Reimagining the Future of Education

Can we imagine our life without mobile phones today? The answer is no. Over the years, technological advances have significantly impacted every aspect of human life, and our lives have become increasingly centred around them. As a result, we are all part of the digital ecosystem today. In the age of rapidly advancing technologies like ChatGPT, technology has a pivotal role in reimagining the education system.

Every good school today is aware that the infusion of educational technology is the way ahead to create a more effective and inclusive teaching-learning approach for the next generation. It won’t be wrong to say that the COVID pandemic allowed students to navigate the expanding world of digital education and helped them take a definite step towards becoming self-directed learners, which is the ultimate goal of education.?Multisensory and multimodal educational resources like video, animation, gamification and AR/VR make learning more engaging and interactive. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning curate unique learning paths for each student, making education individualised and at the right pace. This process of blended learning that complements traditional learning with technology appears to be the path that can bridge the learning gaps.

The NEP 2020 also envisions the educational system fostering and leveraging technology for effective teaching–learning outcomes. It is the vision of all forward-thinking school leaders to equip learners with skills to thrive beyond schools and be relevant to future workplaces.

But while using technology in reimagining the future of education is essential for the learner's success, it is also critical to remember that the school and its teachers must still play a dominant role in the ‘future of education’. Teachers should receive support in implementing new educational technology. Schools should create comprehensive plans to train their teachers in new technologies and their use in the classroom. Only a skilled teacher can use technology appropriately, allowing students to expand their horizons and focus on building their critical thinking skills. Promoting a “flipped classroom model” with the help of technology will also foster self-learning at home, with classroom time carved out for honing higher offer cognitive skills. ??Using technology in the classroom can help teachers receive feedback on the state of each learner, allowing them to create flexible cohorts of learning that change every day and for every lesson – called adaptive sectioning. Over time, she can personalise the content for each student. In the long term, we should also aim at personalising the curriculum to bring out the best in each child. ?

?As societies continue to change, education systems need to provide opportunities for learners to develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that enable them to realise their potential throughout their lives. We need to have a framework that connects all the dots by creating a more personalised and flexible form of learning in which a teacher is an enabler, a facilitator and a catalyst to support the learners in their educational journey. It should help each student excel based on their learning dispositions. There should be a continuum between in-school and after-school education to help achieve better learning outcomes. The goal of education is to empower learners, both individually and collectively.

Today we need an ecosystem platform where interaction between students, parents, teachers, schools and supplementary education service providers is possible. India requires an affordable tech-enabled ecosystem approach, combining self-paced and guided learning and in-school and after-school learning. It also needs to involve all stakeholders to help students regain agency, joy, and quality of education. We must reimagine the future of the Indian school education system to foster collaborative, flexible, and personal hybrid learning. We must ensure that children learn at their own pace and have access to content contextualised to their local settings. It is time to join hands to shape a foolproof education system for 21st-century learners, and we can do it together.

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