The events of the last few months have shown us that online learning is here to stay. Technological changes in the last couple of years had revolutionised the existing education system, by providing children access to resources and knowledge that their school curricula could not provide. The path of online learning was further cemented after the arrival of the pandemic, making it the norm instead of the exception.
Students, parents, teachers and tutors have adjusted to this new system to the best of their abilities; however, they face numerous challenges every day. A severe lack of communication between the school and students, the parental worry about excessive screen time and the safety of digital devices, the confusion of choosing between various teaching platforms, the problems of low bandwidth and lack of Internet connectivity, the easy excuses for ‘bunking’ digital lessons claiming the aforementioned lack of connectivity, the limited number of available devices per household, the lack of digital and technical training for teachers that have relied on traditional methods of teaching throughout their careers; make online learning a difficult path to tread.
However, where there are challenges, there are bound to be innovative solutions provided by forward-thinking individuals and companies. Bright Tutee, the new-age learning initiative, is addressing these issues through its inventive methodologies. Backed by Goyal Brothers Prakashan, one of India’s most eminent and leading publishing houses, Bright Tutee provides offline access to classes to the students in the form of SD Cards, pen drives, and other methods, at affordable prices.
Here are five ways with which these edtech startups are rising to meet the challenges of offline learning:
1. REMOTE ACCESS TO STUDY MATERIALS WITHOUT RELYING ON INTERNET
A genuine lack of Internet connectivity is perhaps the biggest bane of online education. However, platforms like Bright Tutee are addressing this huge problem, by providing video and audio versions of school lessons through SD cards, pen drives, OTG cables and other methods. These external devices are collected from the teachers of schools or private tutors and safely delivered to students at their homes. These can be attached and viewed on phones, laptops and other electronic devices. Parents may be concerned about the method of assessment and examination in this kind of remote learning; however, even that is addressed through pre-decided models such as self-assessment kits which include solved and unsolved test papers, among other unique methods.
2. ABILITY TO REACH EVERY PART OF THE COUNTRY
Classes are recorded with standardised course work on OTG devices, which are then disseminated to the students. The option of mailing or delivering these devices instead of relying on wi-fi, significantly widens the reach of education. Schools, state education boards, directorates and private coaching centres are all turning to these alternative methods, which make it easier to penetrate through every part of the country, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
3. DISSEMINATION OF LESSONS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES
Video and audio lessons in multiple languages such as Hindi, English and vernacular languages, address the individual needs of every student. Often, classmates from the same year group and school differ in their language preferences and level of understanding. The ability to select their own language to learn concepts greatly enhances their ability to retain the knowledge and thrive.
4. EASE OF ACCESS AND TIMINGS
In many households of middle and lower income groups with multiple children, there are only a few devices to address the needs of each child. Hence, remote learning through offline devices is the best solution, as they can be accessed at any convenient time, making life easy for everyone involved.
5. WIDER REACH ENSURING AFFORDABLE PRICING
Through a widespread NGO network, these methods reach a wide range of students and teachers in economically lower backgrounds. A wider reach consequently ensures a more affordable product, making it accessible to everyone.
Challenging as it may seem, online learning is the future of education in India and the world. Innovative methods of disseminating previously recorded classes, sessions and tests, such as those pioneered by Bright Tutee, are the way to address the unique challenges presented by online education.
The writer is a lawyer who pens lifestyle articles on her successful blog www.nooranandchawla.com. She can be found on Instagram @nooranandchawla.