Education technology startup ScrollEd is developing a platform designed to present textbooks and other learning materials in a format similar to short form video platforms. 

The Palo Alto based company is participating in the TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield 200 competition with a system that transforms traditional educational content into a scrolling digital feed.

ScrollEd allows users to upload text files, including textbooks and PDF documents, and converts the material into a combination of AI generated video, audio, text and interactive quizzes. 

Users can scroll vertically to move between topics or swipe sideways to explore a subject in greater depth. The platform also includes quizzes intended to help users test their understanding of the material.

Co founder Utsav Gupta said the company is attempting to meet younger learners on platforms and formats they are already comfortable using.

Gupta and his co founder and wife, Rebecca Neff, launched the company after noticing their own dissatisfaction with spending time scrolling through social media before going to bed. 

Both founders are students, with Gupta studying AI and human purpose at Stanford University and Neff studying computer science at the University of Pennsylvania.

ScrollEd plans to serve individual learners, educational institutions and corporate training programmes. 

Its business model combines a free consumer service with a paid Pro subscription and annual institutional licences. 

The startup also plans to develop tools that can help educators monitor learning progress and eventually adapt educational content to individual learners. Its broader ambition is to create a social platform centred on learning rather than conventional entertainment.

Source: TechCrunch