How the use of IoT, AI, & ML in the Govt. School System can Democratize Education in India?
Rustom is a renowned educationist, an edu-tech entrepreneur, and a veteran in the global and Indian education policy landscape.
New technologies have proven their invincibility for continued delivery of quality education and overcoming all disruptions to learning in the event of crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The United Nations estimates that approximately 32 crore students have been affected across pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary schools in India owing to the prolonged phase of lockdown imposed since March to slow the infection spread.
The government has since mandated schools to adopt alternative channels to ensure children continued to learn. Private as well as government-run schools have been investing in adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and setting up an IoT enabled infrastructure to ensure quality education delivery even in the remotest areas.
By using technology and IoT enabled infrastructure, schools are transposing classrooms into virtual learning experience and connecting with students.
Technologies being used
Besides setting up smart classes and improving technology infrastructure with enterprise-grade networking and connectivity solutions, schools have been preparing for a wider adoption of new technologies such as Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), AR/VR, Machine Learning (MI), and Data Analytics. Earlier private schools and now public schools are also compelled to invest in efficient networks for data transmission, data storage and data analysis for making their technology infrastructure fool proof, robust and future ready.
An efficient IoT network in the education sector is important for seamless and efficient data transmission, data storage and data analysis, which is crucial for education of students at faraway places. Using IoT channels have led to better operational efficiency of teachers. Through connected devices, educators are able to perform dynamic classroom interventions.
Teachers are also being trained and skilled in adopting technology tools and using technology-enabled teaching methods. They are conducting regular classes by connecting with students via video-conferencing technology such as Google Meet, Zoom, Moodle or proprietary school software.
Also, with the creation of age-appropriate curriculum, teachers are reinventing their teaching methodologies. Digital e-learning apps and gaming are allowing students to learn and revise multiple times and at their own pace while teachers are able to complete their education curriculum on time.
Students are using a variety of digital tools like tablets, smartphones and PCs for connecting with their schools.
The next steps
Collaborations between the government, school management service providers, Ed-Tech companies and public and private enablers is the urgent need of the hour for creating the requisite technology and IoT infrastructure for education delivery in urban and rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for schools to start expanding their digital learning experience and develop ICT-enabled education and the momentum needs to be stepped up.
Going ahead, technology will be the crucial link between the government, school management and private players to enable amalgamation of e-learning platforms and mainstream education for reaching a wider student base. Schools would need to train teachers on the use of multimedia channels such as television, community radio and mobile phones, besides computers. Continuous professional development and up-skilling will enable teachers to acquaint themselves with 21st-century learning pedagogies and evaluation methodologies.
A HUB-and-SPOKE model can be worked out with such pre-schools and schools at the district or taluka levels acting as the hub and connecting with nearby villages to deliver education to students at the last mile through multimedia channels.
New technologies have proven their invincibility for continued delivery of quality education and overcoming all disruptions to learning in the event of crises like the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The United Nations estimates that approximately 32 crore students have been affected across pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary schools in India owing to the prolonged phase of lockdown imposed since March to slow the infection spread.
The government has since mandated schools to adopt alternative channels to ensure children continued to learn. Private as well as government-run schools have been investing in adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and setting up an IoT enabled infrastructure to ensure quality education delivery even in the remotest areas.
By using technology and IoT enabled infrastructure, schools are transposing classrooms into virtual learning experience and connecting with students.
Technologies being used
Besides setting up smart classes and improving technology infrastructure with enterprise-grade networking and connectivity solutions, schools have been preparing for a wider adoption of new technologies such as Robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), AR/VR, Machine Learning (MI), and Data Analytics. Earlier private schools and now public schools are also compelled to invest in efficient networks for data transmission, data storage and data analysis for making their technology infrastructure fool proof, robust and future ready.
An efficient IoT network in the education sector is important for seamless and efficient data transmission, data storage and data analysis, which is crucial for education of students at faraway places. Using IoT channels have led to better operational efficiency of teachers. Through connected devices, educators are able to perform dynamic classroom interventions.
Teachers are also being trained and skilled in adopting technology tools and using technology-enabled teaching methods. They are conducting regular classes by connecting with students via video-conferencing technology such as Google Meet, Zoom, Moodle or proprietary school software.
Also, with the creation of age-appropriate curriculum, teachers are reinventing their teaching methodologies. Digital e-learning apps and gaming are allowing students to learn and revise multiple times and at their own pace while teachers are able to complete their education curriculum on time.
Students are using a variety of digital tools like tablets, smartphones and PCs for connecting with their schools.
The next steps
Collaborations between the government, school management service providers, Ed-Tech companies and public and private enablers is the urgent need of the hour for creating the requisite technology and IoT infrastructure for education delivery in urban and rural areas. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for schools to start expanding their digital learning experience and develop ICT-enabled education and the momentum needs to be stepped up.
Going ahead, technology will be the crucial link between the government, school management and private players to enable amalgamation of e-learning platforms and mainstream education for reaching a wider student base. Schools would need to train teachers on the use of multimedia channels such as television, community radio and mobile phones, besides computers. Continuous professional development and up-skilling will enable teachers to acquaint themselves with 21st-century learning pedagogies and evaluation methodologies.
An efficient IoT network in the education sector is important for seamless and efficient data transmission, data storage and data analysis, which is crucial for education of students at faraway places
A HUB-and-SPOKE model can be worked out with such pre-schools and schools at the district or taluka levels acting as the hub and connecting with nearby villages to deliver education to students at the last mile through multimedia channels.
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