M.A.D. - Mobile based learning
M.A.D. is a product from Delta Technologies, a startup based in Mumbai, India. M.A.D. is a M-learning program targeted mainly towards students preparing for various competitive examinations. The idea behind the product is to use the mobile phone as a source of learning whenever the student does not have access to his regular courseware, say when he is traveling. The content is not meant to replace the original preparatory material for the exam but rather aims to supplement it.
The package comes as a JAVA file which most mobiles are able to support these days. The file can be downloaded from the Internet to your PC and then transferred onto the phone using a data cable. Alternatively, you can send a simple SMS to a number and get a link for directly downloading the file via GPRS or Wi-Fi. Once the software downloads to your phone, GPRS connectivity is no longer required as the application runs completely offline.
The application UI is interesting - questions appear as if scribbled on a blackboard using a chalk and the correct option from the four given choices can be selected using a pointer. The application covers Geography, Arts, History, Business, Sports, Science and Current Affairs. The font does appear slightly cartoon-ish and lack clarity sometimes. A flash based preview of the mobile application is shown:
Content for these questions is provided by Career Launcher, one of the big players in India for MBA entrance examination coaching. Another freeware bundled with the package is a debit account from ZipCash. When you install the application, an account is automatically created for you and a small amount is deducted from it. A needless addition I would say.
Even though the application does not require GPRS connectivity once it’s installed, this itself becomes a severe blocker in the utility of the application. For example, you cannot download more questions into the app once you finish the questions loaded into the module. There is no option to maintain your score and see the scores of other people using the application to estimate how well you performed. Plus, the application in general lacks focus - as of now, it’s more of a general purpose quiz-like question set rather than focusing on a particular examination and accordingly planning to the interaction with the use.
Overall, an excellent innovative concept which could be tremendously useful for students to use their mobile phones for something more useful and productive than simply staying in touch.
Brooks Donner on Jun 17, 2008
The application UI is interesting - questions appear as if scribbled on a blackboard using a chalk and the correct option from the four given choices can be selected using a pointer. The application covers Geography, Arts, History, Business, Sports, Science and Current Affairs. The font does appear slightly cartoon-ish and lack clarity sometimes.
Gaurav Gupta on Jun 18, 2008
An extract from a quick QA session sent to Akash Shah, from Delta Technologies:
1. What does M.A.D. stand for?
MAD stands for Mobile-Multimedia Adz
2. Which exam is your application specifically targeting? Do you plan to have individual apps dedicated to each kind of competitive exam rather than a general purpose meet-all app?
The existing app is targeted to exams like SNAP/CET/NMET or any other competitive exams which requires GK. Although it is targeted to these exams, we feel this app would be useful to others also to update their General knowledge.
We have partnered with CL for content hence it would be difficult to comment on the next set of apps that we may come up with(the decision would be mutual)
3. Any specific reason why GPRS update capability was not included in the first cut of the product? What does one do when he runs out of questions?
Thanks for pin-pointing this aspect
The GPRS penetration in India is little low and we wanted our app to be used by all the students with compatible phones.
In next set of applications we plan to incorporate this functionality as well.
4. What is your business model for this product?
As you would have seen in the app and our website, we offer the mobile-multimedia platform to the advertisers. (targeted multimedia adz). We plan to rake in revenue from advertising.
sudhanshu on Jun 18, 2008
the blackboard theme looks kewl, i would really want to explore their new modules coming up, i am hooked to zipCash now, was pleasantly surprised to see their transaction menu on their application… makes life really easier for me!!
divya on Jun 19, 2008
good wrk
rohan on Jun 24, 2008
hey cool concept….never seen sum thing like this.besides being cool and unusual useful too.i have been hooked to it.i hope my SNAP exam goes good..technologies like this makes life really simpler and this is really worth it. i hope to see more products of them
Ashish on Jun 24, 2008
Gaurav, The service that MAD provides looks got conceptually. This brings up my other point.
I read the previous blog entry by Amit Ranjan, about taazaa.com and the services it offers. It looks like that the site is no more operational.
It would be great if you can share your insights about such products that seemed great on launch but couldn’t survive for long.
vishnu nath on Jun 26, 2008
Hey its a cool product from Delta Technology.All those time which actually used to get wasted, now could be utilised just by browsing our cellphones. My celphone actually could be my tutor, i weren’t aware of. Now thats something smart technology. It will save lots of mine time.
vishnu nath on Jun 26, 2008
Hey its a cool product.All those time which actually used to get wasted, now could be utilised just by browsing our cellphones. My celphone actually could be my tutor, i weren’t aware of. Now thats something smart technology. It will save lots of mine time.