Susmitha Nachiket
The education tech space is evolving quickly to catch up with rapid changes in learner preferences, making smart campus now a priority and not a luxury
Schools and universities are ramping up their infrastructure facilities to meet the demands of the fourth industrial revolution and the changes it is bringing about within the education sector.
Apart from promoting hybrid learning models, there is a steady uptick in using immersive technologies to make digital learning more engaging and inclusive. Campus processes are turning towards automation with robots, AI and data analytics. Adapting AR/VR-based learning models is believed to enhance learning and improve student interest and retention. Gamification of the curriculum is also gaining momentum.
With increased use of technology within schools, many elements of the old-time school design are now obsolete: Physical libraries and books are replaced by digital libraries, traditional ‘chalk and talk’ classrooms remodeled into modern/flipped classrooms (using digital learning, AR/VR learning and modern labs), old-fashioned blackboards changed to smart boards, attendance registered by biometrics or face recognition, examinations switched to on-screen and proctored through examination software, and lectures delivered through Zoom and MS Teams platforms.
The education tech space is evolving quickly to catch up with the rapid changes in learner preferences. Transitioning legacy schools and universities into smart-educational centres is now a priority. “The institutions have no choice but to take the plunge. They need to listen to the pulse of the market and incorporate the latest developments in their processes and pedagogy,” affirms Dr. Dhrupad Mathur, Deputy Director (Faculty Management), Associate Professor (Technology Management), SP Jain School of Global Management, Dubai.
