Online Learning is Witnessing a Digital Transformation – These are the Technologies Driving the Change
From virtual classrooms to learning management software, the edtech landscape is booming like never before. Over the last several years, India has emerged as one of the largest drivers of this industry. Per industry estimates, the nation’s online education market will be valued at over USD 5 billion by 2025, up from USD 750 million in 2020 – a staggering CAGR of almost 40 percent. This enormous growth has been driven by a multitude of factors. This shift to online learning wouldn’t have been possible without a nationwide push for digitisation, aided by the development and adoption of new technologies and innovations.
New tools have empowered educators to communicate with their learners in a more engaging and personalized learning environment; similarly, students have been better equipped to interact with their professors and fellow learners, and to comprehend abstract concepts and topics. As the edtech sector continues to grow in importance over the coming years, these are the key technologies that will shape the course of its future development:
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have proved game-changers in other industries, and now have the potential to revolutionise the edtech sector as well. Traditional learning systems were highly regimented, with a standardised curriculum that every student was expected to follow. Personalising learning based on an individual student’s aptitude and interests was an unfeasible prospect. The rise of AI-based technologies has helped close this learning gap. AI and ML-powered edtech platforms can now create custom-tailored curriculums, drawn from an individual’s records and through observing and processing their inputs. This allows for learning gaps to be identified and ultimately leads to tremendous improvements in performance, thus giving everyone the same opportunities to succeed.
The recent budget by the government of India finds AI becoming one of the most important skills in the foreseeable future. The government’s push to set up centers of excellence in AI will ensure that students are well-versed in technology, ensuring that the country is future-ready.
Gamification
It’s been proven beyond that learners are most engaged in their studies – and thereby most likely to retain concepts and information – when lessons are presented in a fun and interactive manner. The concept of gamification applies this to real-world learning environments, incorporating game mechanics and elements into a larger educational framework. By introducing ‘gaming’ aspects such as scores, teams, and leaderboards, students are incentivised to engage with topics on a deeper level. This approach can be made even more immersive by incorporating graphical elements, haptic feedback, animation, quizzes, and so on. Thus, resulting in a classroom environment that is fun, competitive, and memorable, and ensures that students look forward to every lesson.
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
The rapid pace of technological advancement has given educators a wide array of new learning tools and products to utilise. This has proven especially helpful in the edtech space, wherein the ultimate goal is to streamline and enhance the traditional educational experience. One of the most important additions has been in the shape of Learning Management Systems (LMS). LMS is a central database of classroom resources that helps automate the administrative aspect of the teaching process. It helps students and professors manage assignments, access course materials, and interact with each other seamlessly. By automating the otherwise time-consuming non-educational aspects of the job, it helps professors dedicate all of their attention to their students.
Virtual Assistants
AI enables machines to learn from experience, adjust to new inputs, and perform human-like tasks with astonishingly accurate results. In the edtech space, these capabilities have manifested in the shape of virtual assistants. Utilising advanced AI routines and functions such as natural language processing (NLP), these voice-activated aids can hold extended conversations with users, provide context-specific responses, and aid in researching complicated questions. For instance, a student working on a project may delegate tasks such as fact-checking and proofreading to a voice-activated virtual assistant, allowing them to dedicate their complete attention to another task. Similarly, these intangible assistants may help professors bridge the gap between them and their students, whether by helping create revision packages, tracking assignment statuses, or communicating more effectively with all the stakeholders in the elearning process.
Data Analytics
The ability to efficiently gather and analyse data plays a critical role in an organisation’s organisational capabilities. The ability to manage this data allows a business to optimise its operations. This holds especially true in edtech, which sees the generation of enormous reams of information on a daily basis. The introduction of a new set of tools has allowed educators to track and analyse student progress using a data-driven methodology. These analyses provide tailored information to teachers, giving them insights into teaching and learning behaviours, and helping them better anticipate and provide for the needs of their students.
The author is Mr. Anil Nagar, Founder & CEO, Adda247 and the views expressed in this article are his own)
