Prof C G Prakash Technology is a force multiplier in education and Covid 19 has accelerated that change. We need to cope with the pandemic crisis in the new normal. The evolution of education in the Indian context has been slow paced and gradual. We still continue to teach in schools and colleges using chalk and black boards. Year Status of classrooms in India: 1810 Blackboard .. 1950 TVs in classroom 1960 Projectors 2000 Smart class room In 2020 we are probably more uneducated than in 1947. We still tend to teach from outdated textbooks and curricula in colleges which may not be useful from a skill development or employability perspective . As per Alwin Toffler the human ability to unlearn, learn and re-learn is important and need to be re-deployed . Oil, defence and electronic hardware is being imported by India which contributes to a huge Import bill. We also have a huge education bill by way of precious foreign exchange lost by sending students abroad. Students can now choose to remain in India and also access the best of education through online education. India is blessed with the best of brainpower and when ISB business school from India scouted to invite the best talent from countries abroad for conducting guest lectures for ISB students they found that the best teachers in foreign universities are Indians. Today at ISB there is more research done than all IIMs put together. ISB imparts skill based, experiential, practical, need-based, interactive learning to students thru digital learning platforms. We tend to have the same umbrella for everybody in classroom teaching pedagogy which may not be the best option. Learning management systems allow each one to manage to learn at their own pace. It needs to be ensured however that learning thru digital means is not just a chore and that good quality output is ensured. The infrastructure for learning management systems need to be made available and broadband connection upgraded for accessibility in classrooms, offices and even at homes. We need to design our systems for crisis. Insurance is not a cost but an investment. Similarly adoption of online education through learning management systems need to be looked upon as an investment. Nevertheless the offline or classroom model will not become obsolete Student should accept and consider themselves as good for digital education as any other type of education. Post graduate studies should focus on research and experimentation and draw upon the capabilities of internet and digital interaction for primary and secondary data . Curricula is not a constant but need to be under continuous review. Many things that are unnecessary and redundant need not be taught. Coding may be made compulsory in schools and taught thru digital means to sharpen a student’s ability to think and solve problems. Change should reflect in education. The best faculty from the foremost universities off the world can now be invited to train and educate students thru the online model. India has always been receptive to digital education eg MOOCs registration is largest from India. In today’s world one person ( teacher ) cannot be the sole source for knowledge for learning any subject .The internet has revolutionised the way we learn .. We are poised for a revolution in education. The emerging scenario is that of Hybrid learning will be the new normal. To begin with we may have 30 % online and 70 % campus education .Education in near future will comprise of three aspects : Digital education ( online ) , Campus education and Hybrid education ( both campus and digital ).The total switch over to online education in India is still a far cry and would need many more years for it to happen. Online and digital education in terms of Learning management systems is for supplementing and making education better not for obviating the need of classroom teaching ..Let us remember that today’s students are very tech savvy and they are ‘Digital natives’ who are very conversant and comfortable with technology. Digital learning thru online education and learning management systems is the only way to keep pace with transformation. Learning management systems on digital media can achieve unlimited scale at minimum cost Digital Learning management systems is here to stay and every student and teacher in India and the world would need to learn and benefit from it in order to remain updated and relevant in the days to come. We at VESIM have done well to design and implement an effective online learning management systems for our management students. This facility is an ideal supplement for the student community which provide a perfect platform for continuous interaction with faculty and for skill based experiential learning during these challenging times. For further queries get in touch with us.

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