Technology for effective learning

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” — Nelson Mandela

Statistics from UNESCO show that worldwide, there are 124 million children and adolescents who do not go to school, out of which 17.7 million children are from India. Sadly, in spite of advancements in economic growth and innovation, a significant chunk of the world’s children still remain uneducated. This can be attributed to several causes, primary among them being lack of access to schools, the ineffectiveness of learning and the overall quality of education, which is in need of drastic improvements.

But with technology permeating all spheres of life today, there is widespread acceptance of mobile learning apps among the current tech-savvy generation. As a supplement to traditional learning methods, it has the power to positively impact the quality of education by addressing three major concerns that our system faces today:

Access

A large number of school-going children in India are unable to attend school due to geographical distances, challenging conditions of commute to the nearest school or poor infrastructure in existing schools. Technology as an enabling tool solves the biggest problem of access to education. With the spread of Internet to far reaching areas of the country and widespread use of tablets and smartphones which support learning apps, children need not go in search of the best teachers anymore.

Student engagement

Learning and education become more effective when the teaching is contextual. For the children of today, who are exposed to so much visual stimulation, using visual aids to engage students makes learning interesting, interactive and relevant. ‘How’ they are learning is as important as ‘what’ they are learning. It’s like providing food to a person one day versus teaching them how to fish. Teaching them how to learn creates an impact that will last a lifetime.

Take the example of teaching a child the concept of crest and a trough in Class 8. While introducing him or her to the concept of sound for the first time, technology can be used to help the student relate to the concept visually and contextually. The vibration of a guitar string is a contextual example and the push and pull of a slinky is a visual one. With a visual to connect to, the student is more receptive to the theoretical introduction of the crest and the trough.

Similarly, a student learning about electricity for the first time needs to be introduced to the concept of electrons and atoms. The best way to do that is by giving him or her an example that they can closely relate to. Electrons can be visualised with the help of tennis balls and to explain resistance, a simple video showing balls moving under the ground in a tunnel, and mud resisting their flow can be shown.

You can help a Class 6 student understand the concept of circles by helping them associate the concept with examples they can relate to, such as, bangles, doughnuts, Ferris wheels etc. Instead of using complex definitions, showing images of a cake and cutting out a triangular piece will help the child learn about the concept of circles and sectors in a more interesting way. This improves understanding and retention of what is taught.

Personalisation of learning

Wide gaps in the demand for education and the supply of good quality teachers has led to an average teacher-student ratio of 1:35 in India while in developed countries it is 1:14. This leaves very little scope for one-to-one teaching and personalised attention. The combination of technology and data science can make learning truly personalised, predicting a student’s individual learning style and pace of learning. One of the biggest advantages of a technology-based education system is that it brings the teacher to the student, allowing flexibility in pace and style of learning. It also sets the stage for effective learning.

While there has been a lot of debate on the effects of early exposure to technology, there is evidence to suggest that educational technologies can have a positive effect on a student’s learning ability, interest, retention levels and overall learning outcome. Learning in the right way opens up the minds of children. With a strong foundation, they begin to see the world in a very different way and there is a huge transformation in them as they move on to higher classes. They realise the importance of learning, the value that it brings and the outcome is just what we all expect – smarter kids and better scores.

This is the age of technology and tech- innovations focused on simplifying educational concepts that can enhance the quality and effectiveness of learning from a young age. Technology has the power to create the transition from ‘studying’ to ‘learning’, where studying is for exams and learning is for life.

(The author is CEO, Byju’s Classes, Bengaluru)