The current education counseling system of India still follows the conventional methods of counseling. Studies have revealed that education counselors confront numerous difficulties like non-accessibility of sufficient assets, absence of time, absence of parental help and backing from school organization, lack of expert training and supervision, stress due to high-intensity work pressure. Findings uncovered that educational counselors defy a ton of snags which contrarily affects the nature and quality of counseling offered in the country.
But because technology has brought radical transformation in each of our lives, the challenges faced in the current education counseling system can be overcome with the proper use of technological advancements. Gone are the days when a student spends most of his time in libraries figuring out his career choices. Now, all a student has to do is to go to the web and find tons of information in a jiff.
It is quite easy for the education counseling industry to shift to innovation as more people are now aware of the importance of education counseling in their lives. Traditional education counseling was only limited to schools and colleges. But due to the advent of the internet, education counselors now have the opportunity to overcome challenges and increase their reach and visibility to the students who need it.
Some of the challenges that can be addressed through technology are:
- Providing Awareness – The conventional methods of educational counseling were only limited to schools and colleges. It is evident from a report that 60% of the school principals are rigid and stick to the idea of not incorporating education counseling in their curriculum. But the Internet has allowed professional counselors to establish themselves without the need of being associated with any educational institute. The Internet has contributed to the rising awareness among the students about the need for an educational counselor before they make life choices. Within a blink of an eye, a student can get connected to a counselor through the internet.
- Details and knowledge – A study suggests that 60% of educational counselors lack proper access to reference books and resources required for proper guidance. With the advent of technologies like the Internet of things (IoT) and machine learning, counselors can extract relevant information and develop a better understanding of the students. In the era of print, the counselors had to continuously switch themselves between journals and magazines to learn about the industry standards and developments in the education system. But the digital advancement has offered them a great way to examine recent changes in the education system, requirements of various industries, the extent of employment in different domains, and the accessibility of possibilities for students.
- Distance learning – In the current educational counseling industry, if anyone wishes to pursue a career in counseling, he is required to move out of his house and sometimes even the city to get in touch with institutions that offer vocational training and certifications in the educational counseling sector. Findings are suggestive that around 20% of the education counselors lack proper training in counseling. But considering the presence of the internet, it is easy for a person to get enrolled in online courses which offer easy certifications. These courses offer proper training that helps in enhancing counseling skills. They give proper insights about how to understand the interests and skills of students. The internet is flooded with such courses that help in strengthening your capacity to mentor students effectively.
- Data storage – Education counselors maintain long piles of books that store information about the students. A report stated that around 70% of educational counselors are unable to excel in their careers due to the non-usage of Information Technology. But it is possible to bid farewell to these books and registers if technology is utilized properly and effectively. Computers can be used for easy storage and retrieval of data about the students. The important functions of a counselor include reports to parents, the skillset of a student, consultations to school, statistics and data analysis, etc. The proper analysis of these fields is effective in driving a student in the right direction. It is important for a counselor to properly study this data which can be done efficiently with the help of a computer.
Innovation is an integral asset that has upheld and modified the current educational counseling from multiple points of view. The internet can make it easier for educational counselors to create informative matters to empower individuals to comprehend their goals and objectives. With the wide reach of the Internet and the universality of savvy gadgets that can interface with it, the scope of educational counseling can reach new heights. Counselors can benefit from technology and can bring transformation in the business model of the educational counseling sector so that counseling is accessible in each and every part of the country.