We are in an era of digitisation and technological advancements have an impact on almost every aspect of our lives on an ongoing basis, writes Monica Malhotra Kandhari, Managing Director, MBD group, for Elets News Network (ENN).
From the way we communicate to how businesses run, the impacts of digitisation are also visible in the field of education and have effected major changes in how education is being imparted and consumed. Rote learning and reliance on printed material or book-based learning is fast becoming a characteristic of the past.
Till last century, the education system in India was the traditional classroom based learning, where students didn’t get opportunity to participate actively in lectures. To face the challenges of the changing time, it became necessary to make concepts more clear and students competent enough to cope up globally. Hence, the concept of digital learning evolved in 2002-03. With technology spreading its wing to the education sector, the typical classroom which was once characterised by boring hour-long sessions now transforming into an interesting, fun-filled environment. Digital education made life easier for both, students and educators.
The E-learning industry in India is a prolific one, witnessing a steady growth rate of 25 percent year-on-year and is projected to be a $ 1.96 billion industry by 2021. With a network of more than 1.5 million schools and 18,000 higher education institutes, the market for digital education in India is enormous. Today, digital learning is no longer a luxury but implementation of digital tools of learning has become a necessity in schools.
The key factors leading to growth of digital market in India are: rising demand from various segments, growing number of smart phone users, improving penetration of internet, and increasing participation at the Government level. New age technology platforms help in assessing performance of students, teachers and institutions as a whole and are increasingly being adopted by educational institutions in India. Cloud based platforms which help classrooms go paperless are also finding takers. Also apart from the latest developments in ICT classrooms, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are being adopted in the field of education.
Further, the launch of a plethora of IT related platforms has generated huge entrepreneurship opportunities and many education startups have sprung up with new and improved versions of e-learning modules in line with the demands and ever changing needs of the students. E-learning contents are designed to present a holistic picture with audio supplements, which makes learning lot more interesting as learners now utilise both visual and audio senses. MBD has been instrumental since last one decade to take e-learning to schools and students in various forms and today we support more than million learners across the country with digital content.
Also, Innovative deployments of ICT solutions have been instrumental in transcending multiple barriers in providing access to education in the country. With increasing digital literacy in the country, ICT solutions have gained momentum in driving quality education to the nooks and corner of the country. With government initiatives such as “Digital India” with a vision to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy, ICT solutions will play a more critical role not only in promoting education but also towards driving digital literacy.
MBD, as an Education Company, is into all the platforms available for reaching out to end-user right from ICT Classroom (offline/online) to educational apps, SD Cards, tablets, 3-D learning, AR, VR, Robotics in education etc.
With access to smartphones and growth of the Internet usage in the country, the scope for development of the e-learning industry is immense. The pace at which changes happen in today’s world is truly unprecedented. Education and technology are sectors that effect changes and are in turn affected by changes around them. The best one can do in such a scenario is to be innovative and have the agility and willingness to adapt to new developments surrounding them.
However, it must be noted that technology is just an enabler, requiring a human to operate it and make use of it. Thus the perceived advantages or for that matter disadvantages of technology when it comes to students is merely an outcome of the way technology is used or handled. The outcome of any technological intervention is dependent on the manner and purpose with which they are put to use. What is important is responsible use of technology. Students should use it intelligently to learn more effectively. It will help in mapping the requirement of a child, assess his/her learning outcomes as well as make learning more receptive.
