India’s transition to online education is doing well, doing Covid-19, despite unequal digital access
A report by Oxford University Press (OUP) shows that despite the unequal access to digital devices and Internet connections, India’s transition from offline education to online education during the Covid-19 lockdown is quite high.
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A report by Oxford University Press (OUP) shows that India’s transition from offline education to online education has been quite smooth.
Although access to digital learning devices is uneven across the country, the situation is still very uneven.
The title of the report is “Education: A Journey Toward a Digital Revolution.”
The Oxford University Press (OUP) report shows that during the Covid-19 lockdown, India’s transition from offline education to online education was quite smooth. Despite unequal access to digital learning devices across the country and lack of Internet connectivity in remote areas, this is still the case.
However, the report entitled “Education: A Journey to the Digital Revolution” also pointed out that the government needs to act quickly to avoid losing the progress made last year. The coronavirus pandemic has paved the way for mixed and blended learning models that combine technology-based or digital education with traditional teaching.
In addition to extensive secondary research, the report also gained insights from experts in seven markets including India, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan, Spain, and Turkey, as well as hundreds of teachers around the world.
The report analyzes how students and teachers adapt
In the past 12 months, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected more than 1.7 billion students worldwide. The Oxford report analyzes how students, parents, and teachers adapt to new forms of learning and provide education, and how they will continue to use digital learning tools and resources to shape future educational practices.
India scored 3.3/5 in transition
The report stated: “In India, compared with other countries, respondents believe that the transition to online learning has done a pretty good job, with a score of 3.3/5.
“However, the main problems identified by the interviewees were unequal access to digital learning devices, lack of Internet connectivity, and lack of familiarity with the tools needed to facilitate online learning,” the Oxford report added.
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“Most Indian respondents (71%) also believe that switching to online is harmful to their health. The government’s primary task is to provide more funding and solve connectivity problems, especially in rural areas,” it said.
Issues that have a negative impact on digital learning
The report pointed out that the three major issues that have a negative impact on digital education are: socio-economic barriers, lack of professional development opportunities for teachers, and disruption or uncertainty in daily life caused by the pandemic.
When asked what measures the government should take to support digital learning, respondents sought support to improve connectivity, increase technology funding, and provide teachers with more professional development opportunities.
Covid-19 leads to rapid digital learning adoption
OUP CEO Nigel Portwood said that it is not surprising that this pandemic has prompted a rapid increase in the adoption of digital learning.
“When we start to reimagine what education will look like in the future, the government must learn from, provide and receive learning from those who have been on the front line,” he said, according to PTI.
He said: “We have a great opportunity to learn from all our experiences in order to develop the education system and work for the local and global society.