Digitisation in Education

Digitization is not a new concept, it is unquestionably a highly relevant one today that is having a significant influence. The world is changing, and all aspects of life are being disrupted, due to the capabilities of new, advanced technology and society's increasing expectations. Specifically, the workplace and, as a result, educational demands. Indian education has come a long way since the days of gurukuls, where students gathered outside to listen to their guru's teachings. In today’s world, digitalization has been a game-changer in one of the most important sectors - Education. It has blurred the boundaries of physical distance, as well as, has embedded more scientific ways to impart knowledge from teachers to the students.

The next generation of digital transformation, industry 4.0 is revolutionizing the way to integrate or to orchestrate new technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and analytics, AI and machine learning, for different domain operations. The education system certainly wasn’t the first sector to adapt to the digital revolution. Everything is now available with a touch and push button. Owing to this advancement of technology, the majority of kids now know how to use digital technology effectively and safely.

While digitization is important and going forward, technology will be important for education, adopting a hybrid model that uses technology as a tool, is the way of the future. A fast-deep dive into the current educational landscape reveals the importance of the conversion of education within the post-COVID era. It is important that each student is treated as an individual and their strengths and weaknesses are monitored, with support being available where needed. Students, who have grown up around smart devices and computers are demanding that their classroom and campus life be augmented by technological advancements too. This can provide obstacles within classrooms and teaching institutions if they are not able to keep up to date with the requests of students.

To provide an unparalleled experience, universities have developed innovative learning methods and resources such as online class groups, blended learning, as well as AI-based experiential and interactive learning. In various universities, technology has been adopted both in the teaching-learning methodologies and curriculum to ensure that the students are future-ready with desired skills.

Accent on Digitization

Recognizing the significance of widespread education, the Indian government decided to implement the National Education Policy (NEP) that emphasises the importance of digitization as well as the use of technology in education. It also converges on education technology to promote education, particularly in rural areas. This was a significant step toward providing high-quality education throughout the country, particularly in TIER 2 and TIER 3 towns and cities.

Bridging the Digital Divide

The transition from a traditional education system to an online education system has posed additional challenges for schools and higher education institutions such as colleges and universities. Digitalization is used less frequently in schools than in higher education institutions. Education may be made available to anybody, regardless of where they live, their socioeconomic situation, or whether or not they have access to the internet, thanks to digitization. Various subjects on lines of Artificial intelligence (AI), Data Science, Machine learning (ML), and Cybersecurity are being inculcated in the new curriculum to make students be ready for the future world of work.

Latest Gadgets, Methodologies

With the use of cutting-edge technology and tools in the education system, we can say goodbye to teacher shortages, teacher-student ratios, insufficient teaching resources, and the most difficult problem of reaching a child due to geographical differences. Remote teaching will be extremely important in the age of digitization. Technology can be utilised to improve and upgrade teachers' skill levels while also providing interactive digital media possibilities for everyone. It will be a simple instrument for improving living standards. Technology is taking over every corner. Smartphones, laptops, and tablets are no more unknown words. During this phase, the education system is evolving for the sake of betterment.

Online Exams

The majority of exams are now taken online. The digital systems support secured browsers, online proctoring, personalized assessments, and certification, as well as allowing for secure, accessible, and reliable remote tests. These exams are simple to implement and have additional advantages such as cost savings, time savings, and a broad geographical reach. It ensures that each candidate is auto-invigilated by severely limiting content exposures and imitations. More changes are on the way in the future. We will soon witness a plethora of opportunities arising from digital education for the youth of India. In various universities, students can receive good education even if they have isolated at home thanks to technology platforms of various universities, where the learning platform can manage more than 100+ sessions in a day seamlessly using digital communication tools & technologies.

The pendulum is shifting toward online learning, and India's education ecosystem will grow and thrive in the near future. There were 658.0 million internet users in India in January 2022., shattering all previous records. India's projected Internet penetration rate is expected to exceed 55% by the end of 2025, with India’s primary focus being the digitization of education. The finest thing about educational digitalization in the twenty-first century is that it incorporates elements of both classroom and online learning or hybrid learning model. In the field of education, digitization has proven to be a cost-effective way of conserving resources and a new way to take education to every corner of our country.

Author: Prof. Debashis Sengupta, Area Director of Computer Science & Engineering, NIIT University