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• A country’s growth is governed by many factors, and education is one of them.
• While schools in the urban areas are complemented by state-of-the-art infrastructure, facilities, and teachers; schools in the rural areas struggle with necessary facilities like toilets and lack a proper teaching staff.
• Needless to say, this results in a reduced sense of motivation among students and is a significant cause of poor quality of education in rural schools

Despite 85% of the government schools being in villages, students in rural areas rarely get the quality education that could benefit them. This leads to a loss of potential talent which could have contributed to the progress of the country. Keeping in mind the fact that numerous successful IAS aspirants are from rural areas, there are no limits to what these students could achieve if they are given access to quality education.

Non-Profit Organizations:

To battle this imminent problem, many non-profit organizations like eVidyaloka are now trying to improve the quality learning by bringing online education to rural classrooms. Their prime purpose is to bring about a knowledgeable and empowered rural India through the provision of quality education. The “each one, teach one” ideology encourages educated professionals to take time out of their schedules to deliver online lectures to students from rural areas.

The students thus not only get the quality education they lack, but they also get taught by teachers who are enthusiastic about teaching, which also goes a long way in boosting their morale. Online education enhances the learning outcome of students through learning modules that are focused on their classroom syllabus.

The language also poses a barrier when it comes to teaching in rural areas. NGOs, however, have overcome this barrier through an active tutor management program that focuses on taking on volunteers who are comfortable teaching in the local language, although it might not be their medium of instruction during their school days!

Government Initiatives:

The government has also played a significant role in bringing about an educational reform through online learning. The Ministry of Human Resource Development has recently launched three initiatives – Swayam, Swayam Prabha, and National Academic Depository, which aim to take the e-learning sector in India to the next level. At the inauguration of these initiatives, former President Pranab Mukherjee talked about how digital technology can enable excellent teachers to directly teach a large number of students who are not physically present in classes. The interactive learning experience will thus allow students in the remote parts of the country to benefit from lectures delivered by highly qualified teachers.

Swayam and Swayam Prabha are a rendition of digital classrooms that enable students from rural areas to connect either through the Internet or direct-to-home service and access educational content. Swayam offers courses through digital classes, and the study material is available online in the form of videos. Everything is available free of cost; however, students who want certificates will need to get registered.

India’s Chief Economic Advisor, Arvind Subramanian has also prepared a series of lectures on the Indian economy which can be accessed via Swayam and Swayam Prabha. The course structure of these online and digital classrooms will cover every aspect of education from class nine onwards, and will also include preparatory courses for competitive exams, including modules for preparation of IITs and IAS exams.

If not Internet, then DTH:

For the remote areas which still lack the facilities of a stable Internet connection, the Government will use alternative methods of communication. Swayam Prabha aims to tap into the potential utilization of Direct-to-Home (DTH) Service, and plans are already in place for setting up of a dish antenna that would give students access to 32 educational channels run by the HRD ministry. According to Dr. Pankaj Mittal, the Additional Secretary in UGC, these channels will broadcast new content of a duration of at least four hours, and this would be repeated five more times in a day, thus allowing students to view this content according to their convenience.

The online classrooms offered by government and non-profit organizations alike work towards one common goal: to provide equal quality of education to students in rural areas. These classroom programs are bridging the gap in quality education, and are thus empowering these students to do more with their lives. Thanks to these active initiatives, students in rural areas are also becoming aware of the variety of career paths they could follow, a privilege that they’d never had before.

Methods of teaching and learning processes make all the difference when it comes to education. These are also the main factors responsible for the stark contrast in the quality of education in the rural and urban areas. Online education can bridge this gap and bring to rural students the education they most rightly deserve.

Source: https://www.techgenyz.com/2018/09/03/online-education-for-remote-areas-in-india/

• Online Education in India: 2021’, a comprehensive report prepared by KPMG in India and Google points out that the online education market in India is slated to witness an eight-fold growth by 2021
• There is already a rise in the number of e-learning companies offering classroom supplement solutions and solutions for competitive examinations
• Coming years will witness a further rise

14July, 2018

by Beas Dev Ralhan

The K—12 education sector has undergone an overhaul in the last decade. Although, technology has made inroads into the sector with the promise of actively engaging students in the learning process, thereby, improving learning outcomes and reducing teachers’ repetitive tasks, its huge potential has not been fully realised yet.

Students need to have more agency in their learning process. Teachers are still largely the sole disseminators of knowledge. But with technology intervention, the scenario could undergo a huge transformation and the teacher would become more of a facilitator in the entire teaching-learning gamut.

The increasing role of technology 

Online learning

Online Education in India: 2021’, a comprehensive report prepared by KPMG in India and Google points out that the online education market in India is slated to witness an eight-fold growth by 2021. There is already a rise in the number of e-learning companies offering classroom supplement solutions and solutions for competitive examinations.  And the coming years will witness a further rise.

• Anytime, anywhere learning

This trend allows students to learn anytime from anywhere ensuring learning is no longer limited to the four walls of a classroom. Students can learn from the comforts of their home or while strolling in the park. This allows learners to explore their interests more. For instance, in the conventional scenario, a learner can approach the teacher only during school hours to clarify any doubts. However, many online learning platforms have doubt clarification sessions that allow students to clarify their doubts instantly.

• Peer learning

Online learning opens the door for student collaboration. In a classroom, teachers are often pressed for time and there are not many opportunities for students to learn from one another. However, online learning platforms have a dedicated learning community where students can help each other learn. They can collaborate on projects, clarify each other’s doubts or discuss projects. This helps them gain a fresh perspective on topics and learn concepts anew.

Making learning more engaging

One of the reasons technological intervention in the K-12 sector is successful is because of its great potential to make educational content engaging and interesting. Thanks to 2D and 3D technology, digital content has made itself a useful resource for both students and teachers. Theory in itself is not enough to make students understand concepts. Digital content due to its interactive nature is easy to grasp. Students are able to understand and retain concepts better. In the near future, we would see a proliferation of content using technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR).

Artificial Intelligence

Compared to other sectors like health and infrastructure, technology has been a late entrant in the education sector due to which the impact of artificial intelligence is also be bound to be delayed. But it has immense potential to improve the learning outcomes in the education sector.

Adaptive learning – This is a unique learning solution powered by artificial intelligence, where the learning path is personalised for each learner based on interactions with learners.  It suggests a series of assessments and study materials, to each learner to mitigate his/her learning gaps and meet their individual learning objectives.  This personalised way of learning enables learners to study at their own pace and as per their own ability. Thus, a personalised learning experience engages students effectively in their own learning.

Besides the advent of technology, the education sector has also witnessed a change in the approach towards teaching and learning in the last decade.

Focus away rote learning to building 21st century skills

Not everything is bad about rote learning, but it should not be an end in itself. Learning should focus on preparing students for their professional life. In the coming years, we will see the emergence of a curriculum that will emphasize on hands-on activities, experiential learning and more. The emphasis will not just be on acquiring skills and knowledge but also on the process of learning which will be more student-centric.

Importance of coding 

Coding involves writing programs for the creation of computer software, websites and apps. Realizing the indispensable nature of coding in today’s tech-savvy world, the concept is introduced right at the kindergarten level in many countries. . Although, the children are not taught traditional programming languages, they are introduced to fundamental programming concepts, such as sequencing, loops and conditionals, through exciting activities. Besides developing programming skills, coding also helps students develop 21st century skills – creativity, collaboration, communication and critical-thinking.

Alleviating the burden on teachers 

Technology can be a great teaching ally too. The existing digital content helps teachers engage the classroom effectively. In the coming years, we will see a rise in the incorporation of Learning Management System (LMS) into the K-12 sector. LMS aids in planning and delivering education course and also tracking its delivery. An LMS will help a teacher plan the curriculum in-depth and also track the learning progress. The detailed reports will inform teachers about the deviations encountered in the well-defined learning path so that action can be taken to mitigate these deviations.

There has been a rise in e-learning content. However, a major part of the available content is ineffective in engaging students and improving learning outcomes. Thus, parameters to evaluate content will have to be set. The role of government bodies is paramount in promoting such initiatives.

Thus it can be inferred that in the next few years, the k-12 sector will witness improved learning outcomes. It will be able to provide an environment conducive to increased student engagement and improved teacher performance.

• Multiple issues ranging from obsolete syllabus, lack of practical learning, shortage of quality educators, and other issues formed the crux of the problem.
• e-learning has been able to permeate many layer of the Indian society, and the platform is fast-becoming an essential tool in transforming the educational system for good

by Bhola Meena

There was a time when the state of the Indian education system was significantly dismal and bleak. Multiple issues ranging from obsolete syllabus, lack of practical learning, shortage of quality educators, and other issues formed the crux of the problem. However, in the past couple of years, one could undoubtedly observe educational efficacy evolve with the support of digital means.

E-learning has played the role of a catalyst for bringing about an equitable approach to high-quality education. It has done so by providing unlimited teaching and learning opportunities, while also improving student’s learning outcomes, participation and pedagogical innovation tremendously.

The proliferation of digital tools like apps, tablets, and laptops has introduced a sense of unbridled, real-time interaction into the learning process. A simple chalk & talk lesson has matured into engagement, collaboration and feedback. This reflects in the number of eager learners who sign up for online courses. In 2016 alone, 5.8 million students enrolled in online courses. This is a 263% increase over the last twelve years, making India the third-largest online learning market behind only the US and China.

E-learning has reached deep and wide

Breaking barriers is one thing, and the ability to consolidate education and training across geographical constraints is another. E-learning has penetrated into the Indian hinterland owing to increasing affordability of high-speed Internet as well as access to smart-phones. Students are being empowered to get quality resource and education, anytime, anywhere. Improved connectivity and digital payment access have further bolstered the concept of education for all.

It is proving to be value for money, and flexible with time

There was a 175% increase in the cost of education from 2008 to 2014. This made the online space the most cost-effective place for learners to hone new skills, supplement for school learning, prepare for competitive exams or even take up non-academic subjects. Courses online are 53% cheaper than offline alternatives. Along with that ardent learners are also able to save on time otherwise lost while travelling from one place to another. They can simply log on to their devices and leverage the benefits of e-learning on the go.

Quality has not been lost despite its reach

Online learning is a great platform to present a world-class learning experience to the ever-expanding student community and workforce. There is no denying that each year a limited number of seats are available at leading universities. Many lose out on them, and along with it, on the chance of getting a quality education. However, online education has changed this. Many online websites have opened up access to live and interactive learning in collaboration with premier schools and universities from around the globe. The faculty is best in class and the students have the opportunity to learn directly from industry stalwarts. Simple-to-use interface, virtual field trips, email, virtual labs, electronic textbooks, and free online resources are students them excellent global educational experiences.

It is customizable to personal needs and goals

Personalized e-learning enables learners to customize a variety of the elements involved in their education process. From modified schedules, personalized lesson plans and activities, customized goal-setting, everything is as per the individual’s needs.  This unique learning approach has helped provide individualized and differentiated instruction to each learner. This makes the learning experience richer and with improved learning results.

The online-to-offline strategy is removing the barricade of owning gadgets

Many e-learning centers have adopted an O2O strategy; that is an Online-to-Offline strategy. In this approach, they rope in local coaching institutes, independent tutors, and publishers, to offer students a simulated learning experience. This is a big leap in terms of providing digital access to a wider learning audience. It ensures that quality study materials and preparation guides are available to those who live beyond metro cities.

Evidently, e-learning is creating a better learning environment for learners and teachers alike. It is now expanding into areas like test preparation for government and bank jobs, re-skilling initiatives and professional certification for entrepreneurs and professionals looking to upgrade their skillset, higher education through distance-learning, and casual learning.

Product offerings are set to increase with the advent of artificial intelligence and Big Data analytics. While the former will make discovery of learning more accessible and intuitive; the latter will contextualize learning options and drive purchase behaviour based on past choices of learning modules.

To summarize, e-learning has been able to permeate many layer of the Indian society, and the platform is fast-becoming an essential tool in transforming the educational system for good.

Source: https://qrius.com/online-based-learning-is-transforming-the-indian-education-system/