneurial journey to date.

With a degree in actuarial science and a job at one of the largest insurance companies in the region, Ricardo left what would most likely have been a lucrative and successful career as an actuary to set up One on One Educational Services. Since then, the company has grown from strength to strength, and has achieved a number of successes and milestones, including:

  • ‘Best Innovation in Education’ award at the 2014 National Innovation Awards (Jamaica);
  • ‘Best Young Entrepreneur of 2015’ at the National Commercial Bank Nation Builder Awards (Jamaica);
  • A deal with the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) in 2018 to provide e-learning and e-commerce technologies;
  • Selected to be the official Virtual School for the Ministry of Education (Jamaica), to provide a virtual learning platform, live remote online classes and free full syllabus coverage for Grade 1—13, for the period March—July 2020, when schools would have been closed due to pandemic;
  • Memoranda of Understanding and agreements with organisations such as University of the Bahamas, Open Sesame, and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO); and
  • The launch of a learning platform for businesses.

 

Insight into our conversation

Ricardo is an energetic speaker, who is passionate about his company, One on One, and the ability of personalised online learning to transform the delivery of education and training across the Caribbean region. To that end, some of the questions posed during the course of our conversation included the following:

  1. How did you ended up starting One on One Educational Services?
  2. What is One on One Educational Services?
  3. In light of COVID-19, what opportunities might be emerging due to the pandemic?
  4. What are some of the challenges in having an e-learning business that the Average Joe might not fully appreciate?
  5. One on One has been recognised locally and regional, and has been able to forge several strategic partnerships over the years. To what (factors) would you attribute those achievements?
  6. How would you describe yourself as a manager, as the leader of your organisation?
  7. What do you consider your greatest strengths and weakness?
  8. What has been the biggest lesson you both have had to learn in running One on One?
  9. Where would you like to see One on One in the next three to five years?

 

We would love to hear from you!

Do leave us a comment either here beneath this article, or on our Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or via Twitter, @ICTPulse.

 

Select links

Below are links to some of the organisations and resources that either were mentioned during the episode, or otherwise, might be useful:

 

 

Image credits:  Gerd Altmann from (Pixabay);  One on One

Music credit:  Ray Holman

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