The advent of new technology and Internet penetration is changing the way students want to learn today. It is time we modify our approach to teaching so that it becomes a win-win for all concerned, says Varun Saxena
Traditional education has taken a back seat. As we move towards 2022 where online education is expected to cross $40 billion market potential in India, classroom education in itself will not suffice the career-oriented educational needs. The advent of new technology has even led to traditional educators modify their psychology and approach to teaching and make suitable for the current generation’s needs.
Demand for customised education has led to better and more innovative teaching methods and the access to the Internet with pull-based content creation approach has created a philosophical shift in teaching methods and completely remodeled the traditional classroom. Every student has a different ability to learn. With easy access to the Internet and free educational materials, it becomes important that educators capitalise the need for customised learning.
With schools getting more involved in developing the overall character of their students and works in MNCs becoming more time consuming, students at all levels have actually lost the will and time to sit in classrooms or to follow a fixed timetable for every little thing. Even food gets delivered at the doorstep at any point of the day, so it is only fair that students expect the same in education.
The penetration of the Internet, laptops and smartphones is a blessing for educators in this regard.
The ability to design online learning platforms which offer smooth experience to students even at low Internet speeds has been an icing on the cake. There are some learning platforms that benefit students from the remote areas of Kashmir, Alleppey, Manali and Nagaland to name a few. Such courses and opportunities have been encouraging for youth who has carved out a new way to learn and grow.
Customer Engagement
The traditional education method was largely focused on making the students learn everything to make them skilled workers but now this has shifted to ensure that the students are taught to learn basis what they want to learn.
This shift in the ultimate aim of education is the result of increased customer engagement on a one to one basis with the educator. Now, students can interact on a one to one basis with their trainers and educators like never before.
The rise of Google Plus, YouTube and other free sources of learning on the Internet are an enabler for the students in this, learning on their own process. Once you teach a student how he can teach himself without assistance, he or she can train himself with any skill required.
The increasing demand for skill up courses in professional, through online methods, where they use self-paced, non-classroom methods to train themselves in industry-relevant skills is a huge testament to this fact.
Educators are the Link
The increasing importance of technology does not in any way mean that the role of teachers or educators has become obsolete. Rather, it has now become even more important. Technology acts as a better enabler which caters to the shift in the consumer behaviour in the education sector, but the key decision-making element is still the content. The availability of free access to content is just an indication that the teachers/educators now need to work harder and create user-specific and up-to-date content.
Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) is also being used to act as instructors in some areas, for example, the US Navy has used AI programmes to educate its entry-level IT Professionals. But even if AI develops as a medium of instruction, even it will need skilled educators to program them, so the role of educators with this philosophical shift has become all the more pivotal and crucial.
A win-win for all
It is not that the need for personalisation or increased customer engagement is a pain to the educators. Rather, this philosophical shift kicked in by technology, is a boon even for the educators.
For starters, the cost of course creation and distribution has reduced drastically. It is usually a one-time cost with changes kicking in only when the content needs to be updated. The only place where the cost or where the attention, from the educator’s end, has improved, is the need to maintain interpersonal relationships, bringing more skilled and thoughtful educators and better technological interface. But, even then the ROI of educators is now on a rise. Even working professionals and industry experts, with a knack for teaching, are now designing courses and hosting them on these new education portals. They are now fulfilling their longtime dream of contributing to the field of education, without giving up the comforts of their jobs, earning additional revenue and in turn imparting valuable industry knowledge to the students.
Students also reap the benefits as more and more self-paced courses on industry-based skills have come up and owing to the lower costs the course fees have seen a major reduction.
Role of Industry
No education system in a country like India can survive without the endorsement of industry, which further translates into job opportunities and better living standards. It is encouraging to see how the Indian Industry has recognised this paradigm philosophical shift in learning. Not only has industry started to partner with Online Learning Platforms to create and deliver content but has also started to collaborate and partner with platforms to absorb the learners on these platforms for fulfilling their requirement for upskilled professionals for the high growth career paths.
Technology is bringing in a philosophical shift, true but it is not the silver bullet. Its role in the field of education can’t be ignored and will yield long-term returns only when it is coupled with the needs of the customer, strengthened with valuable customer relationships and meaningful customer engagement.
The writer is founder-CEO,Career Anna
