If the pandemic has wrecked every social sector, so does the educational sector too. Almost every bit of human activity is marred and abruptly halted. Every nation, including India, was compelled for a total lockdown. However, the Covid-19 era leads to prompt innovation for every business, hospitality, or trade to keep going. With the new trend coping with the global situation, things are holding up pretty much to survive. This also includes a transformative approach for most schools and colleges.
About 990,324,537 students are affected by COVID-19 worldwide as of February 2021 according to UNESCO 2021 (Source: financesonline). And with over 37 million in India alone the lockdown thoroughly impacted the students (Source:Indiatoday) However, thanks to the convenience of technology resources on the internet, the complication is reduced.
A close reflection towards educational institutions is that it has rapidly overturned from a traditional classroom to a digital classroom with the help of software and technologies.
Technological Edge for Educational Institutions
A year ago, our world was snapped and detained from normal life to a new normal. Sadly, learning institutions have to physically shut down with the fear of the coronavirus. Before long, it was declared as an epidemic that almost shattered the dreams of achieving students. Nevertheless, the schools, colleges, and university authorities soon adopted new ways to engage with the students and the faculties.
The internet giants such as Zoom and Google Meet have tremendously helped the global students in having connections with the teachers and students in spite of the barriers of lockdown.
The digital sphere soon became a one-stop learning platform for all learners. The next thing to ponder is the advantages of digital platforms for the students despite no teacher being physically present as in classrooms. Let us draw a couple of benefits of digital technologies below:
- Even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the planet, digital education has been in the spotlight. Therefore, students’ experience from a very early stage is helping them to cope with ease with the new technologies. This will enhance them to use the technologies correctly.
- Students graduate, and gradually they have to take a job. However, digital and technological platforms can cover two major areas for them. The first one is to authenticate the information they find on the internet. Secondly, they are eligible digital citizens who can use social media and the internet appropriately.
- The use of technology and digital platforms in high school prepares students to get jobs easily in the future. This is because every field of work includes technological connections in one way or another. Their technical skills are vital to use in the workforce.
- Having the first knowledge about Software technologies and digital platforms can help a student vigorously. We know technology changes every year, but the flow on how to use them somehow remains unchanged. Continuing learning in a digital environment will help our students for the days to come.
Failure of preparation for students to use industry-leading technology is performing a disservice to them.
How Mobile Apps Help Students Learn and Attend Online Classes?
The emergence of the internet encompasses a giant of users, especially from the educational sector. Now that the world is rampaged by the pandemic, students no longer attend schools, colleges or universities. However, we can see the empire of education from traditional learning, browser based, websites to mobile applications based platforms. Mobile App for School, college and institutes enables learners to note down important information, highlight notes, and readdress former study materials whenever they want.
Mobiles and other smart devices are the most convenient technology any person can be thankful for. They are especially helpful for students who take online classes and devote their time to e-learning. This in fact enhanced the learning experience of the students vividly as it refines the accessibility of courses and content. Students can exceptionally delve on content and explore online learning. Here are to more of how M-learning can help in the best way possible during this hard time:
- Improve interaction : Learning improves the environment of a child’s interaction. Every child simply acquires creativity and activity.
- Resource Availability: The internet is an empire of books, study materials and libraries and much more. Students can get access anytime, anywhere through their mobiles which makes their learning flexible. The available resources become their content for knowledge.
- Personalization: Different methods of e-learning help students learn quicker and better. M-learning offers personalization where it caters according to the needs of a student as per his requirements. The method is definitely customizable according to the need of a student. In this way, a learner can invest their time in the course they are interested in.
- Greater Parents-Teacher Communication: As students are at home learning from the digital classes, parents stay close to them. This in fact, helps parents to see how their children are performing. Moreover, parents can interact with the teachers for any queries and make informed decisions on their child’s growth.
- Dynamic Platform- Learning apps have the most entertaining features which make the learners engaged in it. The approach through these apps for learning are active rather than passive. For instance, gamification in learning apps intrigues the learner wholeheartedly and increases the interest level of children. This resonates innovation and enjoyment in learning.
- Portable- Mobile Learning Apps have the coolest convenience as you can carry anywhere and learn. Students can actually take to places they find comfortable.
- Cost effective and Sustainability- Technically, e-learning apps save trees and further make paperless learning. Students need not spend thousands of rupees to buy study materials but access various e-learning tools for a very low price. Just that a student has to download the required contents. This in turn reduces a lot of carbon footprints and more green energy for the planet. Therefore e-learning encourages sustainability.
- Real-Time Performance Report– Feedbacks are faster and quicker on Mobile learning apps. Moreover, it allows the students to scale their performance in real-time. Analysis is accurate and helps pacing up their learning progress.
Limitations In Educational Industries Through e-Learning or Mobile App Development
Despite a big solution for the students at large, the perks of software technologies never reach out evenly to all learners. For instance, from the mainframe of the digital classroom, a teacher faces drawbacks such as inattentive students, glitches and frozen screens when there is a poor connection on the internet. Student’s feedback cannot be resolved immediately hence teachers are unable to access the understanding during the online lecturing. Moreover, most students instead of noting assignments during the online classes depend on the internet for their assignments. Therefore, teachers find them frustrating to check them as it is mismatching the content from that of the actual academic contents.
Let’s say a region far-flung from good internet facilities or struggling students from impoverished families have less or no chance to acquire this method. This occurs in most of the remote areas where there is no internet and support facilities. This by far is the most vital inconvenience faced by the students living in our country India.