Digitalization a new phenomenon in Higher Education

HIGHER EDUCATION

Lockdown changed the perspective of schools. With schools closed for months, e-learning came to the forefront, across the world. Even in developed countries, students have been the primary movers of this initiative. Teachers followed the new trend, hoping to return to the classrooms soon. Here is a detailed report by Pankaj Samantray of Elets News Network.

Education plays an important role in the development of stable and civilized society, polishing human skills, developing the personality of individuals. With technology as a catalyst, education is moving from a knowledge- transfer model to a collaborative, active, self- directed, and engaging model. Due to the Corona crisis, there is a surge in digitalization witnessed in higher education. Technology is stamping its authority in higher education day by day.

The modes of teaching in higher education have drastically changed in last few years. While some old guards still stay with the old chalk and talk technology, it is very rare that in these days professors do not use some modern technology in class-room delivery. But with Corona crisis, faculty members are compelled to use technology in education. Abundant information on any subject is available on such sources as Youtube, Facebook, Wikipedia, and Google.

Also read: Innovations paving way for quality higher education in Rajasthan

In India there are many institutions that have in recent years opened satellite campuses abroad or have signed MOUs with some foreign universities to offer online education.

By 2030, India will be amongst the youngest nations in the world. With over 140 million people in the college-going age group, one in every four graduates in the world will be a product of the Indian higher education system.

Over the last two decades, India has remarkably transformed its higher education landscape. It has created widespread access to low- cost high-quality university education for students of all levels.

With well-planned expansion and a student-centric learning- driven model of education, India has not only bettered its enrolment numbers but has dramatically enhanced its learning outcomes.

With the effective use of technology, India has been able to resolve the longstanding tension between excellence and equity.

Digital technology classrooms require a shift from a teacher-centered to student-centered environment where the faculty member must take on multiple new roles.

There are huge challenges in digitalization of higher education:

Resource and Internet connectivity:

One of the main challenges for digital education in India is poor internet connectivity in rural areas and some part of urban areas. Majority of population across India has still no access to internet and a large population in rural areas is still illiterate in the field of digital technology.

Shortage of trained teachers:

There is a shortage of teachers, formally trained on digital technology. In some of the academic institution in rural areas, school teacher and college professors are not interested in using digital tools for conducting classes. With Corona crisis, many of them have adopted the digital learning.

Language and content related challenges:

Language is one of the main barriers for the development of digital education in India, there are several different languages in different state have been spoken all across country, pushing all the digital content in all these regional languages some time becomes difficult for the agencies. Most of the ed-tech content is available in English which can be constrain for many.

Poor maintenance and upgradation of digital equipment:

In rural areas maintenance and upgradation of digital equipment is one of the major challenge. This is largely due to budgetary constraints.

Insufficient funds:

Digital education involves effective and efficient usage of appropriate and latest hardware and software technology available in the market. In developing countries like India, digital technology implementation into education systems is a difficult task as it requires huge funds and infrastructure..

In this corona crisis a trend of emerging digitalization education has emerged:

Teachers teaching in the classroom can capture the students and the full strength in the class by digital screens, thus facilitating each child to get the same base content and input from the teachers. This feature of digital era has increased the student engagement as it combines various instructional styles. The aim of must be to engage students.

Video based learning:

Video- based learning is a part of digital marketing has geared up in Indian Education Sector and has made education engaging, entertaining and exploring. It enables learning with a pedigree of learning out of leisure with creativity, fun and entertainment on cards via the wonderful Apps, podcasts, video, interactive software, e books and online interactive electronic boards.

Massive open online course (MOOCS) & Other distant learning programs:

A massive open online course (MOOC) is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. India is considered to be the biggest market for MOOCs in the world. Since the population of India is huge, massive open online course (MOOC) are said to gateways for a lot of Indians in term of bringing an educational revolution. Online distant learning programs give a great opportunity to avail high quality learning with the help of internet connectivity.

Digital classrooms are considered as the vital element in promoting and improving the traditional methods of teaching and learning. So all universities must focus on it, and try to attract more virtual students. So they apply the most friendly user software and technology with skillful teachers and engineers to fulfill this aim. In fact digital class transforms the education process, and cause universal interactivity between teacher and learners as well as among learners themselves, all around the world.

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