Is Edutech Becoming Future Of Learning Due To Pandemic?

During the pandemic students and teachers shifted to online learning to cope with changing situations. Edutech platforms saw an increase in users during the lockdown. Can these platforms become a part of school learning even after the pandemic is over?

New Delhi: All educational institutions were first to be affected by the outbreak of the Coronavirus. While schools were in the middle of a new session, it led to an abrupt shut down across the country. Students and especially teachers were suddenly forced to quickly adapt to the changes brought by the pandemic. The change was to shift to e-learning, where teachers gave lessons via video conference to all students but while some still took time to catch up, many were familiar with this change due to the increasing use of Edtech apps such as Byju’s and Meritnation. Can these platforms slowly become a supplementary tool for teaching and learning especially in schools.

What changed for Edtech Apps during the pandemic?

According to a report Online Education Market in India, the online education market in India was valued at INR 39 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach INR 360.3 billion by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of ~43.85% during the 2019-2024 period.

Due to the pandemic when every student was asked to stay home and study there has been a steady increase of them joining Edtech apps. According to Mrinal Mohit, Chief Operating Officer at Byju’s, “We have received an overwhelming response from students across India with almost 3 times increase in the number of students accessing our app. Earlier students used to spend 2-3 days per week on the platforms. Now because of the lockdown, they are using the platform daily and spending an average of 100 mins. Last month alone we saw over 6 million new students learning from our app.” Since their launch in 2015, they have had 50 million students join the app.

According to Meritnation which was one of the first Edutech apps to start live classes in 2014, “ there was app installation grew twelve times and more than 4 lakh hours of live classes were attended by students since lockdown and over 1.5 lakh students have joined the free live class course,” says Pavan Chauhan, Founder & CEO, Meritnation.

Both these apps reported that although online traffic came from students in both metro and non-metro cities, they saw more from non-metro cities. “More than 70% of our users come from outside the top 10 cities. The last 4 years have seen better penetration of smartphones, with 70% of the students in the country having access to smartphones,” says Mohit.

Customizing lessons to a student's need 

Edtech platforms design their courses based on the syllabus that students are given in school. The teachers use a range of audio-visual mediums to assimilate the subject matter. But since every student has their own pace to understand a subject matter, these apps can be personalized based on the need of the student which is unlike the case in a “traditional classroom where the teacher’s instruction is directed at an ‘average’ student. Most importantly, online learning offers great possibilities for personalizing the learning experience for a student. Adaptive testing, customized feedback, and 24X7 accessibility of learning resources are some of the other advantages of online learning,” says Chauhan.

Meanwhile, Byju’s keeps engagement a top priority enhancing learning with ‘game-design principles, animations, interactive quizzes, and tests.’

“Students have access to a vast video library and can learn any topic they want, any number of times, without any pressure or hesitation. Additionally, our LIVE classes give them a classroom experience from the comfort of their homes “says Mohit. According to him the teachers and academic experts working with them also find ways to make the course ‘fun and more personalized’.  

What about the digital divide?

For a generation that is born into a world of screens and digital communication, the shift in pedagogical methodology may not seem so far from normal. As schools brace for a greater dependence on digital tools, Edutech platforms can become support systems for teachers. Chauhan views it as “…a right blend of the two approaches - classroom learning supplemented by online coursework is the ideal solution…interaction with a teacher in a classroom can never be replaced by technology. But it can also exacerbate the digital divide in the country. The lack of infrastructure and the lack of high-speed internet available in most parts of the country pose a problem for online platforms. While these platforms envision themselves to break barriers and turn supplementary tools in areas without good schools or good teachers, the lack of infrastructure makes this inaccessible.

“The major challenge for complete adoption of online learning in India continues to be limited access to high-speed internet for most people. While the situation has shown remarkable improvements over the last few years, infrastructural readiness remains a challenge for online learning to become a smooth experience for students across the country,” says Chauhan.

But according to Mohit it is not just Internet connectivity that can pose a problem.

“While the digital divide is a reality, the inequities and disparities that exist in the physical world are a much bigger hurdle to solve.”

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