Table of Contents
Digital Education in India
“We should focus on digital education. Through this digitalization, we can make the education system better.”
THE LIVE LEARNS
What is digital education in India?
Digital education is a technique of learning which involves technology and digital devices. This is a new and broad technical sphere which shall help any student attain knowledge and gain information from any corner across the country. We can say digital education in India is the future of education and learning. Covid-19 pandemic had briefly disrupted the classroom education system. Since the first lockdown in March 2020, all the states have responded to the covid-19 situation with speed and innovation. So the global pandemic necessitated the option of online learning and use of digital technology.
“Instead of learning to memorize facts and figures, students need to ‘learn how to learn’ and how to solve problems.” ~ Bold.expert
Importance of digital education in India:
During this pandemic situation when the world is fighting against covid 19; digital education in India is a sole source of learning for the students in the country. Digital education has made students not just gain bookish information but also gain practical and technical knowledge.
There are no limitations as to the place of learning and studying. With the help of digital education a student can attend online classes at any time anywhere.
“Knowing how to learn is key in the information age”
~ Bold.expert
Another remarkable benefit is the study materials are always available online, so students can take their time to understand any topic.
Owing to the various digital tools and technologies, the students are becoming more and more aware of changing times. To keep pace with these changes, they are fast learning the various tools and technologies, which in turn is making them smarter and more knowledgeable.
Challenges of digital education in India:
According to National Sample Survey data for 2017_18, only 42% of urban and 15% of rural households had internet access. So from the above data we can clearly assume that 2/3rd of the children will be left out of the online education process. The rural and poor population are the worst affected by inadequate Internet penetration.
“Education used to be a one-shot game, now it has to be a lifelong game.” ~ Bold.expert
When it comes to online education, the student-teacher communication occurs through direct video calls or watching online video lectures which require stable and high speed internet connection. In slow internet speed the whole idea of digital education fails.
Another problem of online education is lack of trained teachers i.e, teachers are not adequately trained to inculcate these learning through online mediums.
“Instead of giving people a menu of academic disciplines, we should give them a menu of problems and challenges that the world is facing.” ~ Bold.expert
Digital education is not only about lectures on blackboards by teachers on the internet. It’s about appropriate platforms, technology, tools, interactivity, skills; which we really lack.
Digital Initiatives in India for education:
Despite all these challenges the government has initiated many projects to universalise digital education across the wide spectrum of schools from pre-nursery to higher-secondary classes and to assist teachers, scholars and students in their pursuits of learning. Among them DIKSHA platform ( quality e_content for school education) online MOOC courses, on Air_ Shiksha Vani, Digitally Accessible Information System (DAISY), e_pathsala are some remarkable initiatives taken for the enhancement of digital education in India. Moreover, PM e_VIDYA, a comprehensive initiative, unifies all efforts related to digital/online/on_ air education to facilitate multi-modal access to education.
Digital education during covid-19:
The global pandemic, Covid-19 shook the world and has changed the way education is perceived. There has been a significant increase in usage of virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools, online learning software etc. With educational institutions closed due to the Covid_ 19 pandemic, the government has been encouraging online education to achieve academic continuity. Most high_ended private and public institutions have made the switch smoothly using online platforms such as Zoom, Google meet, Microsoft teams etc.
Future of digital education in India:
As a developing country we are going through an incredible phase of technological development in every sector. For a long time, we have relied on traditional teaching methods i.e, classroom teaching methods. The advanced technology has changed the way of education.
People in India are moving towards online education due to convenience, affordable cost and the quality education and also the government is promoting online education (e_learning).
According to a recent survey after Unites States, India is the second highest country for the online enrollment courses all over the world. From the last few years the online education has changed the quality of education and is far better than earlier. Seeing the increasing demand for online education, many business competitors are entering this market; providing services at free of cost.
Conclusion:
Every dark cloud has a Silver lining. ~Bold.expert
Online education used to be an outliner until covid-19 pandemic placed it at the Central stage. With this we are stepping forward from traditional to digital education mode. But still the opinion of most of the people in India is, “online education must supplement, not replace physical sites of learning.”