Play-Based Learning Platform

Context

Club Khel was born at Imperial College London's entrepreneurship program from a simple observation: primary school students in underserved communities learn better through play than through lectures. We set out to build a platform that integrates physical activity with academic learning, starting with mathematics.

The Problem

In the UK and India, primary school students — especially in underserved communities — were disengaged from traditional STEM instruction. Dropout rates in math were rising, and teachers lacked tools to make learning experiential. Existing EdTech solutions focused on screen-based gamification, which didn't address the physical engagement gap.

Discovery & Research

As Head of Product, I led 100+ interviews with teachers, parents, students, and education researchers across 15 schools. The key insight: children who participated in structured play-based activities showed 2-3x better knowledge retention versus passive learning. The challenge was designing a platform that teachers could adopt without additional training.

• ·100+ user interviews across teachers, parents, and students
• ·Observed 30+ classroom sessions to understand engagement patterns
• ·Partnered with education researchers at Imperial College
• ·Identified teacher adoption (not student engagement) as the critical risk

Solution

I led product strategy and development: a web platform with play-based lesson plans mapped to the national curriculum, peer learning networks where students collaborate on challenges, and personalized progress tracking for teachers. The technical stack was React + Node.js with real-time collaboration features. I designed the UX to require zero training — teachers could run a session within 5 minutes of first login.

Results & Impact

We piloted across 10+ primary schools, reaching 700 students. The platform achieved a 45% DAU/MAU ratio — exceptional for EdTech — and students showed a 35% improvement in math proficiency scores over one academic term. Teachers reported saving 3+ hours per week on lesson planning.

Key Learnings

Building for education taught me the importance of designing for the buyer (teacher/admin), not just the user (student). The simplest product wins when your users are time-constrained professionals. Every feature that added setup complexity was a barrier to adoption.

• ·Design for the buyer (teacher), not just the end user (student)
• ·Zero-training-required UX was the single biggest adoption driver
• ·Physical + digital hybrid experiences create deeper engagement than either alone