How Technology Can Become a Catalyst in the Advancement of Education This will upturn the number of study/ career options available to students today and make for a level playing field for students with different skills to shine

The ongoing technological revolution has transformed the business landscape across all sectors in terms of functioning and productivity. While functioning has become more streamlined, the results are more timely and efficient. Same is the case with the education industry, which has become much more accessible and flexible in terms of imparting exactly what you seek. Learning has expanded to different media such as audio, visual and digital, which has made way for multiple opportunities.

How Technology is Changing the Outlook

On the back of technological intervention, the scope of education is continuously increasing and the perspective widening to accommodate more streams and students. In fact, studies speculate that in the coming years, technological advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics etc. will change the nature of jobs. Hence, there will be a need to introduce new streams of education to impart specialized knowledge to students. This will upturn the number of study/ career options available to students today and make for a level playing field for students with different skills to shine.

This is leading to a change in the outlook of people to identify and appreciate a variety of skills and creativity among students. The syllabus and the nature of the classroom, which was extremely straitjacketed, is now shifting and making way for a more conducive environment in the learning space.

Ed-tech Over Conventional Learning

Now you can gain a deep understanding of a wide variety of topics on your smartphone, without getting lost in a thousand books. In fact, ed-tech has helped us cut down upon the amount of time and effort spent in an attempt to learn.

This has thrown open the option of taking a course at your own pace, which was earlier unimaginable in the traditional classroom set-up. More and more people are opting for online courses, on-demand video tutors and virtual classrooms to study. In this way, students can broaden their horizons while saving on time and energy.

Apart from this, technology is helping us cope with the disparity in the teacher-pupil ratio in the country. The ratio, which is extremely low (1:60) for upper primary schooling in India, divides teacher's attention manifold and restricts students' learning. However, e-learning, using predictive analysis and artificial intelligence, is here to the rescue with diverse solutions for every student. This technology can identify a student's learning capabilities and tailor-made courses to suit his or her needs. Through higher student engagement, technology-backed learning platforms can unlock the potential of students and steer them towards success.

What the Growth in Ed-tech Means for The Indian Education System

The growth of digitization in India has opened up a wealth of new opportunities for students in India. Deeper internet penetration in smaller towns and rural areas has allowed students across diverse socio-economic sectors to take to online learning platforms. Currently, multimedia-based education contributes only 0.6per cent to the overall Indian education industry, which is currently valued at the US $100 billion. However, this figure is rising rapidly as more and more students across the country are adopting e-learning tools to accelerate their career growth. Today, students, as well as professionals, have access to top quality course-material created by renowned educators. This also has the potential to exponentially increase the literacy rates in the country.

Technology is helping institutions and students meet global standards of learning and thus bringing the world closer together. Cutting across geographical boundaries, ed-tech is finally making education more democratic and accessible to learners across the nation.