Dev Roy, founder and Managing Director of Digital Aristotle, is a serial entrepreneur and started his professional journey as a Debt Instrument Trader with the Bank of America. He reached the zenith of Investment Banking by becoming the youngest Managing Director of Barclays Capital at their London office. He previously founded India’s first outpatient Dialysis Chain, Nephrolife. After a four-year journey, Digital Aristotle is catering to at least 60 schools across different parts of the country.
EdTech is a sector at the intersection of technology and education and can broadly be referred to as technology-enabled solutions and services that redefine how traditional education is imparted. The emergence and consecutive evolution of EdTech have been helping students, teachers, as well as institutions, achieve their education goals in unprecedented ways. As a matter of fact, EdTech is more about applying digital technology to deliver a new form of learning architecture. This assumes even more significance in the wake of the ongoing pandemic, which made remote learning a household practice. The EdTech platforms came to the rescue of all and ensured the learning process was not disrupted despite prolonged closure of schools and colleges.
When we talk about induction of technology in education, the foremost change that has been brought about in the learning landscape is that it’s now easier than ever to reach and cater to the educational needs of an increased number of students. As remote learning became the new normal, the biggest challenge for institutions and teachers was teaching multiple students in one go. While a few relied on third-party applications such as Zoom, the smart ones opted for new EdTech platforms, which did not merely replicate classroom learning but aided the same.
This evolution of EdTechs has led to students interactively completing their learning cycle. They are now equipped with different fun techniques to understand various concepts in totality, and the same has been enabled by optimum utilisation and integration of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
Another change that has been brought about in the learning landscape by EdTech platforms is streamlining of assessment processes. It seemed like a distant possibility at the onset for teachers to rightly and conveniently assess the students in the remote learning setup, but eventually, it turned out to be a hassle-free process. For instance, one of our platforms AssessEd, which empowers schools to conduct data-driven assessments, including multiple-choice as well as long format questions, registered a surge in the recent past. This again manifests how technology in education is helping things get right. Technology has been helping students understand how they are performing in comparison to their peers using different types of online tests. These platforms are connecting students with study resources, teachers and with each other.
EdTech platforms have equalised standards in education, making knowledge and learning accessible for all, eventually leading to the democratisation of education. The smart interactive live classes help millions of students study from the comfort of their homes so that their learning cycle is not disrupted.
Lest we forget, there are several stakeholders, including teachers and parents, who are not well versed with the existing technologies. Their need is of an easy-to-use platform that streamlines the technicalities and processes involved. With EdTech platforms, they have skipped the trouble of acquiring new skills. Technology also helps parents keep track of their ward. To add to it, EdTechs have catered to people from all walks of life and all strata of society. It’s not just the affluent ones who have access to technology in education today. There are plenty of affordable options in the market, be it in elementary, K12 or higher education.
EdTech is making children think more about ‘why and how’, rather than just mugging up the school notes. As mentioned earlier, it’s not about replicating classroom teaching, rather aiding the learning with the help of AI and ML. Such platforms have brought about a paradigm shift in the students’ temperament, as they are increasingly focusing on getting concepts in place.
The EdTech players need to identify the unmet needs, understand the sentiments of students and teachers, and cater to the unmet needs. The spike in the emergence of social learning platforms is a significant example of the same. New digital ecosystems and social networking allow learners to connect and collaborate in unprecedented ways. A plethora of tools connects them with mentors, tutors, alumni and peers, thereby giving them access to additional user-generated content.
The driving forces behind the rise of EdTech in the wake of the pandemic have been sophisticated technology, competitive workforce and a thriving consumer base, which collectively constitute the learning landscape. By virtually reaching almost every child around the world through smart online classes and live simulation lessons, EdTechs have emerged an entity that connects us all. Technology might have touched every aspect and component of the economy, but one sector where it has altered the landscape is education.