By Mr Girish Singhania, CEO, EduBridge India: People living in urban and rural areas of India are witnessing a digital revolution. We were on the brink of the revolution in the pre-Covid era, but the pandemic accelerated the on-goings of this revolution. The implications of the revolution have emerged in the form of a Digital Divide, which has made its underlying presence felt as educational institutions went online, and when education married technology introducing us to the world of EdTech.
The concept of EdTech is not new. EdTech was designed with an aim of tapping into the complex maze of intelligence possessed by learners. EdTech involves an all-round communication strapping the best of the audio and visual forms of communication. Interaction remains the mainstay, and EdTech successfully propelled learners by involving the use of a blended approach. This approach fosters pronounced memory recall and enhanced understanding of the subject.
The Government of India comprehended the nuances of technology only when the lock down was enforced. Only 20% of the degree education could be imparted online before the lockdown was announced. The government witnessed the potential of technology in the sphere of education only after the lockdown and is making sincere attempts at bridging these gaps to ensure the required seamlessness by revving the digital infrastructure.
Just as EdTech companies started uploading the courses on the cloud, the digital divide made its underlying presence felt significantly. The discontent widened further as not the only learners were victims to this glitch, but corporates, and other working professionals who took to upskilling and reskilling during the course of the pandemic felt the digital divide seep into their lives.
The lockdown has compelled learners and corporates to deal with digital infrastructural challenges that involve everything from issues concerning the choice of equipment and application, wi-fi challenges and most importantly spatial issues. These issues fast emerged as roadblocks disrupting the smooth transition from the physical world to the digital world. Instead of instilling a ray of hope, the media left onlookers even more unsettled as they spoke extensively about increased screen time. However, the fact that actually went missing was that the world (especially India), is undergoing a plethora of changes, and the digital era is just on the brink of setting an entrenched footprint on the Indian Subcontinent. Also, with industries going digital at the drop of a hat during the course of the pandemic; the educational landscape is also undergoing a sea of change. The changes have widened the skill gap. This gap can only be bridged with the help of technology with the help of EdTech companies.
As mentioned above, the Indian educational landscape is showcasing its evolutionary traits as the Ministry of Education has been sanctioned a robust amount during the annual budget of 2021-22. The permitted amount will play a pivotal role at bridging the skill gaps that have arisen in the workforce, depriving lakhs of professionals of deserving job opportunities. The sanctioned amount will leverage the digital advantage of 5G which in turn will enliven the prospect of EdTech on the whole, making education in India a worthwhile experience. Learners of the future will be able to learn in classrooms without walls, and will be also be given the opportunity to explore across streams. An approximate sum of ₹ 90000 crores has been accredited to the Ministry of Education. An approximate amount of ₹ 30000/- crores, has been approved for the development of the Higher Secondary, whereby other courses will be revamped to be aligned to the growing needs of the various industries.
Few of the in demand courses include coding and development (https://www.edubridgeindia.com/search?skill=Advanced+IT) , machine learning, artificial intelligence, advanced banking skills (https://www.edubridgeindia.com/search?skill=Banking), etc. amongst many others that are not far behind. This new method is creating access to a workforce that will be absorbed by the industry honchos, without wasting any time, money or efforts in the induction process.
Today with the help of EdTech, education has infiltrated into the most remote villages of India. Government is making efforts at rolling out mobile schools whereby an instructor harnesses the goodness of technology to educate enthused learners and professionals. Upskilling is now convenient for aspiring professionals as they can acquire the required update in the comfort of their own homes. Learners also get the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and stalwarts through the blended learning approach. They also acquire a certificate after the completion of course promising them better job opportunities which eventually caters to the overall economic growth of country (https://www.edubridgeindia.com/search?benefits=Placement+Assistance). Hence it will be very safe to add, that EdTech companies can play a pivotal role at resurrecting India from an economic depression in the post pandemic era.
The government has developed and provided access to online resources to help teachers/mentors to keep themselves abreast with the latest trends in technology with latest training modules (https://www.edubridgeindia.com/guruschool). This also ensures an uninterrupted and coherent functioning of how a course processes in the appointed time frame and ensures successful completion of syllabus. It fosters a greater level of professionalism in the output and in the way each assignment is delivered by them as students get access to the know-hows of how the World Wide Web functions.
EdTech also helps in overcoming issues such as absenteeism. The learning process does not hamper despite the instructor being around or not. The timings are more consistent and streamlined. This system turns out to be relatively cost effective due to the flexibility it offers. While urban dwellers enjoy the benefits of the internet, problems that are faced by those dwelling in the more remote and inaccessible parts of the country can’t be overlooked. Government and private companies are making efforts to create a whole new landscape in the field of education, that has a global outlook and outreach and bridge these gaps. (https://www.edubridgeindia.com/).
About Author: Mr. Girish Singhania – (CEO) EduBridge India, a Mumbai-based workforce development organization started by a group of IIM alumni and professors in October 2009. He brings 15 years of experience across education, FMCG, and Financial Service sectors and is driven by a visceral “hard-wired” need to strategize, innovate, execute, and disprove the words – “It can’t be done”.
