The technological intervention and rapid growth of India’s EdTech industry, numerous platforms are devising new ways to create the most innovative and exciting online learning techniques in order to stand out from the crowd.
Technological advancements like online learning, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, etc… are now becoming a part of the Indian education sector. Thus, what was earlier considered the future of education in India is now becoming a prominent way of learning. In the recent past, the world has undergone enormous changes and the pandemic has upturned the education system drastically. The intervention of technological advancements in the education space is paving way for a robust education foundation. Distance learning can now be called the new way of learning, where one needs to upscale their skills and knowledge in a way that one can retain it. The policies around the initiative of digital India mention ed-tech and online learning as one of the primary aspects of education in India. The National Education Policy of 2020 has essentially focused on online learning tools and platforms to enhance online skill-based learning. With that, the policy further foresees the establishment of the National Educational Technology Forum (“NETF”), which shall operate as a platform for the free exchange of ideas on the use of technology to enhance learning, assessment planning, and administration for school and higher education.
Development in the Indian education sector
With this vast development in the education sector and the virtual mode of learning, it is also important to understand how online learning can be made more effective as well as amplify the learning experience of the students. Gamification is one way by which this could be achieved. Gamification and education have always been on opposing ends of the spectrum however in recent years, gamification techniques have proven to be a massive success when it comes to skill-based learning. Gamification in education involves game-based learning elements such as point scoring, teamwork, use of tables, boards etc…
The technological intervention and rapid growth of India’s EdTech industry, numerous platforms are devising new ways to create the most innovative and exciting online learning techniques in order to stand out from the crowd. In this regard, incorporating novel gamification mechanisms is one of the ways that the ed-tech platforms are using to upscale the education system of the country. According to a KPMG study, currently, India has over 3,500 EdTech start-ups, and online education in India could be worth $1.96 billion by 2021.
Growth in the internet, technological advancements, and the penetration of digital devices in India have widened the scope of online learning with innovative methods of gamification. This has helped all the industries to expand their horizons and give skill-oriented learning opportunities to everyone in a unique way.
Healthcare and Thriving ed-tech
Healthcare is one of the largest sectors in India yet it lacks the number of people required in this sector owing to insufficient resources and fewer technological advancements in the adjacent education sector. It can be observed that India’s doctor-patient ratio is still behind what the World Health Organisation lays down. In 2019, there was only one doctor available for 1,445 Indians as per the country population which is estimated to be way less than what WHO prescribes, which hampers the growth and development of a populous nation like India.
While the mainstream education sector dearths skill-based learning in its curriculum, edtech startups in this field offer industry-relevant courses that develop necessary skills in students. The healthcare edtech startups are now introducing pathbreaking technological innovations to provide effective learning for the students. These edtech platforms are using virtual reality and augmented reality as powerful tools to give an immersive learning experience to the users. With the advent of AR and VR in healthcare education, Technologies like VR Simulators can now be seen, which can in real-time recreate an actual operation and help train students with virtual reality. AR/VR can also be used to teach human anatomy, how to give injections, and a lot more. These improved methods enhance the skills as well as reduces the chances of students committing errors in the future. According to Source, the education industry is predicted to rank fourth to invest in virtual reality and by 2025, virtual reality in the education sector is expected to be a $700 million industry.
Conclusion
With over 260 million students in India and a multilayered formal education system, it is necessary to incorporate different learning mechanisms and platforms to give an edge to the current formal education system. Expeditious advancements in technology and distance learning have made it easy to give students skill-based education which can mutually benefit them as well as the country’s future. In recent years, Gamification has come a long way, with several players utilizing the feature to make consumer experience interactive, and it is high time we use it to make learning a more collaborative experience. Edtech tools and platforms are thus providing great educational opportunities to make a tranquil transition from traditional education to online skill-based learning.
Source: Business World
