The rapidly changing technological landscape has transformed the world in many ways than anticipated. Every sector of the economy has undergone some disruption or the other and subsequent transformation due to technology, resulting in overall quality improvements, agility in conducting businesses, and unlocking value for employees, customers, and shareholders. Individuals and businesses alike are preparing to embrace the new technologies to survive in a dynamic competitive backdrop.
A Turning Point for India’s Education System
The education sector too has been greatly impacted by technology, especially in the last ten years. The pandemic accelerated the growth of alternative modes of learning by reaching out to the target population through curated content, engagement tools, and technologies. All the participants in the ecosystem started working to create platforms/avenues to cater to large sections of global learners who were keen to get the best from globally renowned institutions.
The Future of Education: Unbound by Limits
Popular fields of education are now easily accessible, affordable, and within the reach of all provided they have basic access to the internet. Technology companies specialising in education (EdTech) have mushroomed all over the world driven by the emerging opportunity. I believe that it is the beginning of an exciting journey for countries such as India. We have a large population that is looking forward to affordable quality education in institutions of higher learning. This is now possible due to the transformation taking place in the education sector. The gross enrollment ratio in higher education in India stands at 26%. The continuous need for upskilling and reskilling further adds to the demand for such accessible technology-based education.
Director
ICFAI Business School
Hyderabad
The Road Ahead: Embracing Technology Responsibly
The future of education with rapid innovations in technology is expected to make this field even more exciting. Cloud-based learning platforms, IoT devices in classrooms, rapid diffusion of 5G technologies resulting in faster internet speeds, micro-learning platforms, interactive voice assistants, and digital twins will expand the scope of interaction with learners and unshackle education from conventional time and geographical boundaries. It is a big advantage to those who wish to pursue jobs first and continue their education at a pace convenient to them. Over time the removal of certain prerequisites will also allow learners to pursue the courses and programs of their choice, especially in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary areas. Transfer of credits from one institution to another will become a reality thanks to technology as the accrued credits will now be stored in a digital repository such as the Academic Bank of Credits. Asynchronous learning models will permit the teacher and the taught to connect at convenient times due to improved and affordable connectivity even in the remotest areas. Pedagogical tools will undergo transformation with tools based on artificial intelligence. Rapid upskilling of faculty in institutions of higher learning will become an immediate necessity calling for higher training budgets.
Government policies in India pertaining to higher education have already received adequate attention in government institutions of higher learning. In the immediate future, schools, colleges, and institutions of higher learning will embrace technology tools gradually and based on the response and feedback from relevant stakeholders, the government may come out with a framework that regulates the responsible usage of technology. Voices and apprehensions resulting from environmental and social groups will be heard in key governmental policy.
To summarise, India is at an exciting juncture in history. It has a large young population who are in the age groups of 18-35 years. It also has a workforce that needs constant skill upgradation. The technological disruption in education is truly a blessing for all and a win-win for all stakeholders.
