Divya Tej Periera is a budding entrepreneur and the Founder of Tutrrd. Tej comes with a rich experience in the education sector. Growing up, he has seen his mother lead several schools and make education accessible to all. Being a Vice-Chairperson at the P.E.N Schools, Tej has always been drawn towards providing education to everyone. He has a grassroot understanding of the Edtech space since he has been responsible for pushing P.E.N schools towards digitisation even before the pandemic hit the nation.
The education sector has seen a massive breakthrough since the outbreak of COVID-19. Currently, there are multiple platforms that provide seamless learning opportunities to students based out of any geographical location and at any given time. The learning model has become very content-driven, which is creating a major shift from the traditional classroom model. Netflix-learning has created a massive change, which has not only affected the education of students, but also improved their interactive and conversational skills, mindset, retention ability and created personalised learning.
Online platforms are useful to improve the conversational and interactive skills of the students. EdTech companies are largely focusing on creating a collaborative approach that provides students the platform to co-create the learning process with the tutor. Chat boxes, surveys, online polls and other communication channels are useful for interaction between the students and the teachers. Moreover, the duo can connect with each other without having to exchange any number. The learning population has completely shifted online, which has created a hurdle in the growth of their interpersonal skills. However, online platforms are focusing on creating features which allow students to effortlessly interact with the tutor, thereby bridging the distance gap between the counterparties. Conversational learning is facilitated by audio-visual assistance, which has become an important element in the professional world as well. These features are assisting students in raising queries, interacting with peers and improving their conversational skills at the comfort of their homes.
Mindset plays a key role in the growth of an individual. Children build their mindset and personality very early on through the content they consume and people they connect with. Online learning has exposed students to a wide array of content, which can be regulated by understanding the psyche of each student. Personalization allows the tutor to understand the challenges faced by the student and give them a medium to connect with them emotionally to solve their problems. Tutors are focusing on child psychology to assist the student in their mindset development. This is one of the key factors to success. Additionally, comparison between students reduces as each student is assisted to build their own unique individuality and capability. With a strong mindset, students are able to build high self-esteem and better mental health for their better overall development.
Research has found that online learning solutions increase the information retention ability of students and take less time to reach qualification or graduation. The reduction in time to pursue a degree is beneficial as students get more time to pursue other skills and passions. The enhanced learning ability focuses on improving the writing skills, digital skills, technological skills and life skills like self-discipline, independence and time-management. Moreover, there is synergy created with such an effective online learning model, wherein the teacher-student duo can co-create for a stronger educational foundation and successful career.
Personalization has become one of the key elements in the rise of online learning. Teaching has moved from the standardized approach and become more student-centric. EdTech companies are focusing on providing 1:1 coaching to each individual student, based on their interest areas and learning capability. This is helpful as students receive undivided attention from the tutor, which was a challenge in the traditional classroom learning. Content is customized based on every individual’s report, which allows them to pursue their passions at a very early age. Career options have expanded and students are branching out from the traditional commerce-science-arts streams to create a career they are passionate about. This has resulted in reduction in career-shifts, high self-esteem as students feel extremely fulfilled and driven while studying their favourite subjects.
‘Blended education model’ is a combination of online courses and face-to-face learning. This model will be effective post pandemic as well. The EdTech industry has brought about a much-needed change in the education sector. The pandemic has resulted in the growing need of platforms that catered to the vast remote learning population. The primary focus of these platforms is to conveniently conduct lessons with innovative technology and creative content, thereby facilitating the overall growth and development of students. The rise in online learning has resulted in growing options among students. With the correct guidance and direction, the new digital education ensures to develop a more mentally-strong and productive generation in the coming years.