Today,
India is one of the world's top destinations for education. With some of the
best colleges and universities, it is renowned for its excellence and high
standards. What's even more interesting is how technology has advanced rapidly
to transform the way students in India consume educational content.
Additionally, the penetration of internet-based smartphones is taking quality
learning to students across geographies in India.
Today,
little children are watching their favorite cartoons and learning pictorial
rhymes on the same device. Education is being imparted to them through flexible
and non-intrusive formats. As a consequence, students across all age groups are
discovering the joys of learning and having fun while at it. There has been a
noticeable shift in the perception of parents and teachers view digital
learning too. Today, institutions are making efforts to shift the focus back on
students to reinvent the way they learn right throughout their life.
India
might not have readily adopted education technology but it's heartening to see
how a traditional sector like education is using technology as an enabler so
far. Today, some cutting-edge technologies are being used to further enhance
this sector, while grabbing the attention of entrepreneurs, venture
capitalists, corporates and governments.
HERE
ARE THE FACTORS THAT ARE ENABLING THE GROWTH OF DIGITAL EDUCATION:
1. PERSONALISED AND ADAPTIVE LEARNING
Learning platforms, softwares and digital devices are
together creating countless new ways to modify education. This way, the
academic potential, strengths, weaknesses, aptitude and learningpace of
every single student is catered to. Precise, mobile and reliable applications
are being created to teach students, help them practice their learnings, take
assignments and manage their schedules.
Schools
are now providing their students with digital devices like desktop computers,
laptops and tablets. These devices are aiding them in the teaching process
while also helping them understand how students learn and how to enhance their
learning process.
The
'one size fits all' teaching model is being supplemented by adaptive,
personalized learning pedagogies. Going forward, this will be the new trend in
formal learning that will enable students to be technologically skilled and
equipped for modern workplaces.
2. TWO-WAY CONVERSATIONS IN E-LEARNING
In the
traditional classroom seating scenario, students are unable to get the
individual attention they need due to time constraints. In contrast, the
one-to-one context of learning in digital mediums currently students to learn
through videos and chat with an expert.
The
upcoming 'Learning Management System' will continue the two-way communication
model between students and experts. More importantly, it will let students
track their coursework progress, identify improvement areas and offer ways to
make the most of them.
Through
the help of 'Big Data', experts will be able to capture student feedback within
the framework of the content provided. With this alone, they'll be able to
improvise and enhance their offerings in new ways to further benefit students.
3. MOBILE-BASED LEARNING
Over
the past few years, mobile learning has picked up by the populace who have
gradually assimilated it in their lives. It has offered students the
flexibility to access educational content seamlessly across multiple digital
devices like desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.
The
smartphone user base in India continues to increase, in both urban and rural
areas. The coming years will witness users accessing most of their educational
content through internet powered smartphones in a massive way. Most educational
content, including even online courses, will be optimized entirely for mobile
devices.
4. VIDEO-BASED LEARNING
Video
learning has always appealed to students since it closely mirrors the
traditional classroom teaching style. Earlier, students watched video lectures
as a form of homework and then discussed them during the next class. Over time,
this habit brought about a remarkable improvement in their performance, with a
noticeable improvement in grades.
Video lectures allowed
students to learn subject syllabi at their own pace and dedicate time spent in
class towards interactions. This will continue to be a trend in the future
where students will have access torich
and interactive content, that will be useful for both formal training as well
as performance enhancement. The increase in video-based learning on mobile
devices will eventually account for 80 per cent of all internet traffic by
2019.
5. OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Open
digital education resources have commonly been used in distance learning
courses. They consist of freely accessible media for learning, teaching and
research purposes. They are licensed to be revised and disseminated freely by
teachers among students. This allows the latter to gain access to an extensive
arrive of study material that is otherwise restricted indigenously.
Open
educational resources also facilitate the creation of a flexible environment
where teachers can customize educational content for individual sessions or
classroom sittings. This is applicable for typical curricular subjects like
mathematics, sciences and languages, as well as business and fine arts.
6. USAGE OF VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) AND AUGMENTED
REALITY (AR) FOR LEARNING
Virtual
Reality and Augmented Reality are already buzzwords in the technology space.
Their advent in e-learning has massively impacted the efficiency with which it
is offered to students and the way it assesses their performance.
VR
allows students using e-learning platforms on mobile devices to directly
interact with study material. This keeps their engagement levels high and
motivates them to learn more and better. On the other hand, AR facilitates
teachers and trainers in performing tasks, they previously haven't or cannot,
in a safe environment.
Together,
the both of them are engaging students in ways like never before and are poised
to become a lot more widespread in their usage and impact in the future.
Informative !!
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