Digitalization of education to bridge the learning barriers

Abstract

In this era of digital generation, information and communication technologies provide new opportunitiesto learn in diversified means with no restrictions on time and location. Digital education provides win-win situationaiming enhanced participation of students by bridging the physical, psychological and socio-cultural learningbarriers using effective teaching – learning methods. Young India with major inclination towards digitalization hasmade to bring up many digital initiatives in the education sector like SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA, e-ShodhSindhu, e-Pathshala, National Digital Library, DIKSHA, NPTEL etc. Internet users is expected to grow to about 735million by the end of 2021. India being hub for the EdTech sectors, use of different internet learning methods playsan important role. Hence, internet learning methods like flipped classroom, blended classroom, gamification, mobilelearning, adaptive learning, Massive Open Online Classrooms (MOOCs), Open Educational Resources (OERs),personalized learning, virtual labs, video-based learning and K-12 learning have been popularized in recent years.Due to Covid-19 Pandemic virtual education was encouraged with the use of the educating applications likeYouTube, Zoom, Google search, Power Points, Microsoft teams and others. Even in agriculture sector use of digitaltechnologies has helped in conducting many online courses, programs like Digital Krishi mela, YouTube livestreamingand other training programs in addition to use of social medias like WhatsApp and Facebook for the benefit offarmers and students. Earlier there was resistance for using digital platform by few, but Covid-19 pandemic madethem to realize how virtual learning provides flexibility, comfort learning, improved teacher’s credibility and addressissues on health, privacy and concentration of students. To address internet coverage issue for online learning,GOI has initiated PM-WANI and BharatNet