Rupjyoti Kalita has over seven years of teaching experience with extraordinary academic track records. His keen interest and diverse technique in developing students’ IT skills enables them to learn abstract concepts with ease and with fun. He has attended many training programs and workshops conducted by different authorities in the field of teaching-learning and leadership.
Indian education has undergone a tectonic shift due to prolonged school closure, which left millions of students out of school and increased learning losses. To deal with the situation, schools have adopted technology and cutting-edge solutions. Technology has made it possible to deliver quality education to the country’s remotest corners. This led to several changes in the education sector, replacing the traditional classrooms and using innovation at all levels with technologies such as virtual lessons and online education. Realizing the importance of practical training and the scope of technology in preparing students for the digitally-driven future, the National Education Policy, 2020 also emphasizes the interplay of education and technology by revamping the existing curriculums.
Digitalization in education has been multifold for several years with increased internet penetration and the availability of mobile phones. It has been observed in adoption of education technology such as language applications, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, or online learning software. However, the question is whether technology will replace traditional classrooms? We believe that technology will further facilitate the smooth delivery of education to every section of society with its integration into classrooms.
It not only helps teachers to enhance students’ performance but will provide access to plenty of information. Teachers can use learning software with innovative sound and AI and VR technologies to help students solve math problems, read complex texts, and understand various science and social science concepts.
Technology will make classrooms more interactive by facilitating better interactions and collaboration among students and teachers. It will motivate students to learn new things and take up new projects through various methods—for instance, gamification, virtual field trips, and leveraging other online learning resources. Today’s generation is more digitally sound and has a mobile phone in their hands. Therefore including gamification in the curriculum help educators drive deeper engagements, facilitating a collaborative and positive learning environment. Also, when students join each other for gaming sessions, it nurtures them with teamwork skills and good sportsmanship. Games can also teach language, problem-solving, critical thinking skills, creativity, and even time-management when used in group and time-based settings. Several reports also suggest that this vertical will grow more in the coming years and will also benefit teaching learners with disabilities.
The use of technology will allow educators to deliver personalized education to each student by understanding their needs. It will help teachers make lessons as per the interests of the students and areas for improvement. It empowers students to choose how they want to learn with pre-recorded videos and lectures in the lesson plan. The data generated through online study and assessments will help teachers focus on the areas where the students require further assistance.
The NEP 2020 states, “Pedagogy must evolve to make education more experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centered, discussion-based, flexible, and, of course, enjoyable.” Technology has a more significant role in making education more experiential as it will make learning more engaging through virtual reality,3D arts, and definition apps. However, the part of VR needs to be increased in classroom education as it can provide more powerful visualization, fosters better teacher-student interaction, and increases practical understanding of the students.
Using technology at school and outside the classroom will help students attain relevant 21st-century skills to enhance their employment prospects. Technology has an essential role in the future as most jobs will be interlinked with it somehow. Imbibing technology can help students learn basic technical skills to future-proof their careers.
However, technology not only helps students in classroom learning but also benefits society by democratizing education. Technology has brought educators across the world online, which will help students to learn and understand complex concepts from various methods. Furthermore, it made it easy for students to choose multiple vocational courses online based on their interests and studies. There are several areas where access to education was challenging, but through internet penetration and online classes, students even in the remotest area can learn.