The future of online education lies in the development of a holistic platform that enhances teaching-learning experiences, says Rohit Jain
In the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown, the transition from in-person classes to online learning was facilitated by digital educational platforms along with online learning tools. Against such a backdrop, it is now making parents, teachers and students wonder what the future of online education is?
The future of online education lies in the development of a holistic platform that enhances the teaching-learning experiences. And, determined strides are being made in this direction.
Several ed-tech platforms are offering a wide range of educational tools and learning materials to students to learn while they are stuck at home. These digital platforms have evolved to provide classroom-like experiences as they enable real-time interaction between students and teachers, which is crucial for clearing doubts or assigning homework, and so on.
It must also be noted that education comprises five pillars— mentorship, self-learning tools, effective doubt solutions, test and feedback systems and a customised performance improvement plan. At the moment, the platforms are mostly solving any one of the following. However, the future of online learning is expected to be a holistic one, with platforms covering all five of them.
Looking at the trend, it isn’t a secret that online learning will become mainstream. Gradually, schools are expected to adopt a hybrid learning model in the new normal era. In a hybrid model, online as well as offline learners can simultaneously attend the class of a particular teacher.
This will provide immense flexibility in teaching and learning. Hybrid learning also increases the accessibility of education to learners from even the remotest areas. It improves their learning experience through more customized and interactive classes, audio-visual lessons, and engaging tutorials. These facilities can meet the requirements of both online and in-person learners.
Online Simulation Tools
Educational institutions that cannot afford world-class laboratories can use online simulation tools thereby giving students a real-lab experience. In addition, remote learning can be further enhanced by the use of virtual labs. In-depth virtual experiments can also increase their understanding of various equipment and experimental processes.
Community Learning
Another benefit is the community learning that will act as the key to solving doubts. In addition to the faculty, peers and seniors can guide in a moderated environment. All in all, it will enhance the exchange of new ideas, sharing experiences, discussions, and teamwork.
Role of Edtech
It is therefore fair to mention that several Edtech platforms have emerged to make online learning effortless. According to IBEF, in 2020, a total of $ 1.1 billion was poured into the Edtech sector. Another report by IBEF suggests that the Edtech market in India is expected to touch $10.4 billion by 2025. The data proves that ed-tech is going to flourish further, making online learning popular in the years to come. These platforms will be serving an array of advantages.
They will continue to play an important role in giving students access to customised and interesting e-content. Collaboration of ed-tech start-ups with educational institutions is serving the interest of both educators and learners alike. Besides, the courses are available in multiple languages to cater to the needs of diverse sections of learners. Teachers can create educational content and share it with students instantly. Through the use of online grading tools, the evaluation of the students' performance can conveniently be done.
Therefore, the future of online learning appears bright mainly because of rapid digitisation and the advancements taking place in the field of technology. Further, modernisation of the education sector will continue to happen to raise the standard of the quality of education in the country.
The writer is CEO, DUX Education
