Taking Edtech Mainstream

The swiftly changing, educational landscape in the country is largely propelled by the advancements in educational technology, such that the vested potential in startups and medium scale enterprises has earned them a spot amongst the high rollers achieving unicorn status at an unprecedented pace. Such blitz growth has made Edtech mainstream as opposed to being just another alternative in previous years.

Last year brought a flurry of record-breaking venture capital to the sector. data shows that Edtech startups around the world raised $10.76 billion last year, compared to $4.7 billion in 2019. While reporting delays could change this total, VC dollars have more than doubled since the pandemic began. In the United States, Edtech startups raised $1.78 billion in venture capital across 265 deals during 2020, compared to $1.32 billion the prior year.

Considering the market indicators, it is certain that post pandemic education would carry a marked difference from the pre pandemic era. Research suggests that the evolution of post-pandemic education will be complex, if not aggressively competitive among the growing legion of well-capitalized Edtech companies. Contrary to popular belief, Higher education didn’t combust like some expected, and today, many predict that K-12 students will return to pre-COVID formats after vaccinations are widespread, however with slightly higher influence of technologically enabled solutions that would help maintain learning continuity in the long run.

Since remote learning has become more familiar, what will Edtech look like when students go back to schools and employees to their offices?

For K12, use of digital products and platforms will now be very “normal”. This will drive home the usage of some products traditionally used only in schools. A classic example of the same would be students of all ages that are now very ‘hands on’ with zoom, this can pave the way for more zoom based synchronous learning offerings including extracurricular learning like music, dance etc. Schools are now fully wired which could lead to the emergence of home-based learning programs supported by the administration themselves.

Looking beyond the K12 space to the job market, it was estimated that as much as 1/3 of the US workforce would need to change jobs by 2030 prior to the pandemic due to the widening skill gap within the workforce. However, it is now expected that employers will take on more responsibility for reskilling their current workforce, and that training will become job-embedded rather than an ad-hoc, challenge redressal driven effort. As employers look to provide more skills training (rather than compliance training), it is certain that more will come from external sources and that much of this training will be provided online and during work hours. The fact that CEOs say they are unprepared to meet the reskilling challenge with existing internal resources further supports the fact that Edtech will dominate the learning landscape virtually across every domain.

So, what opportunities and challenges do new and early stage startups need to face as the ecosystem matures?

As Edtech goes mainstream with each passing year, it is clear that companies that wish to operate in the space will consistently need to innovate and differentiate themselves overtime. As the landscape becomes increasingly competitive, Edtech companies need to stay away from ‘me-too’ solutions and design original and authentic solutions for the complex Indian market. The reducing ambit of fresh opportunities makes it increasingly difficult for competitors to carve out a sustainable niche for themselves.

For companies focused on K-12 students, it’s still really challenging to sell into schools and school districts because of the long sales cycle. This will likely become even harder, as local and state regulations stiff up. For companies that are targeting adult learners, the biggest hurdle continues to be customer acquisition and building a brand that learners can actually trust. As the space starts to mature, consumers are getting more aware of the right questions to ask and are less fooled by clever marketing.

An upcoming opportunity however, lies in the ‘free till employed’ space where not many companies are presently operating. The model works best for Higher Ed candidates that are on the market for employment, however do not possess the necessary skillset required to achieve their dream job. Players in the space provide the requisite skill training, and do not charge in return of their service, instead take a portion of the salaries of their students once they find jobs. Innovative models such as these will certainly grow exponentially in the coming years and will further open the doors for learners with international aspirations.

What about other factors such as a dated regulatory landscape and lack of parent education that could inhibit Edtech expansion to its full potential?

The current education system is geared towards teaching and testing knowledge at every level as opposed to teaching skills. Knowledge — read as information overload — is largely forgotten after exams are over. Still, year after year, Indian students focus on just cramming information. They have no choice, really. The best crammers are rewarded by the system. This is one of the fundamental flaws of India’s education system.

Indian parents need to be taught to trust the new, digital system of education. This requires central and state education boards to make fundamental changes and adopt them across school curriculums. Once the government provides an impetus to alternative learning in schools, only then can Edtech startups actively look at designing products for such learning and create a real impact on educational standards.

Globally, tech startups have been able to disrupt and expand markets across sectors only in those countries where the business framework is not restricted by government regulations and there is no resistance to change. In India, leading startups such as Paytm, Flipkart, Ola, Oyo, Swiggy, Bigbasket, Grofers, and many others have been able to disrupt various sectors by creating niche markets within the sectors. They not only capitalized on the traditional market space but also increased the market size of their respective sectors, creating future prospects by modernizing the segments and also expanding them for businesses to grow and innovate further.

Edtech startups, too, should get the socio-economic support they need to create the space for mainstream learning in the Indian market, else they will keep fighting for a share of the already existing, constant market size.

To sum up, while Edtech had been steadily making its presence felt over the past few years, with assisted learning tools that leverage robotics, ML etc., for developing cognitive learning among children, it is only now that it has found widespread appeal and mass adoption. The lockdown has also helped transform Edtech from an ‘optional’ tool adopted by elitist schools to a ‘mandatory’ mode of continuous learning, especially for schools, who have adopted it wholeheartedly. From facilitating teaching of regular term curriculum via virtual classrooms or recorded lectures for K12 students to offering professionals the opportunity to upgrade their skills, technology adopting in the education space has allowed allowing everyone with an internet connection and a smart device, to access knowledge and learn. Coupled with accelerated pace of innovations, and growing interest of investors in the Indian Edtech segment, the Indian education system is on an aggressive growth path, well equipped to create a more aware, more enabled and more responsible citizens of the future.

Next Wave of Edtech in India

 As the Edtech sector scales new heights with each passing year, experts agree that the next wave of Edtech in India is set to redefine the face of education in the country. Recognizing the immense potential vested within Edtech, the government and regulatory bodies have made a strong case for the digitization and modernization of education within the country through the recently launched National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, that categorically focuses on improvement of infrastructure for technologically enabled learning across educational institutions.

Even during a year of peril and trials, the sector has shown phenomenal progress by any metric of measurements. India is already home to two unicorns that provide Edtech services and products globally. Even within the investment space, 2020 saw over 100 unique deals within the sector having a cumulative value of over $1.5 bn in investments. At a macro level, the Edtech space has now become the third highest investment attracting sector in India, outperforming even Ecommerce and Consumer Tech

Top 5 Sector Stack in India

The global Edtech market is a diverse and rapidly growing industry with a large runway across the business lifecycle, from early-stage startups to middle-market companies to publicly traded companies. It continues to garner a lot of attention not only from long-time industry veterans but from generalist investors as well. Across the three main education categories (PreK-12, post-secondary, and corporate training), technology is infused throughout the life of a learner. The leading sub segments within the industry include after school classes, online certifications and higher education, professional skill development, vocational learning etc. that each operate as individual verticals within the sector

A closer look at the key indicators and mainstays of the sector that will propel its growth in the coming years, reveals a promising picture for the learners of the future who stand to benefit from a more engaging and elevated experience, suited to their abilities and time frames while ensuring that learning continuity is maintained and remains self-paced. It is therefore important to mention some of these indicators:

Shifting Focus of the B2B Segment

While the B2B space has existed for a long time, the focus of Edtech players has now shifted towards teachers as opposed to the overall backend management. The B2B Edtech startups and services, which enabled teachers and educational institutions to take their work online, gained momentum as the schools and after-school-classes (tuitions) remained shut. This not only ensured that learning remained uninterrupted but also prepped up traditional institutions for the future of Edtech. The B2B Edtech firms have received total funding of $31 million between 2017-2020. A large portion of the funding is attributable to enterprises that made shifting focus to teaching and learning online possible. Interestingly, companies that facilitated audio and video conferencing also released special, education centric versions of their product that helped teachers manage and deliver classes better indicating that even companies outside the Edtech space want to carve out their standing due to the immense vested potential in the upcoming sector.

Gamification & Emergence of Edutainment

In addition to the life like animations and visual representations of otherwise theoretical content and concepts, Edtech startups also focus on making the activity of learning more engaging and interactive. Gamification has gained immense popularity among Edtech startups — like Toppr,  CueMath, BYJU’S and others — because of substantially improved learning and outcomes. Learning through games and puzzles also makes it easier for students to understand a concept in a more practical way and generate greater interest. Beyond gamification, startups have also started taking steps to make education more interesting with the medium of interactive videos, music and proprietary stories-based curriculum. Parents too have expressed their preference for an interactive approach to learning as they observe their children learn concepts much faster than conventional schooling classes

Golden Days for Coding & Programming

Undoubtedly, one of the talked about verticals within the Edtech space in 2020 was the coding and programming for young children. Claiming to enable logical thinking, problem solving and creative thinking skills in children, the segment is responsible for a large portion of the overall sector momentum. In fact, the situation in India is no different from the global scenario where its overall market is pegged to be worth over $2 billion. Indian coding players such as Whitehat Jr, Toppr etc. have now scaled operations even outside India, and provide personalized one to one classes to aspiring learners over a 2 year period on an average. As more parents warm up to the idea of teaching their kids to code to create better opportunities for their future, dominant players are sure to ride the coding wave for years to come more so with the regulatory mindset changes taking place that postulate coding for all children in schools from grade 6 onwards.

 Upskilling & Professional Development

The pandemic has shown how quickly work itself can change and being upbeat with the latest trends can help minimize the shock. About 122 Mn people lost their jobs as of August 2020, as wounded companies accelerated towards digital transformation. Organizations started making data-driven decisions making more important aspects of their survival, and the impact of Edtech will also be seen beyond schooling into upskilling and reskilling. Since digital jobs were the profiles to grow amidst a slowing market, startups in the space had the impetus to look beyond school education and focus on professional development and lifelong learning aspects – one that offers learners the opportunity to take up relevant and in-demand skills that can shape their careers in the long run. Leading startups in the segment saw a steep rise in their user base (~2.5 times) since the pandemic and the changing consumer mindset is sure to drive demand for the years to come.

So, what more can be expected of the Edtech space?

The big challenge for startups will be bridging intrinsic gaps such as the digital divide, equitable access to the internet, power and hardware such as computers or smartphones, along with addressing the affordability quotient — both of which are lacking at the moment. Given the trends and indicators discussed previously, it can safely be assumed that the following will additionally be the critical changes that can be expected:

•         Greater adoption of learning management systems in schools & colleges
•          Vernacular and local language content will take center stage
•          Assessments & examinations will be digitized through the use of proctoring solutions
•          Teacher focused digital transformation platforms will be designed
•          AI & ML shall drive the design philosophy of upcoming innovative learning models

To sum up, there are about 4,530 active Edtech startups in India but even the number is bound to increase rapidly with the increased interest of both investors and customers. The year 2020 was truly a golden year for Edtech and the same momentum is expected in 2021 and beyond as well and even policies are bound to get more Edtech

New Education Policy - Takeaways & Implications

In a landmark decision to reform the traditional face of education in the country, the Government of India through its Ministry of Education (formerly MHRD) has accepted and enforced the New Education Policy (NEP) for all educational institutions in the country. The policy has been designed by an expert committee of eminent educationists that submitted a draft to the government in December 2019. This newly applicable policy finds its basis in the idea of making education more accessible for all learners.

The new policy puts fourth radical changes across all spheres of education. Starting from foundational schooling to post professional and vocational education. Through the enactment of this policy, the government has made its revolutionized stance towards the internationalization of education very clear. Future generations stand to benefit a great deal from the changes presented in the policy that comes after a 34 year hiatus.

So what has really changed for schools?

The NEP 2020, takes the present system of learning and flips it on its head. There are visible changes across all delivery models and even talks about holistic development of the students and technical grooming of teachers that can empower young minds to become future leaders.

The schooling segment is perhaps one of the most influenced segments with monumental implications for future learners. Here’s why:

• Formalized Early Childhood Care & Education with a national curriculum framework to be made available to all

• Re-purposing school complexes as adult & vocational education centers during non-school hours for optimum utilization of resources

• A redefined academic trajectory of students commencing with the foundational (3+2), preparatory (3 years), middle (3 years) and secondary (4 years) phases being the new face of schooling

• State level exams across grades 3, 5 and 8th in addition to mandatory board exams as per the current regime

• Centralized assessment centers will be established for Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic development of the children (PARAKH)

• Reformed report cards consisting of peer reviews in addition to teacher feedback

• Recruitment of local artists and craftsmen will promote regional arts in schools

• Integration of vocational skills from grade 6 with practical experience to willing learners

• No hard separation between streams of arts, science & commerce with greater flexibility being made available to the students

• Special provisions for gifted children

There are a lot more indirect implications for schools mentioned within the policy over and above the aforementioned list. Schools have now been enabled to provide futuristic education with the use of technology in the classroom, however it has been observed that teachers are opposed to the idea of infusion of modern teaching techniques within the classroom. This also finds redressal in the policy which places a heavy emphasis on the investment in teacher education and their professional development. A rather staggering change is the change in mandated teacher qualification to a 4 year integrated B.Ed degree as opposed to 2 years at present. A special curriculum shall be designed for new teachers that will enable them to impart knowledge using modern teaching techniques and reformed pedagogies thereby enabling future learners to become competent for the real world.

And what about higher education?

Under the new policy, the government has categorically emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary education across the higher education segment. This renewed understanding represents the governmental push to make the economy more self-reliant and harness its own capabilities before seeking outsider assistance. In it’s endeavors to promote the entrepreneurial spirit, the government has made value-based education a new foundation to be imbibed within the course structure. In fact, there is also a reassessment of what courses should continue to exist in terms of availability of employment and what skills have now become irrelevant and should therefore be discontinued.

Specifically, the government has put forth both regulatory and operational changes in the higher education sphere, such as:

• Institution of a single oversight body called Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) to govern all higher education institutions except those that specialize in the medical & legal niche

• A unilateral set of governance norms for both public & private institutions

• Creation of professional standards in accordance with global norms by Professional Standard Setting Bodies (PSSB) in place of the existing 17 professional councils

• Creation of Multidisciplinary Education & Research Universities (MERU’s) with the aim to reach global status

• All new institutions will be required to offer Open Distance Learning (ODL) and online programs once accredited

• Multiple entry/exit options shall be available to students to leverage with undergraduate courses to be of 3-4 years including a year of research

• The installation of high performing universities globally to set up centers in India will be encouraged

Alongside the changes mentioned above the policy also sets bold targets for the coming years such as increasing the GER in higher education including vocational learning to 50% by 2035 and increasing public investment in education to amount to 6% of GDP by the next decade.

What else is on the table?

In addition to the many visionary changes suggested by the policy, there are several small but significant revisions that the government plans to implement in due course. There is a strong inkling to promote the preservation and promotion of local arts, culture and language through education. Further, the infusion of technology in education has been stressed upon emphatically with the setting up of National Education Alliance for Technology (NEAT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled research centers across the nation. Adult education is yet another aspect that finds mention within the policy that posits creation of Adult Education Centers (AEC’s) through optimum utilization of school infrastructure for the same.

The policy clearly provides a framework of operation for new and old institutions and re-imagines the fate of education in the country in the coming years. It is indeed an advantageous for a nation to recognize education as a pivotal pillar in the success of its economy and it’s people. Seeking to expedite the implementation of these efforts, the government has already set aggressive timelines and is positioned to bring the entire policy into force by 2040. For a detailed understanding of the NEP and all it’s nuances, read through our monograph here.

The Zero Year Theory - Is it viable?

The current COVID-19 pandemic has hit the education system hard. All the schools and Higher Education Institutions in India have been shut since the first 21-day national lockdown from 25^th March 2020 thus impacting over 253 million school going students and 37.5 million higher education students enrolled across India.

As the Coronavirus cases continue to increase in the country, looking at the current figures, it is inevitable that the coronavirus cases will increase in the coming days and health and safety of children are under question. Under such unprecedented circumstances demand is rising to call A.Y. 2020-21 as ‘Zero Academic Year’

‘Zero Academic Year’ means teaching and learning will happen to the extent possible by using various alternate instruction methods, but there will not be any examinations, grading or promotion to the next class.

A online survey conducted by Local Circles group with 25,000 respondents in India, found that a two third of respondents did not support reopening of schools on September 1 and were worried about the chances of infection to children and elders in the home.

International precedent also indicates that cases spread through schools, with the American Academy of Pediatrics reporting that almost one lakh children tested positive in the last two weeks of July, just as some schools began reopening classes.

Current Scenario of India’s school children:

Current educational situation of students varies widely, depending on age, location and socioeconomic status. Private schools have already gone online with teachers attempting to maintain a regular schedule. For Govt. schools, authorities have brought out an educational calendar with lesson plans and learning activities, and are also beaming classes through dedicated television channels in multiple languages, especially for older children. Government has also issued screen time guideline for pre-primary to Class 12^th students. Given that this kind of distance education requires digital access and/or self-motivation and parental involvement, the vast majority of children in government schools have spent the last three months on an extended summer holiday.

Challenges in reopening of schools in India

• No clear road map or timeline for school re-opening

• No clear health protocol for maintaining Health and safety measures while reopening schools

• Covering full academic curriculum lost due to school closures in remaining instructional days in academic year 2020-2021

• Un-equal Access to online and remote learning: only 24% of families have internet facilities in urban area which drop to 15% in rural areas.

Is Zero Year Theory, way ahead?

Although the adoption of blended learning (online + class) for curriculum content delivery is key to ensure the continuity of education following the physical closure of schools, children on an average, likely to experience a learning loss during this COVID affected academic year.

Online schooling requires a change in both the quantity and quality of the teaching capacity & revision in the curriculum,Students spend less time in online learning compared to in-school learning time Younger children may have problems in adapting to this model especially for the online learning sectionThe structure of many existing school buildings may not be appropriate if one wants to maintain physical distancing.

Hence looking at challenges in reopening schools and content delivery mechanisms many activists, teachers associations, parent associations in Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Tamil Nadu have demanded to declare AY 2020 – 21 as Zero Academic Year.

Is there any academic loss when curriculum is reduced?

COVID-19 and blended mode of learning in schools may not affect students equally. Students from less advantaged backgrounds can experience more significant learning loss during this emergency period than their more advantaged counterparts. This may be due to differences in financial & non-financial parental support, digital access & students’ digital skills.

Loss reflected in reduction in test score students would be experiencing because of less time spent in learning compared to the amount of time they typically invest when they are in school, stressed environment because of changed delivery mechanism and lack of learning motivation

In broader perspective academic loss will translate into a reduction of available human capital, with negative effects on future productivity, innovation and employment including future lower earnings for the student cohorts directly affected by the lockdown

On the other hand declaring A.Y. 2020-21 a Zero Academic Year will ensure:

• Reduced stress level of blended learning in students.

• No Academic loss and in terms of curriculum and skills learnt

• Safety of children from schools with inadequate infrastructure where social distancing might not be followed

• It will also provide time to governments and schools to ensure teacher training on health & safety of students, digital access to all students, developing new pedagogies in blended learning and developing school infrastructure with better hygiene and health safety measures.

Health is Wealth and life has more value than anything else, thus it is more important to value children’s life and health over all other parameters. Protecting children from this dangerous pandemic is critical. Hence it will not be in common good to reopen schools in riskier environment. Zero Year Theory needs to be followed to mitigate academic loss of students if more than 33% curriculum reduction is needed to be able to reopen schools.

Enabling education for the masses through adoption of Ed-tech

The Indian education system is currently suffering from serious lacunae of teacher centered traditional schooling also known as ‘Factory model’ where in children are referred as products and where kids are treated as part of an assembly line, learning essentially the same things at an ‘average’ pace of the class without much personalization. This ‘Factory Model’ exists because it's the most economical or sustainable way to educate a large number of kids together with limited resources.

On the 2018 Legatum Prosperity Index, an annual study which evaluates 149 countries on several factors, India stands at the 104th spot in education. In India, the percentage of Class II students who could not read a single word of a short text or perform a two-digit subtraction is higher than in Uganda or Ghana. These facts indicates that India children at large scale lack in access to quality Education, educational resources and opportunities to learn beyond schooling.

Major Challenges in Education System in India

• Lack of Infrastructure: Shortage of schools and classrooms with basic amenities like electricity, drinking water and toilets

• Unavailability of quality teachers: Teachers are less qualified, lack professionalism and grappled with absent-ism

• Shortage of quality study material: Shortage of study material leads to disinterest among students

• Language issues: With 1500+ languages available, it is difficult to teach students in their respective languages with limited or no regional language content available 

Technology in Education (Ed-Tech) for large scale adoption

There is urgent need to implement technology enabled solutions and services that can redefine how education is imparted to students in lower strata of society in efficient format at all levels of education.

India is at the cusp of experiencing the growth curve in Ed-Tech & online learning the way the US or China had in the recent past. The current COVID-19 crisis has made use of Ed-tech more pertinent than ever.

 I. Going Digital:

 In online education, content delivery consists of text, audio and video to teach and elaborate on classroom subjects with experienced teachers. Thus fills-in knowledge gaps when teachers are absent or less educated with certain materials. These materials are also more streamlined, making topics easier to understand for a multitude of students. Video lessons make classes more consistent in all schools, eliminating the variation of teaching materials around the country and allowing student at large scale to learn in self-paced manner.

II. Specialized and Individual Learning through Massive Open Online Courses

Traditional schooling system is proven to be less effective at aiding students individually to learn core concepts; through the implementation of MOOC’s, schools will be better able to cater to students’ needs and adapt specific programs to better suit individual learning styles and educational requirement.

III. TV channel-based learning

Poor internet access in rural population is major challenge; with only 15% of families have internet facilities in rural areas. Thus making implementing online education difficult, hence makeshift technology uses such as TV channel based learning in regional languages in particular time slots. This can be crucial in providing instant access to learning content without onboarding.

IV. Open Schooling

Ed-tech can help in strengthening open schooling initiatives such as National Institute of Open Schooling with further to help curtailing School drop-out rates in senior secondary and higher education by creating Open Educational Resources (OER) across streams and allowing studnets to choose multiple subject of choice.

V. Resource-centric social network for educators

Rural area teachers have to be made at par in quality with their counterparts in urban areas, this is possible by developing Resource-centric social network for educators where teachers can interact and seamlessly share educational resources across states and country.

While a number of states in India have initiated Ed-Tech enabled programs to improve education levels, we believe Ed-tech start-ups companies would require extensive partnership with authorities to bring more technology into Indian classrooms for addressing current challenges.

Government should work towards providing digital access such as tablets, SD-Cards, Desktop computers and projectors to lower strata of society making Ed-tech educational programs more accessible to the multitudes. Many state-run schools have some access to these resources and Government needs to make consistent efforts towards providing EdTech for students in all regions.

Examinations Amidst A Pandemic - Are online exams an option?

The already struggling schooling industry, has recently been thrown another challenge of conducting safe and secure examinations for their students. Amidst the tussle, the industry opinion is split between parents increasingly leaning towards postponement of examinations and the authorities that are focused on creating a safe environment for their conduct. As a consequence, critical state sponsored examinations stand cancelled for the moment. While student safety is central to both stakeholders, it is also important to investigate the approach to examinations and their conduct as well as adapt to the latest trends and practices being employed in the assessment and examination vertical.

So what options are out there?

With greater amount of industries going digital and embracing the influx of technology, the assessment and examination community has also come of age. Online Examinations have emerged as a credible alternative to traditional pen and paper examinations that schools and educational institutions are adept to. While concepts like these are unheard of in the Indian ecosystem, there are ample examples internationally, of schools and universities leveraging technology and conducting safe and secure examinations using online solution providers. With the efficient use of state-of-the-art technology coupled with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, online examination portals have been able to overcome all malpractices and unethical behavior impacting exam integrity.

Why should schools opt for Online Examinations?

Online examinations are the natural progression for the schooling industry as they increasingly become aware of the benefits and effectiveness of bridging the digital divide. As schools have now become acquainted with the many benefits of online learning, it is only natural to look at other aspects of a child’s education that can be leveraged online. Moreover, schools stand to benefit from both proctored and un-proctored assessments that merge human oversight with AI based indicators that limit the possibilities of cheating, impersonation and other unethical actions.

Schools should see the advantages in opting for online examinations as under:

• Cost Savings – When an online exam is conducted, there are direct implications on the costs of paper and stationery that are required to conduct exams the traditional way. The elimination of paper costs alone is extraordinary.

• Time Management – Online examinations generally employ pre validation of the test taker to ensure that there is no impersonation or compromise of testing environment. This helps to overcome the lengthy formalities of the prevalent testing model and ensures that the test taker is able to maximize the utilization of his time. Moreover, as objective tests can be evaluated instantly it saves on the time of answer sheet evaluation and result declaration to a large extent

• Security & Confidentiality – The traditional testing model requires creation and protection of question papers in a secure environment. In fact, many schools take extra care to ensure that their question papers do not leak into the hands of students. Online exams ensure that the test taker does not have access to the test unless authorized by the proctor. Systems in place can also ensure that the candidate does not have access to the internet or has limited access in order to maintain test integrity. Questions can even be randomized and presented as tests. This is why many schools have already adopted the practice of online examinations.

• Flexibility & Accessibility – Online examinations make it possible for test takers to take an exam from the comfort of their homes. Some online service providers even allow test takers to schedule their examinations as per their availability. Schools can consider similar options for low stakes exams allowing their test takers to conduct examinations 24 x 7.

Administratively as well, online exams are a lot easier to conduct as compared to traditional tests. Schools are undivided on the toil and effort that goes into conducting examinations the present way. Online examinations enable a one stop solution for creating, conducting, evaluating and analyzing exams. Test results can be mapped to test takers along with their progression history to understand the developmental areas of the students and help them precisely.

What kind of examinations can be conducted?

Online examinations can be used to deliver all kinds of tests. Certain service providers also allow examiners to align learning outcomes to the tests that they choose to conduct. Such deep analysis is not possible with the traditional testing set up. Listed below are a few aspects of student development and supporting question types that can be tested via online exams:

It is relatively difficult to refute the many benefits of online examinations. Schools have an opportunity to ensure academic continuity for their students and rise above the ill effects of the pandemic. It is important for schools to recognize their infrastructural challenges and work around them to execute online assessment strategies that can help set the pace for all future assessments. Student’s should also be well prepared to be introduced to an online testing environment that is both safe and secure while being highly effective.

Teaching Online – The pedagogical shift all teachers must embrace.

The modern educator, in its true sense defines a skill that has come off age. Imparting education has become more an act of teaching the way learners want to learn rather than following a mechanical and archaic process. The approach to teaching or pedagogy has evolved into a more child centric, result oriented and skill driven. Educators in schools and other educational institutions are united on the idea of revamping the traditional approach to teaching and discovering modern and efficient ways of connecting with the students.

Teaching in today’s schools requires educators to be more welcoming of the use of technology beyond the basics. As educational institutions today, have gradually started to offer job-oriented learning, there is absolutely no doubt technology would be an essential enabler in the process. With the increasing demand for students in the country, there is a natural push towards shifting teaching and learning online in a manner that is both effective and innovative. It is a well-known fact that learners today can associate better with video lessons rather than text books. In fact, technologies can enable standard text book material to come to life thereby establishing an engaging contact with the learner.

What does teaching online entail?

Educators that can leverage technology today, can ensure that student learning continues with minimal hindrances. Contrary to popular belief, teaching online is simple, efficient and easy to learn. It takes a small amount of willingness to adapt to the teaching environment and get acquainted with the tools and platforms. Most of online teaching is extremely similar to classroom teaching. Teachers can do everything over learning platforms such as design curriculum, conduct assessments, allocate assignments and design progress reports for their students. Infrastructural requirements are fairly limited as all that is needed is a computer with a stable internet connection.

Why should educational institutions push for online teaching?

When employed efficiently, online teaching offers a load of benefits that enable education in a way that has never been possible before. The most noteworthy of these benefits being:

• Online teaching renders geographies pointless. Since teaching online is managed by a system over the web, students can log in from their respective residences and do not need to travel to school to attend sessions. This opens the playing field to students beyond the immediate vicinity of the school’s location.

• Online teaching makes asynchronous teaching possible. Present day teachers find it difficult to ensure that every student has understood a course or lesson. The commitment to provide individual attention to each student therefore remains unfulfilled. However, online teaching enables students to schedule one to one session with their teachers and allows teachers to do exactly the same, thereby ensuring that student queries are timely addressed and their learning continues.

• Online teaching makes it easier to monitor student progress. Since learning platforms today offer the possibilities of associating learning outcomes with lesson plans, teachers are able to monitor in real time, which students are lagging behind and require personal attention. Analytical summaries are a great way for teachers to ensure that all their students excel academically.

• Online teaching helps make monotonous lessons more engaging. Traditional teachers often struggle with certain topics that do not inspire student attention and focus as the rest. Subjects such as history, sociology etc. can be made more interesting with the use of videos, slides and other support material that are otherwise absent from a traditional classroom.

The prospect of hundreds of thousands of professors and students venturing into academic cyberspace for the first time has prompted some commentators to take to social media to predict that this period could alter the landscape future for online education. "Every academician shall be delivering education online. Every student shall be receiving education online. And the resistance to online education will move away as a practical matter," James N. Bradley, chief information officer at Texas's Trinity University, wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Online teaching has off late become the face for the educational industry at large. As a consequence, to the pandemic, schools across the world have shifted curriculum online and are enabling teachers to conduct live lesson delivery using video conferencing and education management software. Teachers are able to conduct sessions, address doubts and deliver high quality education across the globe. This is an exciting opportunity for the uninitiated to be exposed to the many benefits of online learning and understand its importance for the future.

History & Trends of Online Learning & Screen Time

Online learning for young children in schools is an area that has received widespread acceptance and fair share of criticism. A close examination of facts, best practices and expert views reveals that online learning for all age groups is here to stay. Online learning is the only strategy that schools possess to ensure continuity in learning and personalized learning journey for each student. There is worldwide acceptance of the benefits of the online learning that further the cause of quality education however, the limitations of online learning must also be recognized. 

School educators, policy makers and regulators must focus on staying the course even under the pressure of outbreaks. Keeping student interests in mind, schools must ensure that learning continuity is maintained until full operations are resumed. Online learning techniques today have evolved substantially and can be channelized to assist with the student’s cognitive development as it is clear that learning consistency, routine and developmental learning window are important factors for children of young ages. In fact, leading schools across the world have employed the latest in online learning and designed systems that address the obvious reservations related to virtual environments and target even the social and emotional learning of their students.

Leading medical and child welfare organizations have now assumed a more supportive position of the idea of online learning. Organization such as WHO, UNESCO and IIEP have come out with new guidelines that provide an extensive framework on how to employ online learning techniques in an ethical and productive manner. The push for online education from local and global governments is substantial and is a clear indicator of the renewed understanding amongst leaders and reformers of the countries. It is clear that the common understanding now is that online learning can yield credible results provided it is administered and monitored in the right way with the help of systemic safeguards. 

Concerns around screen time have now been deliberated upon enough to prove that the quality screen time must be encouraged. While it is widely agreed that children must be allowed to engage in physical activities, it is also possible to ensure that young children do so with the help of online coaches or embedded bursts of free time. All stakeholders must approach the screen time issue from an objective viewpoint and differentiate active and passive screen usage. Experts have clearly mentioned that it is the passive, mindless and mechanical use of screen time on activities such as aimless social media browsing, binge watching and excessive gaming that inflict much more damage on young, developing minds than productive and cognitive activities such as investigative and experiential learning. Hence, rules, regulations or guidelines must consider the ‘good or bad screen usage time’ rather than ‘good or bad screen time’. 

Schools must now be more ready than ever to leverage online learning and ensure that students continue to grow and develop as they ought to. With no end to the pandemic in sight, online learning is the only way to render education to children of all ages. If the policy makers, regulators and schools can collaborate to share best practices and learn from each other around the globe, they can efficiently and swiftly cover the lost ground and provide high quality education to all students.

Eduvisors partnered with FICCI ARISE to develop a report containing insights with specific reference to systemic safeguards for all schools to consider: Available here.

Changing Face of The Traditional Schooling Model

Schooling, as we know it, is defined by buildings, classrooms, books and schedules. Traditional schooling has been considered as the only way to a balanced education; until now. The year 2020, as dreadful as it may seem, has brought with it a new reckoning for the prevalent model of schooling across the world. As schools lie helpless in the wake of the pandemic, a closer look reveals the unpreparedness and loopholes of the system as a whole. COVID-19 has not only exposed the cracks but has also brought to light the need for re-evaluation and assessment of the effectiveness of the prevalent schooling model.

Why do things need to change?

Several researchers and experts have been strong critiques of the traditional schooling model. The archaic vision of schools coupled with dated teaching techniques has lead to their loss of faith in the system. In fact, some even claim that the present schooling model is being approached as more of a business and not as social responsibility. Individuals behind schools no longer take pride in the noble cause of empowering young minds and contributing to the intellectual capital of the nation. Even teachers are now of the ‘job driven’ mindset and are not interested in imparting education which could largely be attributed to the socio-economic scenario in the country.

Looking at the sector as a whole, almost every educational institution has been adversely affected. However, the colossal turn of events has also brought about a renewed mindset and refreshed thinking to the table. The trends and analysis clearly indicate a new dawn for schooling in India and the world. A new model is emerging – one that is more innovative, forward looking and future proof. The industry seems to be leaning heavily towards online modes of teaching and learning. More and more schools are becoming highly accepting of technology as an enabler in such perilous times. Thanks to concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, IoT, innovators are designing better and more efficient ways of learning every single day. The face of the educational framework is certainly positioned for a radical change in the next few years.

Specifically speaking, EdTech firms in the country have reported upto 60% increase in user base in a month which is a testament to the changing mindset amongst all stakeholders in the schooling process. Schools have also invested heavily in their IT framework and have also strategized to move their curriculum online. Teachers are being trained and refined to embrace technology as an ally. Students have come forward and shown a keen interest in learning online and attending live lessons. Parents have also become more accepting of the idea of e-learning and encourage their children to choose digital learning.

For the first time ever, concepts like digital literacy are being explored. The American Library Association (ALA) defines digital literacy as “the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills”. Students and teachers around the world are increasingly becoming digitally literate. In India, the government has also mobilized significant capital towards digital literacy missions such as DIKSHA - the government’s online learning portal which has registered over 61 crore views since March 2020. This accelerated adoption of technology has given a renewed outlook to the face of schooling and education as a whole.

Another interesting concept being heavily talked about is the idea of ‘Online Schooling’; not to be confused with ‘Homeschooling’. While online schooling is a way of offering state sponsored curricula to students and families, homeschooling relates primarily to the purchase of curriculum to be in turn taught by the parents. Online schooling presents immense opportunities for both students and teachers to assume greater control and also assigns parental responsibility to help the child stay on his/her learning path.

What is Online Schooling?

Online schooling is a branch of the EdTech industry which is defined by a heavy reliance on technology and innovativeness. Students are exposed to a blended model including both online and offline ways of learning. Teachers are expected to teach in both synchronous and asynchronous teaching formats. Parent’s shoulder responsibility with the school and act as learning coaches to steer their child’s progress in the right direction. All in all, it is an inclusive form of schooling and shows great promise for the future.

As the schooling model slowly gravitates towards a tech enabled, student centric sector, it is also important for schools to look into stakeholder education aspects. Significant efforts have to be made in the direction of reaching out to technologically averse sets of parents and exposing them to the many benefits of online schooling such as personalization, individual attention, analysis and monitoring etc. The traditional model of schooling will continue to interfere with the natural progression of the industry as long as there are people that choose to believe in its effectiveness. While the traditional model has its merits, it has now become counter intuitive to the idea of education. It is time for schools to act now if they wish to ride the wave of technology enabled schooling in the days to come.