From 4 walls to 6 inches: Impact of technology in Education sector

By Jill Mehta, Freelance Consultant @ IndusGuru

“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn” – Ignacio Estrada

The traditional classroom schools surely have a lasting memory in our minds-Written assignments, projects, pen/paper tests and exams, parent teacher meetings and so many more. As much as one would enjoy those days, it also true that many of us lagged behind in catching up what was taught, many times our parents wrote our assignments and we didn’t like the way Science was taught. Well, for some times have changed. From the 4 walls of our classroom students are now learning on a 6inch mobile phone!

Technology has made student’s life easier, convenient and less hectic. It is estimated that the Indian EdTech sector will be nearly worth $2 billion (Rs 13,790 crore) by 2021, according to a joint report by Google and KPMG India. The advent and inclusion of technology has engaged students in their studies due to interactive platforms available. There are dozens of apps and websites that collate reading material from various reference books, sort them by subject and topics and also present the topics in animated video formats. It is a known fact that such animated and info graphical content has a deeper registration in mind compared to just reading. The apps not only allow students to learn but also help them know how much of that learning is actually understood by them. The platforms have inbuilt tests and levels, 24X7 doubt solving and assistance by professional tutors.

Students no longer have to travel till the tutors place or even spend time in writing down notes. Technology is so updated and adaptive that the algorithm used also analyzes the time spent by a student to learn the topic and understands the pace of learning of the student. These apps also allow parents to track their students’ performance and learning periodically, which also makes it easier for working parents to ensure the progress of the student with just one click!

Gamification is increasingly used in education sector which enhances interaction amongst students, promotes healthy competition and also makes it more fun! Adaptive learning helps students to learn at their own place and even repeat what has already passed away in the classroom.

Technology is undoubtedly an enabler to education and it is already transforming how we interact with teachers, books and ourselves. Though technology is always an expensive affair, many parents prefer the traditional teaching because of the cost involved. While some also feel that there is no better teacher than experience, and that technology cannot be a complete and whole solution to classroom teaching. But one must agree that dissemination of knowledge has drifted away from just a guru-shishya (teacher-student) bond to an open source free learning platform.

#gamification #edutech #startups #innovation

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author and do not reflect the position or official policy of IndusGuru Network Partners