Ed Tech has visibly changed the way we teach and learn. It is becoming a perfect low-cost alternative for school education. And has a stellar future in the years to come!
As per the ‘Ministry of Human Resource Development’, the Ed Tech expenditure in India will reach $10 trillion by the year 2030!
Educational technology is already shaping the future of education. And the years to come will certainly be dominated by online learning.
Education startups have made virtual learning more accessible to the Indian masses. And these educational initiatives are also making it BIG amongst the top global leaders.
- BYJU’S has nailed it by being the highest valued EdTech company in India. It had a value of $12 billion in 2020.
- ‘Unacademy’ crossed a mark of 1 billion US dollars.
- ‘Vedantu’ and ‘Eruditus’ have a valuation above a billion US dollars each.
These platforms have seamlessly replaced in-person education. And their popularity has in turn transformed the entire structure of formal schooling.
This means that learning is now possible without any reliance on the physical structures of traditional schools.
And today, several Indian parents are shifting towards online schooling for their children. Because online schools are more affordable and secure than any traditional institution.
Let’s understand how these platforms have changed the ways of teaching and learning in the Indian educational landscape
& How these educational initiatives have made high-quality education easier for the learners!
Benefits of Technology in Education
1. A Perfect Learning Space That Increases Productivity
As per UNESCO, a learning environment is important both physically and psychosocially. Because it directly impacts the quality and effectiveness of one’s overall learning. Virtual learning is known for creating an equitable learning space. Which makes it an ideal platform for all types of users despite their varied learning needs, family backgrounds, and learning styles.
In other words, it creates a ‘positive learning environment’ that makes the best quality education possible for each student without stepping out of the home. This aspect of digital learning also resolves the issues of violence and bullying in schools that have crippled our systems for ages now. Hence, it is instrumental in improving the overall educational productivity of learners.
2. Customizes Learning to Boost Results
Digital education in India also brings forth the blessing of personalized learning. Which gives freedom from the numerous challenges of large heterogeneous groups. Unlike the noisy and crowded traditional classrooms, these institutions tailor the student’s education as per his/her individual preferences.
Educational startups rely on high-quality digital materials such as images, videos, graphical presentations, high-quality podcasts, puzzles, and games, etc. All these resources and content make asynchronous duration perfectly suitable for personalized learning. Even with live online classes (synchronous), the batch size is kept small on purpose.
Virtual classes are also a perfect way to promote learner-centered collaborative learning. And peer-tutoring is another credible academic solution for many students.
3. Promotes Self-directed and Self-paced Learning
Modern-day online learning has also shifted the role of an educator to a facilitator. These startups/platforms follow an innovative online teaching technique where the students are given enough space to introspect and grasp concepts.
They focus on independent student work along with the teacher’s handholding and real-time interactions. Virtual learning is a preferred medium across the world. Because it makes students, ‘INDEPENDENT LEARNERS’. And they effortlessly pursue distance learning at the post-secondary level. Virtual learning has been a game-changer in the creation of self-paced learning opportunities. Because these institutions do not determine the learner’s pace in a generalized manner.
4. Amalgamates Remedial Teaching to Bridge Learning Gaps
Identifying and bridging learning gaps is an imperative step towards the realization of broad academic goals.
Digital learning powered by artificial intelligence gauges the previous knowledge of the student. And it accurately checks for the minutest understanding gaps and comprehension challenges. These new ways of imparting education are helpful for students who already have learning gaps. And also supports the academic foundation of the ones that are already at a decent level.
With adaptive technology, it is now possible to alter online instructional delivery as per the learner. Because machine intelligence analyses the learner’s strengths and weaknesses to instantly extract, and rearrange instructions for the learner’s success.
These technology-based advantages are also utilized by teachers to identify the minutest feedback/workable areas. This means that it is possible to gauge the exact pain areas within broad topics to alter instructional delivery even more effectively.
5. Instant Feedback
Another standout feature of online learning is that it discards the idea of delayed feedback. Modern-day online platforms are pedagogically better than traditional schools because they provide rapid feedback to the learners. And the teachers, modify their strategies as per the feedback received via inbuilt intelligent systems.
6. Made Education More Accessible for Disabled Students
Virtual learning is now the one-stop solution for the differently-abled students. It has helped in bolstering the self-esteem of these students by giving them an opportunity to stay away from the negativity of regular classrooms.
Education for the disabled is a huge concern in India. And 75% of such children do not attend school! With home-based learning, these learners find a safe haven. And they also get better assistance with technology-based intelligent solutions.
Online learning offers an array of options within its learning platform for students with physical or learning disabilities. The use of electronic worksheets, spelling software, text to speech assistive tools, and alternative material, etc. are helpful in designing their education in a manner that works the best for them.
Final Thoughts
Education technology startups and virtual learning has created digital options for Indian students. Receiving education is now easier, more accessible and convenient with these intelligent and futuristic platforms.
These educational initiatives have surpassed traditional teaching and learning methodologies forever. And are all set to accelerate the learning progress of the Indian learners like never before!
