By Amit Kapoor, Co-Founder, Eupheus Learning
As the world steps into the fourth industrial revolution driven by advanced technology, the
education world, too, has taken a swift turn. Schools that were once limited to chalkboards and textbooks have realised the importance of upgrading and keeping up with the times to cater to 21st-century learners. As the pandemic provided unprecedented propulsion to online learning and digitised education, the education sector witnessed a paradigm shift. In light of this rapidly evolving digital learning landscape, schools have proactively adapted themselves to meet the demands of the 21st century.
Speculative of a brighter and digitally-driven future, the adoption of EdTech platforms within the realms of Indian education has escalated by leaps and bounds. According to an IBEF report, the Indian EdTech sector, which was valued at US$ 750 million in 2020, is expected to reach US$ 4 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 39.77%. This surge indicates the adaptability demonstrated by educators and institutions, as they have actively embraced digital transformations following the pandemic and fervently positioned themselves as catalysts of change.
Government Steering Ahead
With the government concurring with the significance of technological changes in education, The Indian education sector is poised to grow even further. In accordance with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020, the government has placed significant emphasis on the digitisation of educational practices and the cultivation of essential competencies among teachers to foster their professional growth. As part of this endeavour, it has been mandated that teachers, administrators, and principals engage in a minimum of 50 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) modules or workshops annually, enabling them to enhance their expertise in the field consistently.
Transitional Impediments
As the edtech sector undergoes rapid transformation and the pivotal role of government aid in driving this transformation remains undeniable, teachers are currently confronted with the following hurdles while re-evaluating how to impart education:
The indispensability of Digital Proficiency: Schools need to bear in mind that being surrounded by young minds, often addressed as digital natives, digitalisation has become a prerequisite for teachers. The pre-eminence of teacher training to leverage the state-of- the-art gadgets and gizmos within their reach has never felt more apposite. Apart from enhancing their expertise in essential core and soft skills, educators must also acquire a command of digital tools to facilitate the development of a diverse range of novel
learning methodologies suited to digitally fluent learners.
Addressing Wider Expectations: While books have long served as the primary
educational resource, the emergence of technology has come with a gamut of alternative
avenues for learning. Educators must expand beyond the traditional reliance on books
and meet the broader expectations of parents and teachers, who now seek a more diverse
and technology-integrated educational experience for students.
Obligations of Administrative Tasks: With the advent of a plethora of alternative
learning sources at their disposal, teachers are obligated to keep track of multiple non-
teaching administrative tasks. Managing these routine tasks manually can often take time and effort for educators, diverting their attention from crucial aspects of teaching, such as lesson planning and student engagement.
Edtech Bolstering the Array of Solutions
Confronted with this exigency, edtech platforms emerged with a cornucopia of viable solutions to these hurdles for teachers. EdTech platforms, emerging as transformative digital messiahs, offer teachers abundant opportunities to adapt effectively to modern classrooms through online courses, webinars, and workshops. Coupled with government-mandated workshops, edtech provides an unprecedented opportunity for teachers to develop their skills further.
Additionally, with a salver of digital solutions at their behest, these tech platforms also
streamline various administrative processes, including student profile management, fee
management, and attendance management, allowing teachers to prioritise and enhance the
quality of education by leveraging a variety of learning tools.
Furthermore, these platforms enable educators to leverage interactive teaching modules that recognise contemporary approaches beyond traditional textbooks as the sole source of
knowledge. While steering them towards more modern and engaging learning, these modern tech features enable teachers to address the broader expectations of parents and other stakeholders and obtain a more holistic view of a students academic odyssey.
With the combined efforts of government initiatives and ed-tech platforms, teachers can now take on the dynamic demands heralded by educational and digital reform. With EdTech platforms by their side, teachers can turn the tide and mentor their way into the fourth industrial revolution.