By
Ms. Preeti Agarwal, Asst. Prof.
Satyam College of Education, Noida
The technological revolution has been a buzz phrase for the last 15 years and for all the right reasons. Much like the industrialisation of the 18th century Europe and the introduction of technology in the latter half of the 20thcentury, technological revolution paves a distinct way for human civilisation to proceed—a way that has been beyond comprehension for too long.
The education sector, too, isn’t oblivious to the advancements and, for this precise reason, we are witnessing a gradual overhaul in the way learning is perceived and practised. This process of gradual transition, however, requires a swift change in the times of pandemic. Owing to the fact that COVID-19 positive cases have increased dramatically, it has become even more critical to facilitate technology-powered learning. After all, we wouldn’t want the students to deviate from their tracks in the midst of their utmost important careers.
But let’s first understand how technology has contributed to education. This way, we’ll be able to get a comprehensive insight into the aspects that can be leveraged during the times of pandemic.
Understanding the influence of technology on education
There’s no alternative to quality education as it is the driving force behind the country’s progression on a social, economic, and administrative level. With highly competitive markets, it becomes even more important to impart knowledge that not only assists the student in his/her endeavours but also resonates with the surrounding trends. In that light, the employment of progressive interventions to enhance the system becomes a norm. As it stands, these interventions are termed as the influence of technology, and rightly so.
Technology has increased accessibility
First off, we must comprehend and accept the fact that technology has expanded the domain of education. By expansion, I am inclining towards the increased accessibility that technology facilitates. For instance, students had to depend on the availability of books. However, access to the Internet and the resulting multimedia has enabled everyone, including both the students and teachers to keep themselves updated about the headways in education.
Technology has improved communication
Now, this is something that applies to every sector that technology encompasses. Because of social media applications, communication is more comfortable than ever. Students and mentors can collaborate effectively and bring to light discussions that previously remained under the shadow. Considering the fact that communication defines the professional relationships, it entails the students to be better at it. Hence, we observe an increased emphasis on verbal and non-verbal facets of expression.
Technology has changed roles and responsibilities
For the most part of human history, there has been a gap between the teacher’s role and the student’s responsibility. This is because teachers have been the sole-renderers of knowledge. However, the roles and responsibilities have witnessed a shift in recent times, courtesy of online learning. In concrete terms, modern-day teachers are more like mentors, who consistently push the students towards satisfying their achievements. Believe me; this role is as challenging as it can get, but then again, it’s far progressive and result-oriented than the earlier versions.
Technology has shifted focus from process to outcome
It doesn’t matter how competent you are unless you exhibit your quality. The aforementioned assertion is applicable to all organisational sectors. Today, a wide array of courses provided by the well-renowned universities concentrate on presenting the solutions to the business problems. These are explicitly designed so thatsound decision-making becomes an integral part of each individual’s efforts for success. There’s no denying that the introduction to distinct technologies has geared up this market where its crucial to be successful at what you do.
Recognising the integration of technology and education in the current scenario
If there were any debates or doubts regarding the inclusion of technology in education, they have vanished in the thin air. Since the spread of COVID-19, the emphasis has been laid upon using technological measures for continuing learning. India, in particular, has been looking at an education structure that is saturated with the use of technology, for this is the only measure to sustain the rendering of quality education.
The changing definition of virtual schools
Virtual schools, in concrete terms, educate the students through the Internet. Coursera, Udemy and other such online platforms are examples of virtual schools that rely on a credit-based system for authenticating the learning process. But, not every student in India can afford to study through these e-portals. Even with the discounts pouring in after the pandemic declaration, students do not have access to resources such as high-speed Internet and laptops.
Therefore, a change in the presentation and accessibility of virtual schools is imminent. But how to bring about that change? I believe that the proper solution lies in between the existing virtual schools and the popular social media applications, including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter etc.
In simple words, I’m directing this discussion towards project management apps and professional conversational tools. Some prominent examples embody TRELLO and SLACK. These are the applications that provide the facility of attaching documents, putting checklists, arranging the things in columns, etc. Favourably, they are optimised for mobiles—solving the problem of millions who don’t have high-end digital devices.
What I want to reflect upon with these examples is that we, as the contributors to the education sector of India, need to put up with technology in order to make it accessible for the diverse audience that our country consolidates. Only if the administrations and the teaching professionals combine to formulate a strategy, appropriate employment of technology can be brought to light.
“Technology for addressing every problem lies out there; we just need to dig a little deeper.”
Television and Radio as the game changers
No one would have imagined that the so-called “Chatter-box” will present itself as a one-stop-shop in the year 2020. Simply put, television and radio remain the most widely acclaimed communication channels for reaching a massive audience. People might not be using a smartphone, but they do have a TV, and that’s a fact. Why not use it for the benefit of several during COVID-19?
Education through television has already commenced in India, which is reflective of the fact that “resorting to technology” has been on the forefront. Through specified channels and according to a defined schedule, mentors can continue with the curriculum on TV. In response to the current crisis, nothing can make a more significant impact than a digital device that embraces almost every household or society in the country.
However, there’s a catch as televisions and radios facilitate one-way communication. This is precisely why applications like WhatsApp can be great. By creating class groups on these apps, teachers can resolve queries and direct students to study the lessons taught on TV effectively.
Availability of curriculum resources
Knowledge retention cannot be entirely achieved through lectures, for it requires constant study of the concepts. For that, it is essential that students are equipped with the curriculum resources which they can switch to during their time at home. These educational resources comprise syllabus, e-books, notes, lecture schedule and much more.
State administrations should make these e-resources available to the students free-of-cost. Moreover, universities and colleges must combine with the authorities to ensure that these resources are downloaded or accessed by every targeted individual. By making the educational material readily available, teachers can expect students to be comprehensive in their approach to learning.
How can the teachers cope up with the challenging times?
COVID-19 has knocked at the door as a big test for all the teachers out there principally because it has changed the usual structure of imparting education. Nevertheless, teachers can keep up with the modern-times by accustoming themselves to the use of social applications.
Starting with social media applications is a practical approach as they are the closest to what we perceive as technology. Gathering knowledge about the functioning of these sites and the facilities they provide can assist the teachers in spreading their knowledge in a visually appealing way—one of the most significant aspects of modern-day education.
Moreover, teachers can browse through resources that can help them in making excellent video lectures, which can be brought to students’ notice through YouTube. Most importantly, teachers need to be as responsive as they can because they act as the source of motivation for all these students, including those who are looking to remain aloof of learning.
Has this pandemic changed education forever?
It’ll be too soon to agree to the fact that COVID-19’s influence is going to last long. No doubt, it has changed the way humans go about learning, but that doesn’t imply that previous structures will be overlooked when the situation comes to the “new normal.”The answer to this question is subject to change if the current situation persists way longer than what has been estimated.
I do believe that some discussions about technology’s inclusion will be put to rest while others will make their way into the limelight. A noteworthy change, however, will be observed concerning the perception of people towards technology. Whether or not technological interventions justify their potential, the world will surely remember that technology comes to the rescue when humans are in dire need of it.
International Day for Biological Diversity