By Subramanyam Reddy, CEO and Founder, KnowledgeHut upGrad
The global Machine Learning market was valued at US$ 6.9 billion in 2018 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 43% between 2019 to 2025, as per a Bloomberg report. Against this, ML has also emerged as one of the fastest-growing fields for career seekers, boasting a year-on-year growth rate of 300%, enjoying unprecedented levels of popularity among young professionals. Machine Learning’s growth and popularity are rooted in the growing digitization of all sectors across the world, significantly, in education.
Particularly during the pandemic and after, the education sector has had to fast-track the adoption of tech in delivery. AI and ML applications have found their way into revolutionizing the education and EdTech sectors with the technology driving delivery, assessment, and enhanced retention amongst learners. After the USA, India is one of the biggest markets for e-learning solutions in the world.
The autonomous way in which computers learn is in turn creating an impact in how learning happens in classrooms and beyond. Machine Learning (ML)’s giant strides in rapidly transforming the field of education in India are expected to continue in 2023 and beyond.
Let’s look at some of the trends emerging in the sector this year and beyond:
Personalised learning is emerging as one of the forerunners in the impact areas of ML in education. Across schools and universities in India, personalised learning is gaining traction and it is driven by AI & ML. Analyzing patterns and behaviors, ML aids instructors and teachers in customising learning for different learners’ needs. The effectiveness of these interventions is also analyzed by ML.
Another emerging trend driven by AI & ML in education is the development of AI-powered tools to aid learning. The shockwaves created by Chat GPT and other AI-powered platforms are making way for curiosity in how these tools will help people learn – be it coding, writing better, developing creative concepts, and more. The access to the vast quantum of data and superfast processing capabilities of such platforms generate accurate answers to questions posed. While several may argue that humans cannot match supercomputers in terms of access or processing, the aim of these technologies is not to one-up humans. The approach to learning changes in a fundamental manner with the advent of such tools. What are the outcomes we seek through learning, and how can tech aid those outcomes, becomes a focal point here.
India has sixteen official languages and hundreds of unofficial languages and dialects spoken across the country. Effective communication is often one of the biggest challenges in the public works domain. For effective reach and improved access to information, AI & ML tools and technologies such as NLP play a significant role in helping people learn languages and improve communication and collaboration across geographies. With ML’s aid, learning languages can become simpler and more accessible to a larger audience.
When it comes to assessment and evaluation in learning, the human perspective is more often than not, rooted in personal prejudices and biases. The objective perspective is lost in such scenarios, making evaluations a tool to deter rather than advance. The way ML steps into these areas of assessment and evaluation completely change the game. The same assessments then become a path for advancement, through the identification of areas of improvement and existing strengths of the learner.
Overall, the use of ML in education in India is expected to continue to grow in 2023, with more educators and institutions turning to these technologies to improve the learning experience for students.
