The challenges in delivering education which came along with the pandemic has been
availability, accessibility and adaptability of technology. Internet connectivity or the lack of it,
which has been the only medium in online classrooms primarily affected the delivery and
accessibility of education along with other challenges like pedagogy, a proper device to attend
virtual classrooms and learning beyond books.
A “Knowledge Management Virtual Meet on New Age Education: Adapting and Delivering
quality education despite the challenges” was organised by ASSOCHAM on Friday, 13th
August 2021. Mr. Bharat Jaiswal, Regional Director at ASSOCHAM, welcomed Dr. Jitendra K.
Das and other eminent panelists. He set the tone of the deliberation by stating how the
education system has to adopt the digital revolution which is the need of the hour.
Speaking about technologies which have become a critical component for new age education,
Dr. Jitendra K. Das, Director at FORE School of Management, Delhi, who was earlier
associated with IIM Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kozhikode and was the founder Dean, Noida
Campus of IIM Lucknow, said that institutes need to adopt smarter capabilities towards enabling
effective delivery of education in the era of virtual classrooms and ensure inclusivity on a larger
scale where students are deprived of learning. “Online or offline learning has to continue,”he
said.
Having a tech-ecosystem in place continues to be a crying need. Use of the powerful but
commonplace technologies that exist outside brick and mortar, chalk and duster classrooms,
augmenting teaching and making learning accessible to students at a larger societal level is an
absolute must. “We are very sensitive when it comes to delivering education to our students.
Since we are in higher education, the methodology is very different from the level of education
imparted in K-12 schools”, he said.
Highlighting the plight of children in primary schools Dr. Das indicated the long hours of screen
time, where kids are made to sit online for 4-6 hours daily and parents are also kept engaged to
assist the kids. Incidentally, the curriculum, pedagogy and assessments were embedded in the
new teaching methodology by FORE School quickly enough to ensure that students are not
impacted by the virtual classroom methodology.
Mr. Manu Seth, CEO, Speaking Mindz., threw the discussion open for panelists asking “What is
the literal meaning of New Age Education? Is the fundamentals of education changing or is the
education system adapting to the changing times?”
Citing “New Age Education” and technology in today’s age, he said, technology has to be an
enabler not a deterrent. “It should be a practical blend where kids should be leveraging the
utility. Kids are always hooked into devices today which is a matter of concern”, he said.
Ms. Vibha Singh, Director at Mere Nanhe Kadam, spoke about the ‘screen time’ and burden of
homework on kids in primary school, and suggested that homework should not be assigned to
kids in the age group of 4-6 years. “Learning is meant to be fun. Teachers should be trained to
make the classes interactive, engaging and children should be enjoying, which is dependent
upon the way teaching is delivered”, she said.
Adding to the training needs for teachers in online mode, Dr. Jitendra Das said, “The role of
‘eye contact’ between a teacher and student assists teachers to understand the student better.
Whereas, in a virtual classroom this has been a challenge teachers are grappling with”. Citing
the problem of remote proctoring during online examinations, Dr. Das said, “Unlike the Gurukul
education format where students were not graded based on marks or scores, the modern day
education system is based on marks. With help from technology, the system for evaluation has
to undergo a shift and ensure a fair practice for the assessments”.
Talking about AI bots in the era of virtual learning Mr. Mukesh Sinha, Co-Founder Gravitas AI,
shared how new admissions are taking place today with virtual tours and AI bots as a guide to
help students and parents on selecting an institute. “With the availability of technology today,
students are no longer restricted to pursue a particular course or programme. Sitting at a remote
location students can enhance their skills in other areas by enrolling for various courses as per
their interest. Quality education is not limited to metro cities today, as students from rural or
urban areas have access to education anywhere without having to migrate from one location to
another,” he said.
“Experiential learning has to happen. Students should be able to co-relate while learning”, said
Ms. Jyoti Tiwari, CEO Ingenious Minds. Referring to kids sticking to gadgets she said, kids
learn from the environment, hence it is the duty of adults at home to bring in a behavioural
change while using technology which can be inculcated. “Value system in a kid develops by the
age of 5 years and adults at home should pave the way for kids to learn”, she said.
Ms. Archana Garg, International Partner WBAF, addressed how technology had made it
possible for students at remote locations to access education. Especially, from the perspective
of empowerment of women, who today have a broader access to quality education, which has
acted as a major catalyst for empowerment, overcoming inequality and sustained economic
growth.