If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.
— John Dewey, philosopher, psychologist, and education reformer
With over 750 million internet users, a plethora of fast-growing e-platforms and an increasing digital first audience, the all-pervasive impact of technology in India is undeniable. It has been recognised as a critical catalyst for change across sectors including education that underwent a paradigm shift in the last two years. Reliance on technology, accelerated by the pandemic, made education more mobile and quality learning accessible to remote corners of the country.
Students and teachers now gather, access, analyze, display, and transfer information differently. Hereon, this transition will be crucial to ensuring education for all, as digital technologies have the potential to democratize classroom learning thereby personalizing information uptake as per the skill levels of the learner.
Having spent their lives surrounded by technology, Gen Z are swiftly adopting online learning today. Tech based solutions are a prominent feature of modern education provision and practiced world over. Common classroom challenges such as student participation and engagement, data tracking, and enhancing student accomplishment are expected to be resolved by emerging technologies. Closer-to-home efforts such as One-Class-One-Channel, digital labs, and digital universities are also expected to help students and educational institutions in the K12 segments.
Improving Access to Technology in K-12 Classrooms
Technology has made education more accessible while also ensuring that the content is palpable. According to a poll, 60% of internet users admit to utilizing online learning.
Furthermore, 50% of students at various educational institutions admitted to using an online learning platform for their doubt solving.
The pandemic changed parents’ perception of education making them more receptive to online learning and its benefits. Technology has made a paradigm change in K-12 education, developing entirely new ways for teachers and students to connect and collaborate. While some parents prefer a hybrid learning model today, others prefer to keep learning for their children entirely online. Though this back-to-school apprehension could be due to safety concerns, it is also a proven fact that a subset of students have found solace in the accessibility of e-learning. Technology is already integrated into every aspect of a student’s life, and new classroom technology is constantly evolving. Educators need to map the specific needs of students for assistive and instructional technologies in schools.
The use of interactive learning formats like micro-lessons, videos, interactive tests, games, etc. has transformed education. Computer technology and AI-enabled educational methods such as adaptive learning help students to learn at their own pace. With passing time, new technologies are democratizing education. They have demonstrated their invincibility in terms of continuing to give high-quality education, despite disturbances, even like the crises of a pandemic.
The Next Generation: Future of Digital Education
Today technology is all-pervasive. Certainly, it is ever-present for younger generations. Given that children and young adults account for one-third of all internet users, no wonder that they are more hyper-connected and technologically aware than their parents. So, what children learn and how they learn has become a critical concern for schools and ed-tech platforms.
Educators are now being equipped with new ways for more engaged learning while also decreasing their burden with tech-based solutions.
Below are some technologies that are changing the way students learn:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): In education, artificial intelligence primarily focuses on determining what a pupil knows and does not know, and then building a customized curriculum for each student. For example, the Snap to Solve feature on the Brainly app can be used by students and parents to solve any written question, including math problems. Users can also simply take a photo of the question and post and Brainly scans through its extensive knowledge base of 48 million answers to select the most relevant responses.
Video Learning: There is enough industry data to testify that video-based learning enhances student happiness by 91% and accomplishment by 82%. This fairly explains why educators are increasingly employing videos for information sharing and instant feedback.
Augmented reality/Virtual reality: AR/VR technologies can help students engage better with the subject by creating interactive and immersive experiences.
Internet of Things (IoT): By facilitating real-time communication and data transfer, the rising use of smartphones and other devices are promoting connectivity between students and their educational institutions.
Power of Community Q&A: Students, parents and educators are also using Community Q&A platforms such as Brainly to engage in discussion and seek answers related to school subjects.
Brainly’s Community Q&A platform opens pupils to thousands of experts, parents and other students eager to answer any question. This contributes to an ever-expanding, user-generated Knowledge Base, spanning all subjects and school grades.
Ed-tech platforms have profoundly altered the educational system today, making learning accessible to anyone who wants to learn anywhere in the world, at any time, on any subject.
Not so long ago, the only way we obtained education was in a formal classroom which reflected on a one size fits all approach. But with blackboards giving way to projectors and schools integrating technology to everyday teaching, modern tools have made learning more collaborative, fun, and engaging. Today, the potential of the online classroom is limitless.
In the early days of ed-tech, the limitation in language was a major barrier to the penetration of online learning. But to ensure universal access to online education, ed-tech platforms are investing consistent efforts to make content available across vernacular languages. When it comes to online learning, students have an open and unfiltered access to resources today.
Brainly’s Knowledge Base, for instance, is available for free to students in over 35 countries.
The benefits of technology as teaching aids are undeniable. However, what is more important is that these aids are used in tandem with developmental and educational psychology—ultimately keeping students rather than technology at the core of education. If done right, integrated education technology can help students in building competencies they need for the future.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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