Edtech is going to play a pivotal role in solving several challenges for higher education institutes, says Dr RL Raina
The 2020 was one of the biggest years of transformations the education industry is witnessing currently. The coronavirus pandemic rapidly forced our classroom learning process to completely adhere to digital mediums and at times blended education (partially online and classroom) in order to have an uninterrupted learning.
The COVID 19 pandemic impacted the education sector heavily. With 1.26 billion children worldwide having gone education less as estimated by the UNESCO, out of which 300 million children are just from India. The initial hiccups of the lockdown had compellednot only students but also educators to come out of their comfort zone and learnt new skills to master online teaching platforms among others.
The complete education system has gone through an unprecedented growth in digital transformation, moreover, the education experts suggest that this is just the beginning. As we move towards a new beginning, we should be ready with novel challenges including student retention, student engagement, collaborative learning requirements as well as competitive models from international institutions. Edtech is going to play a pivotal role in solving these challenges for higher education institutes. The key trends are:
Video-based content
One should not be surprised to learn that the usage of videos for online training (or video-based learning) will get a new momentum this year to make the education process interesting and increase student engagement.
No doubt videos are a high-impact medium, and it creates an engaging learning experience with high recall and retention. It also encourages microlearning, creativity and interactivity among the students.
There is a myth that video-based learning was created to replace teachers and trainers, but actually it was created to enhance the learning experience and increase the accessibility of quality education even in the far-flung areas, where there is a dismal student and teacher ratio.
Increased usage
The Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are going to play a pivotal role in education in order to enhance studentl earning and engagement.
It will reinvent the online learning space in the years to come. Through AI, student learning abilities will be estimated, which in turn will help us to bring modifications in the learning process.
But the biggest challenge in implementing these evolved technologies in the education is the internet penetration especially in tier II and tier III cities. These technologies have to be affordable so that underprivileged students can also have an access to them.
Blended learning
With the onset of new strain of muted coronavirus, looks like the first few months of 2021 would follow the new normal. In such a scenario, blended learning will play a significant role for education sector.
For the past few years, blended learning has been a part of premier higher education institutes such as IIMs and IITs.
This form of learning combines online educational materials and opportunities for online interaction with traditional place-based classroom methods. Since some courses involve practical classes, blended learning is effective for such studies. It helps in enhancing the access to education and maximises flexibility to both students and teachers. This kind of learning process initiates student interest, interaction and satisfaction in the learning environment. Blended learning is no doubt the future of global learning.
The writer is Vice-Chancellor, JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur
