‘Digital learning: Redefining education’
by: VEDIKA BANSAL
The Government of India proclaimed the national lockdown in March for the containment of the Coronavirus which has been spreading across the world with a supersonic speed. Upon the closure of educational institutions and various public spaces, people are confined within the four walls of their houses. Amidst this life-threatening situation, evaluating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon the field of education is of alarming importance since education is a factor that is a critical determinant of the economic development of a country. The medium of virtual education or distant learning has not been tapped so far and shifting to a digital platform would be a helpful alternative to learning in the COVID era.
According to experts, the Indian education system is about 5000 years old, and the colonial rule of the British has led to pivotal changes in the teaching methodologies and the curriculum. The prevalent system of Indian education is a legacy of British education with some influence of the North-American tradition of higher education and a few indigenous innovations to respond to the socio-cultural needs of contemporary society. Thus the historicity of events, such as the British raj, has led to the evolution of the Indian education system. Now that the outbreak of COVID-19 has agonized the world, events like this could potentially redefine Indian education. The need for restructuring the education system via introducing e-learning platforms has been advocated by many scholars in India.
Amid the pandemic, online internship websites such as Internshala, Chezuba, and many more are connecting college students or aspiring professionals from across the globe to various profit and non-profit organizations. This is an effective medium of learning by doing which imparts practical experience or knowledge to young learners, thereby providing them with a profound insight into their future jobs.
Besides this, numerous online learning platforms such as Coursera, edX, and BYJU’s is offering access to their services, at no cost. Amidst the lockdown, digital learning platforms were not only initiated by private schools and colleges but some government-run schools have also introduced virtual learning platforms like Diksha. There were numerous challenges encountered by students and teachers in response to e-learning. The Indian education system is engrained within the methodology of chalk and board teaching, and the introduction and sudden shift to e-learning platforms have been registered with a sense of shock and confusion. Some students are not equipped with proficient digital literacy skills and hence grapple with accessing learning via online platforms.
In addition to the paucity of digital literacy, the absence or lack of reliable internet access, students struggle to participate in digital learning. The news of a Dalit girl’s suicide as a consequence of the inability to attend online classes because of the absence of internet or television shows the poor network facilities.
The infamous outbreak of Coronavirus has adversely impacted learning for over 285 million young learners in India, thereby highlighting the importance of creating opportunities for readily accessing learning via digital platforms. The medium of virtual or e-learning is reliant upon power supply and proficient internet connectivity. Thus the Indian Government should direct its efforts towards consolidating internet connectivity across rural India so that students hailing from towns and villages could interact with teachers.
The pandemic has created an opportunity for Indian education to reach its highest potential and remain focused on the goals in imparting the best education in the future. The change begins with the Government to address the possible challenges and undertake or devise measures to overcome it and build a resilient education system in the long run.
OUR SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShashiDream/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shashi_dream_foundation/?hl=en
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shashidreamfoundation/