EdTech Can Help Bridge Educational Gap, Promote Inclusivity: Here’s How

Providing quality education in all parts of India has always been a challenge but due to EdTech, it can be achieved more quickly.

India has already become the second-largest market for e-learning after the US.

Source : Getty

By Tejaswini Gupta

Educational technologies, or EdTech, hold significant importance in building today’s educational landscape. It holds immense importance in education as it enhances learning experiences for students, promotes collaborations, provides personalised learning, empowers educators, and prepares students for the future. The main focus of EdTech is to provide an environment of learning that is more engaging, inclusive, and consists of the latest technology for a personalised experience.

The Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by the United States is designed to achieve the following task: to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.

As education is every individual’s fundamental right and is also a key factor for the development of economic and social aspects of a nation, education should be received by all and EdTech can play a vital role in achieving such goals, by enabling lifelong learning to individuals with opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills at any stage of their lives. 

EdTech In India

As India is a developing nation it always had faced the problem of spreading education in all parts of India, urban and rural both, as it is way easy for the case of urban population to receive good quality education it is not always the same for the rural population. EdTech industry can significantly contribute to addressing educational challenges in India by increasing access to quality education and preparation.

Some of the EdTech startups in India are Byju’s, UpGrad, Unacademy, Vedantu, etc. They have seen considerable success in the Indian market as they proved to be beneficial in providing innovative classroom learning and more interactive learning for students anytime, anywhere — especially during the lockdown months.   

How Edtech Has Proven Beneficial

Provide Quality Education

Providing quality education in all parts of India has always been a challenge but due to EdTech, it can be achieved more quickly. EdTech can act as a solution to this problem by giving people access to online content and app, which can help in bringing educational content to students who need access to qualified teachers and well-equipped schools. It will be a way for good quality content can reach the students even if other things cannot.

Language Learning

Over the past few years, there has been a change seen in India that the regional languages are promoted by everyone, even Google has brought in translation features for all regional languages in India. And so has the EdTech industry, now students are not been limited by the language barrier for communication and learning. EdTech can provide language learning resources, translation tools, and content in different regional languages making it easy for students to learn in their native language and prepare accordingly.

Online Test & Skill Development  

As eco-friendly as it sounds, EdTech can also be used to bridge knowledge gaps as it can provide test question papers for different competitive exams that happen every year making it easy for the students to access all resources at a place and at the same time receive feedback instantly. It will help the student to speed up the traditional process of learning and waiting for the outcomes. EdTech also comprises different courses for better learning and if anyone is interested to learn more and develop industry-based skills then they can quickly be benefited from it.   

 Professional & Personalised Training

This feature can be a key in building up the knowledge of a teacher. Many teachers in India also need to get hold of the new technologies, trends, and skill development to grow with the evolving world. EdTech can help in giving personalised training to such teachers in need of learning so that there is no compromise in the quality of education delivered. This will be beneficial to address the shortage of qualified teachers and improve the overall educational barrier between teacher and student.

Inclusive Education

People born with a disability and special needs always have a problem catching up with students of their age. They always feel that there is a gap between them and others, to remove this gap in terms of education, EdTech can be very much beneficial for such people as it can provide specialised software, adaptive learning tools, and accessibility features that will support the individual and help them in diverse learning. Better visual teaching to such students at their convenient place is all that is required to set them with other students.

Modern Skill Development

As EdTech is up-to-date with the world it will be very efficient in providing education that comprises the 21st century skills. EdTech does not require time to contain the knowledge which is all around the world and bring it to you on your personal screen. Modern skills and digital literacy are something that everyone should know about. By integrating technology into classrooms, students can learn to use digital tools, and have a better understanding of online information and resources.

Personalised Feedback

It is not only important for a student to receive quality education but feedback is also very important for a student which can lead them to their mistakes and after identifying those mistakes steps to overcome such errors in the future. In our traditional way of teaching sometimes the feedback process is disturbed due to many barriers in communication which leads to poor learning. Due to EdTech, it can be avoided and personalised feedback that is quick and instant will be provided to the student after a test or any question they ask during e-learning. Valuable data can be generated on the student’s performance, progress, and learning pattern that can be used to identify the area of improvement.

By leveraging the power of technology, EdTech has the power to enhance educational outcomes.

According to KPMG, India has already become the second-largest market for e-learning after the US. And even IBEF says that the EdTech market is expected to reach $30 billion by 2031, from $700-800 million in 2021.

Even though EdTech is beneficial in so many ways in the education process but there still are some significant limitations to it. According to UNESCO in a report over half the population of the world does not have access to the Internet with majorities of people living in rural areas with low incomes.

Barriers such as lack of electricity due to lack of infrastructure are one of the main reasons the EdTech for unable to reach developing countries. Even so many people do not have access to basic technology which is the first requirement for any EdTech software to operate.  

But it will not last for long, day by day certain changes are taking place in terms of infrastructure and the people who have a low income can and will be eventually helped by the tie-up of government and private sectors MNCs who will be able to provide the necessary types of equipment for learning. But soon by recognising the issues, the potential benefits of EdTech can be maximized while minimising the associated problems.

In conclusion, EdTech plays a crucial role in bridging the educational gap and promoting inclusivity. EdTech has emerged as a powerful tool in transforming education and addressing various educational challenges. By embracing EdTech and implementing it thoughtfully, we can create more equitable, inclusive, and engaging learning environments that prepare students for success in the rapidly evolving digital world.