The idea to rethink the education system is not a new one. Technology has been advancing at a breakneck speed in the past few decades, and experts often argue that formal education lacks the ability to address the revolution in technology that we are having.
The shutting down of schools due to the COVID pandemic has proved to be an ideal laboratory for testing out newer teaching and learning methods. The lack of physical classes have led to educational institutions implementing online and other modes of distant learning, so that students can still their studies forward even as the pandemic rages on.
But what of times after the pandemic? Will the time we have spent listening to lectures on our phones and computers have a considerable effect on where education goes after schools reopen? Have we really been rethinking education, or is this pandemic digital learning a one time only thing?
Whatever the answer may be, it is clear that education will miss out on a big innovation if it does not move towards a more digital based approach. Here’s why.
Firstly, digital learning is more student-centric than traditional forms of education. A 2018 study on Higher Secondary student’s attitude on e learning in EPH in Nepal showed an overwhelmingly positive response in favor of using more digital learning materials. The evidence is clear. Students feel easier and more comfortable with digital learning, and this should be considered if we want to provide education that favors the learner.
A question of economy also comes into play when considering digital learning. Introducing more digital methods into the system also makes education more economical as time passes. With the breakneck adoption of technology, means for accessing online classes and reading materials will certainly reach everyone in the near future. And when that happens, imposing in-person education all of the time turns out to be more of a hassle, and the education lags behind the technology.
There are circumstances where in person consultation is required -- but 8 hour school days, inordinate transport fees, a loss of learning time due to hours of commute time are starting to look like things of the past. They will only become more redundant as technology keeps getting cheaper and more widely available.
Completely transplanting the existing infrastructure for digital learning, however, is not an immediate solution. The future is a completely digital one, but for now the solution is to combine the worlds of the digital and the physical methods, which is done perfectly by Veda’s Digital Learning Platform.
Endorsed by over 650 top schools of Nepal, Veda App, delivers learning experiences that enable students to actively engage with educational content.
Veda bridges the gap between parents,students and the educational organization, helping parents and students get important information about assignments, routine, progress reports, attendance right from their mobile phone while helping schools and parents to keep track of the students on the palm of their hands.
The second app Veda Guru aids teachers in handling assignments, attendance, and most importantly conducting secure and safe online classes, with built-in Zoom integration, which the students can join in the press of a button.
With features like brand differentiation, data visualization and informed decision making, it goes above and beyond in doing what traditional education does not as a complete school management system - enabling data driven decision making for educational institutions as well.
It makes it easy not only for the learner, but also for the parents and the school administration. With intuitive dashboards with a wealth of information about every minute detail about the status of classes, teachers, students that an administrator may want, Veda blends traditional learning with e learning based approaches impeccably well.
In times where students have the collective knowledge of the world in the palm of their hands, it is exceedingly irrational to confine their formal education to within four walls and traditional resources all the time.
The path has been set out to us - the internet is key to the future of education, digital learning platforms in particular. It is high time that we incorporate them into how students learn, so that they can be ready for the challenges that the new generation will bring.