The use of Internet and mobiles has increased dramatically in India in the last decade. At the same time, a new class of entrepreneurs is helming the explosive growth of Indian tech start-ups. Digital learning is gaining popularity and is not just restricted to cities and metros; it is fast expanding into smaller towns and rural regions. As such, education in India can go only one way – forward.
To gain in-depth knowledge on the expansion of digital learning, Orissa POST spoke to a few experts.
Smaranika Panda, a psychologist from Bhubaneswar, says, “Mobile learning is an innovative method that contributes to the teaching-learning process. The students find it motivating and it leads to the faster understanding of concepts and skills. Collaborative actions and co-operation among students can also be encouraged through certain mobile learning activities. However, the effective and appropriate use of the tool is essential to maximise benefit. There is a very thin line between using it right and misusing it. Thus, judicious decision-making ability is undoubtedly a prerequisite.”
Beas Dev Ralhan, co-founder and CEO, Next Education India Pvt Ltd, says that Internet is bringing teachers home through mobiles phones and PCs. E-learning is certainly a viable approach to address the problems of accessibility.
He also believes that high-speed Internet networks are not only accelerating learning but also enabling students to gain new skills that they need in a competitive society. Today, the Internet has become a very important part of education, from school through college and beyond. More and more students from non-urban regions of India are using their mobile phones and tabs to pursue courses, research, assignments and submit homework. The penetration of the Internet and mobile phones is helping the youth to take tests online and measure their academic progress. Students and teachers now have access to online libraries and educational resources which have great utility in the classroom.
Ralhan also talked about how e-learning is improving the quality of education. “In a country like India, with few prestigious colleges and limited number of seats, not all students can get admission with ease. It is also a fact that most schools and colleges have fewer numbers of teachers than required, as per a government report issued in 2017. This is also the reason for the inability of teachers to focus on students in the classroom and students to utilise their time well in the classroom. These challenges can be mitigated with online learning, either through mobile phones or PCs, imparted by seasoned academic professionals at the click of a button. It is also a great opportunity for students to get their hands on personalised content,” he says.
On the learning apps that are fostering education, Ralhan says, “In the last ten years, educational apps have made big strides in India and have become very popular with the student community, whose primary source of learning now is mostly through 4G-enabled mobile phones. The myriad apps available for students and the falling prices of high-configuration smart mobile devices and tabs are all making quality education accessible to everyone. It is indeed a great opportunity for Indian students to gain online access through apps to world-class education from universities around the world at a fraction of the cost.”
Shabiha Nur Khatoon, OP