Tech-aided learning: personal, effective

Since the times of sages, gurus and acharyas, India as a society has always given education the highest priority. In fact, studies show that Indian households are one of the highest spenders in the world when it comes to education. Ensuring the best education for their children has been and will always be one of the key focus areas of any Indian parent.

The Indian education sector faces several issues such as lack of access to good teachers, a one-size-fits-all approach towards learning and focus on memory-based learning methods. Learning continues to be driven by the fear of exams, and not by the love for learning. We often tend to ignore the fact that if students learn in the right way, and if they like learning, it will ultimately lead to good grades.

In the recent times, education in India has witnessed a paradigm shift with technological innovations, internet revolution and digital technology advancements. With increased smartphone penetration (expected to reach 550 million people by 2018), mobile and online learning are set to become the key mediums of learning. This will enable access to quality content and resourceful teachers to the masses irrespective of their geographical locations.

The digital advancements can significantly change and improve the way children learn. Technology can be effectively used to personalise learning. Be it customised feedback, detailed analysis or offering access to quality teachers, use of technology in education will definitely contribute towards creating better learning experiences.

Today, teachers can redefine the way children learn by combining their teaching skills with tech-enabled tools. They can create a huge impact and reach out to millions of children across the globe. In fact, in the coming years, learning through technology will become vital for children from all grades.

Another factor that makes learning through technology effective is the use of visual aids. Studies show that children extensively use their senses to learn, wherein the sense of sight accounts for 75%, hearing 13% and the remaining 12% accounts to other factors. Digital learning platforms offer learning videos which are a combination of teachers, 2-D and 3-D images and animation that help students understand and remember what they see, hear and learn.

Game-like experience

Technology in education helps in creating a game-like learning experience (especially for lower grade students), where they are exposed to concepts in the form of games. A game-like and movie-like learning process gets children to learn out of interest and curiosity instead of parents and teachers forcing them to do so. Digital platforms also allow parents to be part of the students’ learning journey. They can track and understand their children’s learning patterns and encourage them.

It is evident that learning through technology has triggered a change in how students consume and share content today. Digital learning platforms offer students newer ways to explore concepts and initiate learning on their own. Benefits of e-learning are immense and over the time it has emerged as a vital part of education in India.

Overall, learning from screen is soon becoming the primary medium for students across are ages. Technology will help provide students across grades a personalised, engaging and effective learning experience.

Integrating technology in education will transform the one-to-many learning model to one-on-one personalised learning experiences in a true sense, thereby making learning more accessible to students.

(The writer is co-founder and director, BYJU’s — the learning app)