point

Technology & Education: A Revolutionary Duo

Vamsi Krishna, CEO & Co-Founder, Vedantu Innovations
Monday, September 28, 2015
Vamsi Krishna, CEO & Co-Founder, Vedantu Innovations
Alan Curtis Kay - a brilliant polymath and an American computer scientist once says- Technology is anything that wasn't around when you were born. Whatever lies around and appears to us as plain old stuff was once technology. Similarly to what we consider genuine technology today may not remain the same for the next generation; this is how we keep inventing the future. Education is also among the other sectors which have not remained untouched by the technological advancement. In fact, scholars strongly believe that knowledge transfer is essential in evolution and this can be accelerated multifold with the help of technology
Ironically, the one size fits all approach of the conventional & institutionalized education model does not effectively contribute towards knowledge transfer. It does force us to think about the future of learning and teaching. For instance, what about students who cannot access quality teachers due to geographical boundaries, budget constraints and time limitations?; the ones who cannot cope with the pace of others in the class and are hesitant to ask doubts in public Or the institutes that cannot afford to accommodate more students due to lack of infrastructure? Technology is the answer to all these & certain other issues faced by the institutionalized education system is India.
With technology came an array of knowledge transfer tools & methodologies. To name a few - video conferencing, whiteboard, gamification, discussion forums, screen sharing tools and social networks. All these have contributed immensely towards how we acquire & perceive knowledge and transfer the same. The best example of technological penetration in education can be seen in the online education sector, which has gained a huge popularity in recent times. It is technologies like data analytics, content and learning management systems which have enabled knowledge sharers to tailor the ideas according to the recipient. It also allows collecting data effortlessly and track performances and engagement levels between the two.
Online education system is utilizing the technology very effectively and it is for this reason, that the concept of smart classrooms, MOOCs and live online tutoring are gaining substantial acceptance throughout the world. While we see technology revolutionizing and accelerating knowledge transfer, the personalization in education lags behind. It is the need of the hour to amalgamate personalization with technology to bring disruption in education.
There are no geographical boundaries stopping anyone to learn from the best of the best teachers. Here, the use of technology ensures that the flow of knowledge and reception is seamless. In addition to all other benefits, flexibility, safety and convenience are also ensured. Interestingly, technology is now making it possible for truly passionate quality teachers to explore the profession of teaching by connecting with students remotely, anytime-anywhere. This will also solve the problem of inaccessibility of quality teachers in far-flung areas. Technology and tools are now more adaptive, intelligent & cohesive than ever and enable easy accessibility, greater understanding, individual focus, personalized attention and maximum engagement.
Gartner predicts the global education sector's technology spending to exceed $67.8 billion in 2015, reflecting the necessity and positive reception of online education. Technology and the internet will together play a crucial role to bring about the change in the status quote in the field of education.
India is among the top three countries with largest internet user base in the world. But internet penetration along with low and fluctuating bandwidths still poses a lot of challenges. However, now with government's focus on digital India, the dream of connected India is not a distant reality. Technology has the power to connect the learner and learned from the farthest and remotest of areas to enhance learning. We can safely predict that the use of technology in the future will only catalyze more innovation & effective knowledge flow and help in making digital education mainstream.
Share on Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Share on facebook