Education and Technology Have Become Inseparable Twins What makes technology an important ingredient in the growth of children today?

Education has seen change better than any other institution. From slates to blackboards to now smart boards, education has come far and continues to open, rise and expand.

The newest hit combination to have caught the fancy of the world is none other than technology and education. The changing times have inevitably given rise to a more holistic system that understands the needs of the children and study much differently, an almost reverse to the straightjacket form of an education system that has been the norm.

Ishan Gupta, MD of Udacity India, says that the world around is changing at a rapid rate. Constant learning is the only way to manage change. He says, "The skills we had yesterday might not be the skills that support us today or would be required tomorrow. Technology plays an important role as it not only provides access but also the flexibility to update the content quickly which helps keep pace with the ever-changing requirements."

Edtech start-ups have been earning success whether it means bagging funding from investors or getting acquired by business giants for expansion. Last year saw edtech start-up Byju's becoming a unicorn along with several others such as Next Education, Toppr, Vedantu etc getting funding. Tech giants, too, see the potential in the education sector. Just a few days back, hotel unicorn Oyo partnered with PlanetSpark to monetise new-age tuition spaces.

Securing the Early Years of a Child's Life

Amit Agrawal, Founder of OckyPocky, shares that a child's first 6 years can shape their next 60. He shares that the role of technology does not just keep a child engaged in a meaningful manner but also protect them from digital content that is not safe and age-appropriate proliferating the internet. "Technology personalizes the learning experience for kids and allows edtech start-ups to create an interactive vernacular environment which allows them to master language skills at their own pace, at each stage and age."

Technology has managed to engage millennials like never before. This feature works as the biggest advantage for the student community all the more. Aakash Sethi, CEO of Quest Alliance, says personalized learning is the key advantage of technology mixed in education sector. He says, "What stops students from engaging with learning is the fear of failure and the fear of teacher. Technology provides an opportunity to get over that fear because technology is non-judgemental. It allows learners to learn at their own pace, their own time and learn the same thing over and over again, till they have actually understood."

The Co-existence of 2 Elements

Today, technology and exist need each other so much that they almost co-exist. Children cannot study without the support of technology. Anil Nagar, CEO and Founder of Adda247, says kids these days are more tech-savvy and reliant on technology than ever before. He says, "I strongly believe technology if used the right way can enhance the learning experience. And not just for students but for educators, too. The use of the one-dimensional model of education is replaced by a multi-dimensional approach that helps engage students in a holistic approach by encouraging students to interact and participate in various activities."

He also adds that with the boom in the telecom sector, it is much easier to reach the students from the far-flung areas of the country and provide them with exact, precise and visually appealing yet straight forward and efficient methods of teaching. "It is easily accessible anywhere and anytime. One can use it while travelling and there is no requirement of a multitude of physical books. It acts as an aid in doubt clearing and helps in recalling and a better understanding of the topic."

Simplification is an aspect that we often forget. Jainesh Sinha, Co-Founder and COO, GyanDhan says that overseas education counsellors often get paid by target universities, which makes their guidance inherently biased. "On the other hand, data-powered tools can provide quality, unbiased information to students, besides automating college shortlisting, profile evaluation, SOP review, college comparison, education loan applications etc. We believe we are just at the starting point, and there's significant scope for technology to evolve further to make students' higher education path simpler through such tools." Technology is not just making education easier to consume but also easier to process.

Who would have thought that something as straitjacket as education would undergo such a humongous transformation?