Articles
Digital learning in today’s World
Opinion | Articles | Joseph M Thohrii | 08-Mar-2024
The 21st century is an era of digital transformation, a change that would remain in our activities of learning and pursuit of knowledge. The digital transformation brings unparallel change to the growth of communication and development. It is believed that as communication gets better; relationships become stronger. As relationship grows, communication becomes both easier and more effective. Modern technology is undoubtedly the best gift to human society. The electronic revolution that happened almost concurrently has further transformed communication into a powerhouse, the influence which knows no limit in space. The proper use of communication builds a better human society by developing a good social relationship. What has transpired in the education sector is the use of digitization as a tool for learning; capacitated with the internet facilities offering a ground for transformation and change. For a remote region of Northeast India, digital learning still remains a challenge due to regional disparity which never received the warranted focus and attention.
Re-thinking Education System
In every crisis there comes the opportunity for humanity to rise above the situation and transcend the existential predicaments. Humans have always come out refined after every crisis with new outlook, new vision and new way of living. The methods are reoriented, the tools are changed and the future is re-imagined. At the dawn of the new millennium, technological change magnified the optical view of the globe, bringing the world ever connected than before. The pandemic outbreak has paralysed the education system worldwide. However, virtual class or so call online class came to rescue the education system in the learning process. With the onset of the pandemic outbreak, which incapacitated the physical classes online classes were effortlessly switched on as an alternative mode of learning. This was to a great extend a breakthrough in the digital learning from the traditional and conventional mode of classroom learning. Universities, colleges and schools have taught the academic curriculum through various Apps like Zoom, Google Meet, Seesaw, Vico Smart-Board, Byju’s and so on. Thanks to the technological advancement and also the digitally equipped learners. We have been ushered finally into a technocratic world, and the situation seems to have been written on a digital wall; for those with less equipped in the techno-world would be in the second place to finish the race. A clear manifestation of a digital divide that exists among the students and teachers-students learning community.
Teacher- Student Management in digital learning
The first and foremost requirement in digital learning is change in the THOUGHT PROCESS. There must be significant and paradigm change in the thought process of the management, teachers and students in the way we look at education, because it has moved to digital and virtual learning. Students have to develop critical thinking and emotional maturity. If learning does not solve/understand a problem, then it cannot be called as learning. Knowledge has to be created not transferred. Teachers need to develop a digital competence that helps connect with students and parents, which will help make up for moral and emotional formation of the student. Adapting to digital learning needs humility and patience in re-skilling technology. Unlearning the previous teaching skill and re-learning and adapting to digital platform have become the need of the hour. Creative and innovative learning should be an uncompromised priority. Teachers have to be dynamic in learning at the same time school management also should constantly upgrade the education system. To make learning more engaging we need to embrace technology because when students are engaged and they are interested then that is where learning takes place.
Virtual learning: a supplement not an alternative
Virtual online learning has always been a debatable forum of learning in the academic curriculum. One must remember online learning is only a supplement to offline/physical learning. To put more discreetly, online learning cannot be an exclusive mode of learning. We ought to cope up with digital advancement and revolution yet retain traits or importance of class room learning cannot be compromised. The punch line “No Google or Technology can replace a Teacher ever” seems to echo in the minds of teacher-students’ relationship as months are stretched to yearlong online classes during the Global pandemic. It is almost axiomatic without computing for further premises. Bill Gates once said “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is most important. Besides the take on the virtual learning, the adolescent’s and teenager’s stage of ‘stress and storm’ are also added to the restlessness stage of their life.
Overcoming the crisis situation:
- Updating and upgrading learning
Every adversity has its positive sides. Another such positive side is that crisis and challenge has made us to learn and turn them into opportunities. It has not only taught us survival but revival as well. We have become Techno-savvy and tech-friendly. The mindset of management and staff is made more open to digital learning from physical learning. Digital literacy has become a non-negotiable tool in pursuit for knowledge. Edutopia would say “Integrating technology with face-to-face teacher time generally produce better academic outcomes than employing either technique alone”.
- Viability and Availability
The opportunity on ‘viability’ and ‘availability’ remains in limbo as the sky network denies accessibility for the basic form of learning to function fully. In the process of digital learning the common question asked is whether everyone is counted in the digital space of learning or has the digital network left behind the learners? There are places where network have not reached till date yet and there are also places where network are not friendly and accessible for online classes. The bigger question is; are the poor and marginalised able to afford smart phones? The situation of network and poverty becomes either one of the problems or both especially in the rural hill areas. Some families have even three or four children studying online simultaneously, and parents could hardly afford one smart phone. Do we consider this scenario? The rural and less fortunate in terms of income suffers the switch of a global pandemic.
A severe competition of “Exist or Exit” is brought to our doorstep. We are given today a responsibility either to build buildings or build capacity. The crisis has made the education system to evolve in many ways. A visionary leadership needs to evolve from the school management, an apt digital competency needs to surge from the teaching staff, and an openness of changed mindset to learning have to emerge from the students. Thus reinventing and restructuring our education system is a must in post-Covid education system.
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(The Author, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Imphal, presently serving as the Vice Principal of St. Joseph College, Ukhrul, Manipur. He can be reached on mtjo89@gmail.com. Views expressed are personal)
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