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Kamaldeep
11 April, 2024
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Education technology, or “ed-tech,” has grown significantly in India in recent years. The use of digital tools and resources to improve teaching and learning is known as educational technology. The growing need for online education and the digitisation of education are driving the ed-tech industry’s rapid growth. Although the ed-tech sector’s expansion has greatly influenced India’s urban education system, it also has a major influence on the nation’s rural education system. The education sector was greatly impacted by the pandemic in 2020, but the education technology (EdTech) industry flourished and led to the widespread use of remote learning.
In rural India, edtech platforms are slowly but surely expanding and creating new opportunities. Cooperation with government and non-government organisations and institutes has been essential in promoting the use of EdTech. Edtech companies are expanding their efforts in rural and underdeveloped urban regions to serve the underprivileged student population, especially those attending government and affordable private schools.
EdTech is transforming education for students in rural regions by providing creative ways to close the academic gap between rural and urban schooling. In this article, we shall examine the impact of Edtech on rural education in India, as well as its benefits, challenges, and other prospects.
As stated in the ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) 2023 edition report. It provides an overview of education in rural India, concentrated on children between the ages of 14 and 18. This is the secondary stage in India. Rural education has mostly solved the issue of dropouts, but it still needs to address the need to strengthen core skills. 84% of rural children in the sample in 2023 completed at least eight years of education. The findings on foundational skills show inconsistent results when compared to a similar ASER survey conducted in 2017. The proportion of young people who could read a text at a standard II level fell to 73.6% in 2023, a three-point decline. There was an improvement in math of four percentage points, reaching 43.3%.
Edtech is a game changer in addressing the difficulties encountered by rural education. It has had significant impacts on rural education in India. Edtech platforms use technology to provide creative ways to improve learning and teaching, give instructors and students more authority, and close the achievement disparity between education in urban and rural areas.
The language barrier to learning is removed, as online courses are available in vernacular languages. This is also in sync with National Education Policy 2020.
Due to the emergence of Edtech, there has been a significant improvement in access to quality education, including digital content, interactive lessons, videos, simulations, and e-books.
This is one of the major impacts of edtech on rural education in India. EdTech involves students in active learning. It helps in increasing the fun and efficacy of education through gamified learning modules and interactive multimedia content.
Edtech makes use of personalised learning experiences to customise exams and instructional materials to each student’s unique needs.
EdTech provides educators with digital resources and tools to improve their efficiency in the classroom, simplify administrative duties, and enhance parent-student communication.
Due to the widespread use of cell phones and internet access, students in remote locations can access instructional materials at any time and from any location.
The lack of internet connectivity and limited access to technology in rural regions causes the digital divide and prevents EdTech solutions from being widely adopted.
A lot of EdTech platforms only provide content in English or other widely spoken languages, ignoring local languages that are spoken in rural regions and making it harder for students who don’t understand English to access it.
Comprehensive professional development programs are important because teachers in remote schools may not have the technical know-how or training to incorporate EdTech into their lesson plans successfully.
Adopting ed tech initiatives in rural locations can be difficult since these places frequently lack dependable electricity and internet connectivity. Ed-tech companies face challenges in providing students with continuous access, administering tests, and delivering the online curriculum.
Despite barriers, an abundance of successes shows the revolutionary influence of EdTech on rural education in India. EdTech projects, which range from government programs to community-based inventions, have enhanced learning results, given students greater autonomy, and encouraged development in rural areas.
The government of India launched Samagra Shiksha – an Integrated Scheme for school education in 2019. The Samagra Shiksha Scheme’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) component includes a provision for teaching children computer literacy and computer-enabled learning through the creation and implementation of curriculum-based interactive multimedia, digital books, virtual labs, and other resources across the nation. It supports the establishment of ICT labs and smart classrooms in educational institutions, providing hardware, instructional software, and e-content assistance. It plans to include all government and government-aided schools serving grades VI through XII. ICT Labs have been approved in 1,20,614 schools nationwide as of November 2022 (the date of beginning), and smart classrooms in 82,120 schools.
As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), a virtual event on assistive technology innovations for inclusive education was launched on January 17, 2022. NITI Aayog hosted this virtual event on assistive technology startups for inclusive education, showcasing innovations and startup solutions, as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM), Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, in collaboration with Atal Innovation Mission. The “Assistive Technology Innovations for Inclusive Education” virtual event highlighted startups and their inventions that improve or support students with special needs in their educational endeavours.
Through digital literacy workshops hosted by local NGOs, students in rural areas have been introduced to digital tools and basic computer skills. Through interactive workshops and hands-on training sessions, students have developed confidence in using technology for learning, communication, and skill development.
Related: The Advantages of Distance Learning for Rural Communities
The impact of Edtech on rural education in India is increasing. However, it has given rise to many dimensions. Some of the future prospects are listed below.
One of the main obstacles to the adoption of EdTech in rural areas is the lack of inexpensive and dependable internet access.
Legislators can encourage the development of infrastructure by providing funds for the expansion of broadband. This would make it possible for EdTech companies to provide remote schools with interactive platforms, internet content, and real-time communication capabilities.
The financing and incentives provided by policymakers to assist EdTech efforts in rural areas should be given priority.
Grant programs specifically designed for rural schools can focus on EdTech solutions.
EdTech companies can create products specifically suited to the needs of rural areas with the help of funding.
EdTech businesses may be persuaded to invest in rural areas by tax breaks or other financial assistance.
To successfully integrate EdTech, rural instructors need to complete specific training.
Policymakers can work with EdTech companies and educational institutions to support professional development.
Prioritising research on the effects of EdTech initiatives in rural areas is a good idea for policymakers.
Thorough research evaluates obstacles and finds effective models.
Refinement of strategies and distribution of resources are guided by evidence in policymaking.
In today’s scenario, edtech is a major tool that shapes the future of rural education in India. It creates various ways to remove the hurdles and barriers in the rural education system. Edtech intervention also removes the rural and urban education gap by providing the use of technologies and the internet. It helps to empower rural communities and lays the groundwork for future generations’ better lives through the use of technology, individualised learning, and teacher empowerment. The impact of edtech in rural education is significantly positive; however, overcoming the challenges involved.
