From blackboards to screens How digital learning is changing the education landscape

The past decade has witnessed a widespread acceptance and adoption of all things digital, and it continues to grow exponentially. Digital technology is steadily becoming an indispensable part of our everyday lives.

From personal needs and political issues to significant industry developments, the digital world has made us more informed and connected. In India, the digital wave has brought about a paradigm shift, becoming the new 'buzzword' in every industry across every vertical. With a rise in the ownership of smartphones and better internet penetration, the entire country is steadily going digital.

Having said that, even amidst such a conducive environment, the education industry remains largely non-digitized. The education landscape is undoubtedly undergoing a transformation. Gone are the days when academic learning meant being in the classroom for over 8 hours, frantically taking down notes that the teacher would write on the board or dictate.

According to a comprehensive report titled 'Online Education in India: 2021' curated by KPMG in India and Google, the online education market in India is projected to grow eight-fold by 2021. With digital learning widening the scope, education is gradually transcending beyond the four walls of a classroom.

The rise in the number of e-learning platforms is addressing the need-gap both for students as well as employees, and thereby becoming a preferred option for institutes and corporates in India and across the globe.

It is an undisputed fact that the education system in India is struggling with huge gaps that need immediate addressal. From the economic and social opportunity gap to the supply-demand gap, digital learning has the potential to bridge these by democratizing access to education and consequently, access to opportunity.

In the current landscape, the formal education system does not have an adequate infrastructure or enough resources to address the challenges and meet the ever-increasing demands, which is necessary for the education system to achieve its full potential. This is where digital learning comes in the picture.

As the age-old saying goes, "Where there is a challenge, there lies an opportunity". This becomes all the more relevant in the context of education. For instance, there is a lot of fragmentation in the entire ecosystem when it comes to the efforts invested by all the stakeholders involved.

Be it the parents, teachers, employers, governments, and ultimately the end-learners, including and bringing all the stakeholders together creates a huge market opportunity for the digital avenues to tap into. Realizing the immense potential, several institutes and companies across the globe are adopting these digital platforms to reach students, facilitating access to rich resources and capabilities.

Moreover, in the realm of digital learning, the role of an educator is no longer limited to the traditional setup of teachers. The emphasis on education remains the same, but the role has been increasingly diversifying in the digital context.

Of course, the role of a teacher does not diminish, but the source of learning is not limited to them anymore. Going beyond the conventional one-way process, digital platforms empower a learner to access and evaluate information anywhere at any given time. Every individual possesses a unique aptitude and grasping level and one can learn at a pace that best suits them through such platforms.

Therefore, when learners get to assert better control over their learning experience, they are likely to take a more proactive stance towards the same, ultimately resulting in better outcomes.

There are several trends emerging in the digital learning landscape, each playing a significant role in reshaping of the education system. One of the most prevalent trends is the approach of peer-to-peer learning. This approach has been observed to facilitate one of the best learning environments by allowing the learner to show their talents and abilities without the fear of judgment.

Through such encouragement, supplemented by guidance from a community of teachers, experts, and fellow learners, one gets to value their own capabilities and are able to learn better. Because of such key benefits, these collaborative exchanges facilitated by digital learning platforms are steadily gaining momentum across the globe.

Digital learning also has the potential to ensure penetration of education to the remote areas. With an unprecedented rise in ownership of smartphones and internet penetration, the gap between the 'privileged' and the 'underserved' is steadily closing.

In this scenario, digital learning can effectively reach out to those hailing from the rural areas, benefitting them with its diversified content. All of this indicates how digital learning has the potential to effectively address the major challenges concerning education in India, thereby becoming a key preference among all the stakeholders of this ecosystem.

In the current scenario, digital learning seems to be the best way forward. It is not only bridging the need-gaps in the delivery of education but is also bringing about a whole new dimension to the space.

Supplemented by a rise in online learning platforms, the education system in India is projected to continue evolving at a robust pace, steadily reducing the demand-supply gap and exploring bigger opportunities to provide education in new and innovative ways.

(The author is the CEO of Brainly and is responsible for the Company Strategy, Product Strategy, Culture & Structure. His work at Brainly is driven by the conviction that online communities can empower students from around the world with knowledge and information)