Chamok Hasan: Revolutionizing access to education

Nowrin Hasan Chamok popularly known as Chamok Hasan is one of the earliest online educators in Bangladesh. He has received the BSc degree in electrical engineering from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Since 2011, he has been a graduate research assistant with the University of South Carolina. In a recent conversation with the Young Observer, Chamok Hasan talks about his journey, future plans and dreams.

What made you interested in mathematics?
The beauty of numbers, the elegant structures of logic, the ecstatic joy of problem solving, and a ridicule from my high-school math teacher that lead to hours of quality time spent with textbooks -- all played their roles in developing my early love for mathematics.

Many a student fear mathematics. Do you think typical teaching-learning process led to students' apathy towards mathematics?
Many times a fear for something starts when someone poisons your mind that the thing is fearful. For mathematics it starts from typical math teachers who make simple things difficult to understand. The students cannot connect the numbers, the symbols, or the figures with their real lives. Then they try to follow some rules blindly and not everyone is good at that. They barely pass the exams and the fear keeps growing.

How can we overcome such math-fear or math-apathy?
First thing is to believe that this is not an alien language. This is an amazing kingdom full of fun and beauty. Now start slowly; read and solve textbooks from earlier classes. Try solving just by your own. If you face any hurdle, ask your teacher, if she or he does not know the answer, keep looking. Search it on Google. Watch YouTube tutorials.

If you think you have an answer, try to teach that to someone. I always believe that one learns best when he teaches. Do this and in just a year you will begin to love mathematics!

Every year Bangladeshi students are participating in International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO). Do you think students' apathy towards mathematics is declining?  
Participating in IMOs has inspired many students to dream big. But, the IMO participants do not represent rural population of our country. And the rural students are the worst sufferers. So, I cannot generally comment that the apathy is declining.

You are the pioneer of online teaching in Bangladesh. How did you start making video content on Mathematics?
I respectfully decline that I am 'THE' pioneer but I am among one of the earliest online educators in Bangladesh. Dr Ragib Hasan started his 'Jontro Gonok' course at the same time (early 2012). The Bengali translation programme of Khan Academy was around that time.
I started because teaching mathematics is my greatest passion. I had my own style of teaching math with fun and I wanted to spread the fun to as many people as possible. YouTube seemed to me the best option for that.

Do you think virtual platform is more powerful than classroom teaching in these days?
No, I still believe classroom teaching is more important. Virtual platform has its benefits. The tutorial is recorded, so you can play it as many times as you want until you grasp the concept. You can learn at your own pace, own comfort. But, as a teacher, I prefer taking classes directly standing in front of students rather than producing a video class.

Because good teaching must be adaptive; you have to read the students psychology, learn from their expressions. If you notice someone struggling to understand, you rephrase or change your teaching style for him. It is not possible with virtual platform. A combination of both virtual and classroom teaching would be the best idea.

What will be your advice to encourage those who want to come up with online educational content in future?
If you have a passion for teaching and sharing your thoughts, just jump in. Devise a quick plan, make a short script, and start shooting. Before shooting, verify the information you are going to present because once the information is published in YouTube or Facebook, it would be impossible to take that back for editing. Read a lot of books on your subject matter watch other tutorials and enrich your presentation.

Your songs are very popular on YouTube, What's your future plan about music?
I am just an amateur who loves writing songs and making music. I feel that is the best way to appreciate music around you. As for future, I do not have a plan yet. Hopefully, an album will be published someday.

You're out of the country for a long time. What's your plan after returning Bangladesh?
I plan to be involved in teaching and conducting research on electrical engineering in a university. Besides, I want to carry on producing video lectures, writing math books, and work with Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee. I want to run workshops about making mathematics more interesting to students.

And, I dream of building a massive creative network across the country, which will act as a platform to nurture our talents from grass-root level. They will receive expert evaluation for their creative works (literary works, art pieces, scientific or philosophical thoughts etc). There will be training and grooming sessions.

I dream this because I believe, being mortal humans, the most important things we can leave behind are creative ideas or thoughts. Some of these thoughts take form of songs, some become art pieces, some become stories, novels, sculpture, architecture, and so on. If we can nurture those talented thinkers, their contribution will be invaluable to our society and to humanity.