JOIN USFuture of education will shine with new age technology
The present day education system has come a long way and undergone a makeover from the age old traditions, although the change has been somewhat incremental. However, advent of technologies like Big Data and analytics, cloud and mobility in the education sector has the potential to spur a quantum shift on both fronts — how the teachers teach and students learn.
The current teaching paradigm of the teacher as the possessor of knowledge requires a shift to a newer paradigm of teacher as a coach. As a coach, he/she is not bound by a set time frame and syllabus and he/she is expected to provide a collaborative learning environment and access to information.
This modern-day teacher can really be helped by these technologies to improve both efficiency and effectiveness of teaching. Similarly, with these technologies entering the education sector, students will be expected to take ownership for their learning. But along with increased ownership, they will also enjoy improved access to quality education.
Big Data and Analytics
Big Data refers to extremely large data sets that can be analysed to unearth trends and associations. At a macro-level, these insights can help educators understand broad patterns sweeping the education sector. At a micro-level it can really transform education delivery by making it personalised and thereby improving learning outcomes. Adoption of learning technologies is increasing and teachers have started using online tests, activities and games to supplement offline methods. Analysis of the data captured through these activities will help in understanding the entire learning process, which is much more valuable to improve student understanding and engagement, rather than just focusing on test scores.
Big Data analysis can provide unique student-specific insights so that content-tailored to student’s level and aptitude can be dynamically served to him/her. What’s more, it can actually predict student success or failure even before he or she attempts the test.
Cloud
Cloud technology has been a game changer for most businesses from all walks of life, and education will be no exception.
Level playing field for students of all income groups/requirements: In addition to increased accessibility, collaboration and flexibility, cloud computing will help create digital copies of textbooks, significantly cheaper than their printed versions — leveling the playing field for students of all income groups.
Decreased dependence on expensive hardware and software: Cloud-based applications can run on internet browsers and are compatible with almost all mobile devices, reducing dependence on external hardware. Thus, cloud solutions can help minimise cost for educational institutions, which are often constrained by limited resources.
Teacher productivity and effectiveness: Education cloud can bring more efficiency and productivity helping teachers manage assessments, gradebook, attendance data, assignments, peer evaluations etc., online. Teachers will have the opportunity to be the ‘coach’ as envisaged — they can upload all relevant materials prior to class for students to review. They can use the classroom time for discussion, practical exercises and hands-on training.
Mobility and Social Media
The future of education is going to be defined by transfer of knowledge, unhindered by constraints of location, distance and time. Mobile phones would radically change the face of education delivery, especially in remote areas. Mobile internet will open new opportunities for independent, self-paced learning with access to global best quality content and teachers. Concept of social classroom will emerge, where, students and teachers are all connected on social media, collaborate with the help of cloud and access it with their mobile devices anytime, anywhere. This will make learning fun and easy too, freeing student-teacher interaction from the confines of classroom.
While all these technologies have good potential to enhance education delivery, it will also require careful selection and a well thought-out plan of implementation and adoption to deliver results. Ultimately, the aim is to empower the teachers and students — and technology definitely holds the potential to be a catalyst and an enabler of positive changes.
(Vamsi Krishna is the Co-founder and CEO of Vedantu Innovations, a live, one-to-one online tutoring platform)