Phygital Learning

Phygital Learning

Digital technologies will fill the gaps in our education system, be it virtual field trips, use of AR/VR in experiments or online lessons on-the-go

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Illustration by Raj VermaIllustration by Raj Verma
CEO
  • Aug 5, 2020,
  • Updated Aug 7, 2020 5:29 AM IST

Higher education systems around the world have been crippled by Covid-19. In India alone, over 37 million students in the country's higher education system have been affected by campus closures. The demand for online learning continues to surge as colleges in India ensure academic continuity for students though remote teaching. Three months down the line, institutions have, in some form, adapted to virtual learning despite being largely unprepared for an abrupt shift.

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Now that the near-term response is implemented, universities in India, much like their global counterparts, will have to make enduring changes in the medium and long-term. The strategic nature of their response will determine how well they adapt to the rapidly-changing future of higher education.

Before Covid-19, colleges around the world had begun ramping up digital transformation as a way to achieve a range of benefits. They were looking to improve global reach, provide greater access to quality education, make learning more personalised, and bring significant improvements in pedagogical practices. After Covid-19, universities have added risk mitigation as a key driver of digital transformation. Institutions will increasingly look to protect their academic portfolios through advanced digital learning designed from the ground up to be delivered online. That's a trend I see coming to India too. As universities develop their digital competencies, what started as a short-term response to a crisis could well become an enduring digital transformation of higher education, across all aspects of on and off-campus learning.

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In a crisis that has led to collapse of borders and brought communities closer to collaborate and reach out to those in need, top colleges in India and the world have the opportunity to fulfill a higher purpose by democratising access to top-quality education. At a time when the pandemic has caused widespread unemployment, people desperately need access to job-relevant learning. Though painful, Covid-19 has given us a glimpse of the future. The only way institutions can scale and serve the millions impacted by this crisis is by investing in digital, starting now. If acted on with urgency, the educational system will be able to serve as an engine of economic revival and a transformative force that empowers Indians to seize the opportunity presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Higher education systems around the world have been crippled by Covid-19. In India alone, over 37 million students in the country's higher education system have been affected by campus closures. The demand for online learning continues to surge as colleges in India ensure academic continuity for students though remote teaching. Three months down the line, institutions have, in some form, adapted to virtual learning despite being largely unprepared for an abrupt shift.

Advertisement

Now that the near-term response is implemented, universities in India, much like their global counterparts, will have to make enduring changes in the medium and long-term. The strategic nature of their response will determine how well they adapt to the rapidly-changing future of higher education.

Before Covid-19, colleges around the world had begun ramping up digital transformation as a way to achieve a range of benefits. They were looking to improve global reach, provide greater access to quality education, make learning more personalised, and bring significant improvements in pedagogical practices. After Covid-19, universities have added risk mitigation as a key driver of digital transformation. Institutions will increasingly look to protect their academic portfolios through advanced digital learning designed from the ground up to be delivered online. That's a trend I see coming to India too. As universities develop their digital competencies, what started as a short-term response to a crisis could well become an enduring digital transformation of higher education, across all aspects of on and off-campus learning.

Advertisement

In a crisis that has led to collapse of borders and brought communities closer to collaborate and reach out to those in need, top colleges in India and the world have the opportunity to fulfill a higher purpose by democratising access to top-quality education. At a time when the pandemic has caused widespread unemployment, people desperately need access to job-relevant learning. Though painful, Covid-19 has given us a glimpse of the future. The only way institutions can scale and serve the millions impacted by this crisis is by investing in digital, starting now. If acted on with urgency, the educational system will be able to serve as an engine of economic revival and a transformative force that empowers Indians to seize the opportunity presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

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