By Jiny Thattil, Senior Vice President-Engineering, BYJU’S
In the last century, transformation in society has stemmed from technology and innovation. In the last 1.5 years, it has been reshaping and revolutionizing education like never before. Today, humans have the ability to extract the greatest ideas from the collective expertise of teachers, innovators, and communities in order to expand the reach of high-quality education. We can now learn better and absorb new skills based on our unique interests and needs. Digital technologies and edtech platforms have democratised and personalised curriculums, and every student is provided with exactly what they need, when they need it, and how they need it.
While technology in education can find its roots in history, it took a pandemic for it to become a mainstream, highly adapted, and accepted medium of learning. With no access to traditional learning methods, 21st century digital native students swiftly adapted to online learning mediums. However, what can only be defined as a watershed moment for edtechs in the country was the widespread acceptance of online learning by other stakeholders – parents and teachers. Since then, the uptake and usage has only increased and demand for edtech solutions have skyrocketed, hastening the digitalisation of education.
While the principles of learning transcend specific technologies, digitisation has the ability to strengthen, enhance, and expand the impact of learning principles when technology is carefully developed and intelligently deployed. The impact and benefit of technology in education is undeniable, as is its role in helping students continue learning in unprecedented times.
For the first time, students are empowered to take charge of their own learning journeys – putting them in the driver’s seat. With the help of digital tools, they have the opportunity to study outside of the classroom with virtual access to non-traditional and vibrant learning environments such as science laboratories, planetariums and museums. Teachers too have become empowered with a wide range of resources and technology at their disposal to make learning more engaging and meaningful for students. The role of a teacher is no longer limited to imparting knowledge; they are expanding on their conventional responsibilities, assisting students in discovering new ways to pursue their interests.
While these are examples of well-implemented technologies for holistic learning needs, technology has been solving some very fundamental aspects to education. Be it access to quality teachers anywhere, providing effective learning programmes at scale, ensuring relevance, and personalisation. Adaptive and intelligent recommendations are instrumental in this process.
By leveraging artificial intelligence, today we can figure out what subject, topic, or concept a child is struggling with and actively intervene, fix misconceptions, and bring them back their learning paths. During the pandemic, synchronous learning also became a critical aspect of continuous learning. While digital technologies have enabled students to learn at their own pace, combining that with the discipline and the rigor of a live class becomes equally important. Combining aspects of synchronous and asynchronous learning is making sure that the learning curve is smooth and aspects like live doubt solving ensures there’s no residual learning gaps.
Technology has long been hailed as an enabler – and its role in transcending geographical restraints during the pandemic has only reinforced this notion. Edtech platforms and digital learning tools enabled teachers from anywhere in the world to reach students anywhere in the world, truly democratising education. What had not happened in years, changed within the span of a few months: Online learning came to the forefront and edtech platforms aided in demonstrating the efficacy and trustworthiness of e-learning. The increasing smartphone and internet penetration in India has further boosted the growth and adoption of online learning. It has reduced the disparity between students from metros and those from smaller towns by providing them with equal and personalised learning opportunities, along with access to the best teachers from around the world.
Every crisis presents an opportunity. However, while technology provides powerful learning opportunities, it alone will not be able to close the learning gap. Dedicated teachers and resourceful educators must come together in a blended learning environment to provide the best of both worlds to student learners. On the other side of the pandemic, a hybrid model of learning will emerge, seamlessly blending online and offline learning experiences to build the classrooms of the future, and this is a transformation we must be prepared for.