Can Edtech Replace Traditional Classroom Learning Post-COVID Outbreak? The traditional classroom-based education system needs to accept its insufficiency and join forces to refine knowledge and learning in the post COVID era
By Divya Jain
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The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc globally and nothing can be done until a feasible vaccination is curated. The health crisis has demolished the link between students and the education system and brought the cycle to an abrupt halt. However, the edtech sector is regaining its powerful traction and has stirred up thoughts about the digital education system amid the pandemic. Google Trends graph for edtech queries of the past 90 days has witnessed a 60 per cent boost in the user search patterns.
Edtech platforms have mushroomed over the past three-four years with a compelling teaching system that is intuitive and rewarding. They have succeeded in jolting the audience with a diverse curation of practicable courses. Riding high on the USP of not being reliant on a physical location for existence, the outreach of these platforms is massive as they only require a computer with an Internet connection.
The credibility of proficiency is a major focus while hiring professionals for study programmes. The edtech platforms inhibit the teachers to skip classes, pass time, and stay employed without visible contributions. This lack-luster approach has been eradicated and only competent teachers are retained for the gig. There is no dearth of qualified teachers seeking jobs and such platforms are creating work from home jobs that pay well.
The edtech platforms are crafting a community where teachers can express opinions, solve problems and share experiences that bolster the quality of learning. Organizing congregations that serve a purpose with no communication barrier, supplements a qualitative approach towards education. Moreover, such platforms are also compelling the education governing bodies to reiterate methods that promote advanced education methods. This includes removing the physical barriers that bind students to rely on a particular institution for knowledge gathering. An interconnected education system that does not inhibit learning, where students gather whatever knowledge they seek, feels possible. The construction of an online repository of information with public access can point knowledge seekers in a precise direction.
India's classroom-based learning has been plagued with obsolete practices that leave little room for curiosity. The idea of education has always been a cumbersome practice that requires physical movement. The knowledge disbursed in even higher institutions lacks actual implementation in the real world. It remains limited to the school curriculum that hinders the development of inquisitiveness in children. Moreover, the system is incapable of catering to every student's needs due to overwhelming batch size and a limited number of proficient faculties.
That said, education is a virtue that should not be confined to an institution or a physical location. The advancements in technology and communication relay methods can be used to enable information sharing. This approach can incorporate students that would be otherwise left out due to migratory constraints. The idea that a degree or certification is a must-have for a successful career is not encouraged by pioneers of science and technology.
Edtech infrastructure is not tethered by climate change. The information is readily available round-the-clock. It experiences periodic revamping of the content and further branches out to industry level courses. The diversity of knowledge that edtech platforms are providing to their users at the click of a button is unparalleled. The traditional classroom-based education system needs to accept its insufficiency and join forces to refine knowledge and learning in the post COVID era.
