Changing Face of Indian Education – Rise of Edtech
The landscape of India’s education industry is based on an archaic model. The system is largely impractical, exam-driven, and theoretical. The emphasis is on scoring high rather than concentrating on the application of the knowledge. However, ed-tech start-ups are implementing new age technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to churn out simple yet effective education solutions.
Online degree programs have become significantly popular in India. They offer the learners of various trades the flexibility to opt for the education of their choice from anywhere, at a minimal cost. The advent of new communication technologies has enabled learners from the remotest corners to look forward to an education of their preference.
However, online degrees are still at their development stage. There are hesitations in the minds of the parents or learners regarding their quality and acceptability in today’s competitive job market. In 2018, the Government of India allowed many universities and institutes to offer various courses pertaining to non-technical subjects. This means learners can opt for any subject except engineering and medicine.
India’s Online learning platform is rising exponentially and is expected to touch $1.96 billion by 2021. The online education industry has paved ways for the emergence of edtech start-ups. These edtech companies are contributing to the growth of Indian education industry. The entrepreneurs and investors are seeing a bright prospect in the field of education for edtech start-ups.
There are several reasons for the emergence of edtech in India:
- Leveraging Modern Technology–
These start-ups are implementing technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Virtual Reality etc. to improve the experience of the learners. Affordable hardware and software are enabling AR and VR technology to be accessible and cheaper, thereby proffering more effective education in India.
Many start-ups are leveraging Virtual Reality in education by providing VR contents on specific topics. Some are using VR to give learners a first-hand experience of their preferred career. For instance, if a learner is interested in Journalism, he/she can put on a VR headset and experience a news story being conducted by a journalist in a newsroom.
- Blockchain is a New Sensation –
Blockchain can facilitate in reducing costs or paperwork and connecting with faculties via live sessions. Various faculties are motivating learners to solve their queries. This will bring credibility to online learning. Ed-tech start-ups are playing a pivotal role in bringing a revolution in Indian education.
A bunch of ed-tech start-ups are coming up and it is very significant to provide a great learning experience to the learners in the right way. They are striving hard to empower an-e-learning system, which is highly interactive, effective, and engaging.
Wondering why EdTech firms are ruling the roost in the ed-tech industry? Let’s find out –
- They have partnerships with country’s premier academic institutes and industry experts to provide world-class education
- The start-up has also partnered with esteemed institutions to provide niche courses and other traditional courses
- Their courses are designed to make learners ready for the job market. The distance and learning programs provided by them are strategized to bridge the gap between academia and industry
- They are offering self-learning material which is self-explanatory in nature and guiding students to comprehend the topic in simple an easier way
- The e-books or the electronic versions of the self-learning material provide flexibility for learning even on mobile handsets
- Reference video provided by them plays an important role in enabling students to comprehend the topic in a better way
- The programs are endorsed by corporate houses like Wheebox, People strong and Talentedge
- Panel of industry experts guide students with all aspects of career development. They provide them an overview of the company’s expectations and route-map ahead
- They have incorporated psychometric test to gauge the learning objectives of the learners
- The learners will have access to webinars, workshops, conferences to keep them updated with the professional requirements
- The learners are not required to attend the university/Institute at any point of the time during the enrolment for the program as everything takes place virtually via the world class Learning Management System
- Interactive live online sessions are rolled out on a monthly basis for major subjects. The main aim is to ensure that the learners can comprehend the topic and have an interaction with their instructors for query resolution.
A virtual classroom is also facilitating Indian online education scenario. It is facilitated via specialized video conferencing equipment. You just need some added infrastructure such as internet connection, and a medium for viewing the tutorial videos.
These days there are a slew of courses available where learners can enrol and get taught through a virtual classroom. These days many online programs like Online MBA are taught via this type of technology. To get the information regarding the online education course details, learners can get the desired information on popular ed-tech start-up websites who offer such type of courses.
The learners can interact with their counsellors in a virtual classroom. They can view, communicate, and discuss presentations with their counsellors. All these things are possible in an online environ.
The medium is facilitated by a video conferencing application that permits multiple users to see, and interact with each other. The most common examples of virtual classrooms can be available on YouTube.
On YouTube, the learners can view the powerpoint presentations or video tutorials on a topic. So, the ed-tech start-ups are making inroads in Indian education system by making classrooms more interactive. With the application of new communication technologies, universities and institutes are bucking up to retain more students in the future.