Normalizing Digital Education

The ongoing efforts to flatten the curve of opaque, non-standardized, non-democratized educational paradigms, were hit by an exigency to flatten another curve. The immediate impact was the closure of schools in 188 nations. Approximately 1.6 billion students and 60 million teachers were left in the lurch by the aftermath of the global medical crisis. Industries like retail, finance, and manufacturing focused on resuming business by adopting virtual workarounds. However, for the education industry, the concept of “digital learning” was still in the shadows.

As technology spreads its wings to the education sector, the typical classroom – once characterized by hour-long rote learning sessions, one-way communication, rigid schedules, passive listening, and generalized syllabi – is being transformed. The learning experience is becoming more exciting, inspiring, individual-driven, and digital. Many assert that digital learning is an evolution of the traditional education model, which was already losing its relevance. The pandemic-driven shift hints at the enormous scope of rethinking educational strategies and promoting academia in the new hybrid model of life.

However, unplanned implementation of online learning without proper training, bandwidth, and preparation can result in a user experience unconducive to sustained growth. As efforts are being made to cross these hurdles, digital learning is poised to enable many benefits across the education spectrum.

DOWNLOAD POV by Srikantan Moorthy, Executive Vice President and Head – US Delivery Operations, and Global Head ETA