Conventional knowledge structures are transforming lickety-split into new architectures of learning, thanks to the digitization of education. Convenience and accessibility are the two powerful factors unfolding critical development in the EdTech industry. Contemporary India walks in conjunction with a pace that is imperative for delivering digital education in the current scenario. For instance, admittance to higher education courses in India must no longer go through a classroom teaching setup. This has been after the momentous move of University Grants Commission (UGC) earlier this year, allowing higher education institutions to offer online degree courses/programs, besides the regular ones. With the execution of this shift, technology can be prudently employed. Students can get quality education through easily accessible e-learning modules at the convenience of their own time and place.
Catering to the umpteen needs of millions of students in India, the government is taking great steps to seek solutions in the sphere of digital technology. These are well highlighted in the National Education Draft 2019, which aims to bring comprehensive reforms in the education sector. Digitization has been pushing its way through the edifice of higher education with dynamic initiatives like National Digital Library, Virtual Labs, central cloud infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, to name a few.
"There is a pressing need to map the technology requirements with education by upskilling and reskilling the Indian workforce"
There are also recommendations for setting up a meticulous and dedicated educational technology forum and harnessing the power of AI, VI, and gaming for education. Massive Online Open courses (MOOCs) have been launched by the University Grants Commission and Human Resource Development (HRD) of India through the platform called SWAYAM. They offer around 2000 higher education courses to choose from in the bachelors, secondary, and master's degree category. Besides, the EdTech industry is ever-growing with new and collaborative tools to support, encourage, and engage the students. Some stimulating evolutions are:
1. Blockchain technology making its way into the education sector for storage and security of data in an economical way,
2. Learning analytics to anticipate student behavior and success, curriculum design, recruitment and other important foresight in the education industry,
3. Adaptive learning systems that are customized for each student.
These digital drivers of change are casting a stentorian effect over the education sector, calling for the proximate growth revolution. India is already standing at its apex. Forthcoming moves will be defined with even greater magnitude and acceleration of digital forces. Imminent technology trends that will shape the future of EdTech industry, offering a promising career, are anticipated in the domains of Digital Marketing, Business Analytics, Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, HR Management and Analytics, Robotic process automation (RPA), Edge computing, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and many more.
According to a report by Analytics India magazine, there are about 97,000 analytics and data science jobs existing in the market with 97 percent full-time openings. With analytic managers picking up a salary as much as 19.1 LPA, the domain is ready to unlock. However, the shortage of skilled workforce in the Ed-Tech industry makes it difficult for the technology shift to bode well. As a result, there is a pressing need to map the technology requirements with education by upskilling and re-skilling the Indian workforce. And that is where the opportunity lies! - In applying the digital technology to produce new curves of success.
A dedicated and specialized technical knowledge-base can facilitate the career path of aspirants. Envisioning the demand in this context, many universities provide the benefit of learning new skills to beginners and mid-career professionals. They offer specially designed courses for individuals to master new subjects and upgrade skills to advance in their professional realms. Online courses for professionals help them learn with ease at a convenient time, while concurrently increasing their competitive edge.
Some crowning study programs in this category are Post Graduate diplomas in Data Science, Digital Marketing Strategies, Business Analytics and Intelligence, Blockchain Technology, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Product Management, HR Management and Analytics. With the EdTech industry undergoing a persistent transformation, let us adapt to succeed.
Ajit. K. Chauhan, Chairman
An alumnus of Babson College, Boston, Ajit. K. Chauhan holds a Bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship. He currently works as Chairman at Amity University Online and Amity Future Academy.
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