Digital transformation has impacted traditional learning by shifting to online and cloud-based delivery platforms. The graph of specific skill development through online courses will undoubtedly rise says Papri Dey Borthakur, Vice Principal, NPS International School, Guwahati, Assam in an interaction with Nidhi Shail Kujur of Elets News Network (ENN). Edited excerpts.
Tell us about your achievements in terms of ‘Innovation in Education’ during the year 2022.
The pandemic had ushered the virtual classrooms and technology-infused instruction in classes. Teaching and learning found new dimensions, no doubt, but tech-driven classes didn’t provide much scope for imbibing durable and key skills such as problem-solving, resilience to deal with setbacks, leadership quality, critical thinking, time management and so on. In 2022, when the schools had the good fortune to conduct physical classes throughout, I invested all my energy in prioritizing the development of these skills. Teachers were given hands-on training to nurture these skills in the classroom on a daily basis through appropriate activities incorporated into various aspects of the curriculum.
I also initiated the ‘Bag less Week’ for each class wherein the students learnt beyond the traditional classroom setting through experiential learning. They were provided opportunities to gain concrete experiences through visits to the state museum, municipal office, cultural museum of the northeast, the wetlands and forest eco-systems around Guwahati city etc. Their real-life experiences were expanded in the classrooms through reflections.
I also moved past a siloed professional-centric approach to raising our students and started using a model of social connection. Doctors, entrepreneurs, administrative officers, homemakers, beauticians, parents, career counsellors, nurses and many others were invited to interact and spend time with learners of different age groups to create positive and reciprocal connections and psychological bonds with the community.
How futuristic technologies are going to transform education in the year 2023?
Futuristic technologies will further alter the education sector’s dynamics in 2023. We have already witnessed how digital transformation has already impacted the traditional learning process by shifting towards online and cloud-based delivery platforms. There will definitely be a rise in the graph of specific skill development through online courses. Artificial Intelligence will become the trusted partner for tracking student progress and diagnosing to provide necessary interventions.
Globally connected learning platforms will undoubtedly become more popular for futuristic learning beyond subjects offered in traditional schools.
Gamification and game-based learning will become a trend in 2023. Students will hone their cognitive tools by participating in challenging games on digital playgrounds.
What are the innovations that accelerated the transformation of growth in the education landscape in the year 2022?
The transformation of growth in the education sector was accelerated by online and cloud-based delivery platforms. Developing new competencies to train for futuristic job opportunities was made available to both students and professionals who wanted to learn subjects and skills that were not available locally. With flexible timings, these courses could fit in without disrupting the regular schedule. Another benefit of these courses was the lower cost factor. Software powered by self-learning algorithms helped to provide students with more personalized forms of need-based learning.
What is your mission and vision to impact the paradigm shift of the education arena in the year 2023?
We are dealing with Generation Z who are tech natives and a digital generation. Many of them have been using phones and tablets even before they started schooling. Dissociating them from technology and expecting them to attain mastery in concepts would somewhat be expecting a fish to climb a tree. So why not embrace technology and leverage its digital adaptability for the larger benefit of creating future-ready learners?
This is what is my primary vision as well as the mission to impact the paradigm shift of the education arena in the forthcoming year. We are well aware that many of the jobs that Gen Z will not exist in future and many existing jobs will become automated. Future jobs will require future skills and certificates and degrees collected through rote learning will go out of demand because they cannot be converted into tangible skills. The best way to make the problem meet the solution would be to adopt approaches that resonate with Gen X and lays the foundation for self-directed learners. Skill building is the need of the future and my goals for 2023 will resonate with this need.
But the flip side of the tech native generation is that they are impatient and start feeling dejected if they fail in their initial attempts. My mission will also be to create mindfulness in them which is the key to building resilience because it shows the benefits of developing emotional stability and increased conscientiousness. Students will be guided on research-backed mindfulness and its effects and experiential practices that will help in making mindfulness a way of life. They will be steered towards realising that failures are inevitable in life – Sometimes we win but always we learn.
