3 Challenges of Education that Ed-tech is Addressing Ed-tech is breaking the geographical barriers where students can seek guidance from diverse teachers and instructors worldwide

The standard classroom dynamics in India included two primary components—the teacher taught lessons verbally while occasionally writing on the blackboard, and students listened and took down notes. This didactics has been a standard practice for decades and left very little to no scope for interactive learning, where either students were discouraged from interrupting or were too shy to question. However, the Indian education system is undergoing a significant transformation, not just in terms of technology but also teachings aids and methodology.

Education technology, commonly referred to as Ed-tech, is gradually revolutionizing how education is imparted to the learners. Ed-tech is breaking the geographical barriers where students can seek guidance from diverse teachers and instructors worldwide. Students and teachers can easily connect with their peers, where each brings their unique perspective and culture to the table.

On-the-go Accessibility

There are multiple challenges faced by the Indian education system; accessibility tops the list especially in the rural areas, where lack of sanitation facilities, cultural and traditional factors, and distance are the significant barriers holding back students. Thanks to the ed-tech boom, the increasing use of smartphones and the Internet, students can continue education even from the comfort of their homes.

The increase of digital technology through educational apps and websites gives students access to study material 24x7. High quality compressed educational videos are making world-class education available to even the remotest parts of the country. Ed-tech platforms allow students to attend live classes or gain round-the-clock accessibility to recorded lectures. There is also anonymity for students who find it futile to ask questions in overcrowded classrooms to come ahead and ask questions through emails, chat, or online discussion groups.

Personalized Approach

Every student signs up individually on these apps or websites, thus creating a unique identity of their own. Each student can study as per their pace, quickly move between different topics, keep track of their performance, and get a statistical understanding of their strong and weak points. A student can focus on a particular topic or practice a specific type of question based on their level of knowledge and capability.

With the increasing involvement of technology, teachers also have the right tools to personalize lessons for each student. They can devise and distribute assignments in a more tailored manner and give data-driven feedback and grades directly through the platform. Teachers can provide much more accurate results, and get additional help to guide and access a student beyond the traditional methods of education.

Affordability

Indian parents are conscientiously known to spend money on their child's education to the best of their ability. Typically, if a student decides to go to an IIT for higher education, the preparation cost alone runs into lakhs, but the services offered by ed-techs start as low as a few hundred rupees. The study method not only gives students access to study material at lesser costs but also helps them save expenditure involved in traveling and the expense of living in coaching hubs like Kota (a famous city in Rajasthan housing tens of thousands of IIT aspirants).

Till the late 1990s, most educational institutes followed a one-size-fits-all method of learning as well as evaluating. Today, the requirements have changed; the pedagogy needs to be more learner-centric based on the leaner's strengths and weaknesses. The need of the hour is to address the issues such as skill-gap and low employability rate, through education.

Ed-tech tools such as online classrooms, pre-recorded lectures, digitalized books, and online courses, both part-time and full-time, are making it possible for students to gain access to affordable education at any given moment.