Naman Mukund is the co-founder of Tekie and leads Tech along with overseeing product development. Naman graduated from IIT Delhi before diving headfirst into startups, leading tech, and scaling products for ed-tech startups. He is a firm believer in the power of education and its ability to create a significant impact in building a better future.
Online learning tools have become a necessity for institutions to carry out uninterrupted operations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially thought to be a stop-gap solution for what most imagined would be short-lived lockdowns, virtual classrooms have saved the day for students and teachers alike. With lockdowns continuing for months at a time over the past two years, “hybrid learning” has garnered importance as a viable method of instruction and is here to stay even after schools and colleges reopen. Hybrid learning is the integration of technology with traditional learning methods. The overarching success of the same has brought its many benefits to the forefront and will make its way into the fixed curriculum of educational institutions the world over.
The evolution of online learning platforms:
While online learning platforms have been in play for quite some time, the pandemic has accelerated our dependency on technology as a means of executing any learning activities and brought it into the mainstream. The demand for physical isolation without missing a beat in one’s learning journey has changed the entire mode of operation resulting in remote learning. Online learning platforms have truly stepped up to the plate by offering a spate of learning tools and resources such as webinars, unlimited resource materials, and engaging content to name a few. Virtual classrooms are now fully equipped with virtual whiteboards, visual aids, and even interactive exercises which students can partake in at the click of a button.
Such innovative technology, of course, needs to be handled with expertise. This has led to a significant rise in teacher-training initiatives to make educators more proficient in the number of online educational tools available at their disposal. Institutions are arming their teachers with state-of-the-art infrastructural support in terms of digital learning tools and spending a significant amount of resources in developing teachers’ digital skills. This widespread upskilling is making teachers take note of the many advantages of integrating technology into their previously relied upon methods of traditional teaching, reiterating the fact that hybrid learning is here to stay.
In addition to the gamut of highly beneficial resources available, technology is proving to improve students’ test-taking ability, making them feel better prepared for online exams. With user-friendly, interactive tutorials on how best to take a test on a particular platform, students feel more in control and can perform better.
Similarly, teachers can conduct as well as grade tests better via integrated software that works to assess and identify gaps in students’ learning and academic progress, allowing them to focus on the areas most important to the individual learner’s development. Online learning has turned into an efficient way of making sure that no learner gets left behind.
With the pandemic finally showing signs of slowing down and lockdowns being lifted, the online learning space is making great strides. Students, teachers, parents, and educational institutions alike are prime to implement more technological and online learning innovations into their daily learning routines.