Mumbai: 2020 was a tipping point for the education industry which resulted in the large-scale adoption of technology owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. ‘Chalk and talk’ method was replaced by self-paced learning and blended teaching methods, as shown in a survey conducted by Navneet TopTech.
‘Project Granth,’ a research project conducted by Navneet TopTech aimed to understand the changing dynamics in the education sector pre and post-pandemic. 321 (teachers and principals) of CBSE schools across North, West, and South India were interviewed as part of this research.
The research found that 43% of teachers believe that there will be a fundamental shift in the teaching and learning methods post the pandemic. 39% of the teachers interviewed adopted technology to teach for the first time during the pandemic. 64% said the technology could be used to diversify learning & 24% said it helped achieve better learning outcomes.
Commenting on the survey, Harshil Gala, Chief Executive Officer, Navneet TopTech, said, “Schools are betting big on technology with 2% of the schools have developed their software such as enterprise resource planning and learning management system. They are willing to adopt new ways of teaching and learning with interactive tools, secure online assessments, and video conferencing tools making it into mainstream classrooms."
Following are the key observations from the research:
1) Technology would aid teaching in the post-pandemic world: 49% of the respondents said that technology would help the teaching process in the post-pandemic world. The pandemic generated high interest in video conferencing tools with 83% of respondents saying that they would continue using it along with offline classroom teaching. The research also saw an increasing interest in new interactive tools such as quizzing platforms, survey makers, and polling platforms that immersive the classroom experiences during the pandemic.
2) The pandemic exposed many teachers to digital content for the first time. While 27% used digital content to teach during the pandemic, 62% said they wanted to continue using digital solutions post-pandemic.
3) Using online tools for assessment: There is a heightened interest in using online assessment tools with 14% of the teachers using such tools for the first time during the pandemic. When asked about the purpose of assessment, 68% of respondents said it helps them identify conceptual understanding, 15% to measure knowledge gaps, 11% encourage student reflection & 6% evaluate pedagogy efficiency. Newer formats of assessment were also seen gaining popularity with 84% of respondents preferring project work to assess student performance.
4) Virtual Labs and Simulations: As teaching transitioned online most schools struggled to continue experiential methods of education. This led to a rising need for virtual labs and simulation tools. During the pandemic, 36% shared videos of themselves conducting experiments, and 15% used some kind of simulation labs.
