With the development of Internet, mobile phones, mobile apps, tablets, laptops, and other modern devices, things are becoming more and more digitalised in today’s world. The education system in India’s metros and other cities has also become modernised to a great extent, making way for digitalisation. With a number of International schools coming up, digital education is making its way into the education system of India and is taking the place of the traditional classroom training.
Basic difference between digital education and the class room education
Gone are those days when classroom training was restricted to textbook learning, teachers using the blackboard to explain things and students writing down notes in copies. The traditional teacher-centred methods of teaching and task-based approaches to learning focused more on making notes and memorization. However, it’s no more chalk and talk in most schools. Classroom teaching has become more and more interactive nowadays with the use of digital methods such as PPTs, video presentations, e-learning methods, practical demos, online training and other digital methods or platforms.
Advantages of teacher-led classroom training
- This is an efficient method of presenting a large volume of study material to students.
- It is a personal, face-to-face type of training.
- Everyone gets the same information at the same time.
- It is cost-effective.
Disadvantages of teacher-led classroom training
- Sometimes it is not interactive.
- Success of the lectures depends on the effectiveness of the teacher.
- More of memorising and mugging up for the students, instead of enhancing their metal skills and abilities.
- Time taking.
How does digital education benefit the child?
- Interactive: With digital education, classroom teachings have become more fun and interactive. Children tend to be more attentive. They are not only listening but also viewing it on the screen which makes their learning all the more effective. Here, sounds and visuals go hand-in-hand which is easy for the child to grasp.
- Attention to details: Interactive online presentations or practical sessions in educational content through interactive screen time help the students to pay more attention to details which enable them to complete their activities on their own.
- Quick completion: Using tabs, laptops or notepads, instead of pens and pencils, motivates children to complete their tasks quickly.
- Vocabulary: Active online screen time helps students develop language skills. By reading eBooks or accessing study materials online, they learn new words and expand their vocabulary.
- Learn at his pace: Many a times, a student hesitates to ask a question to his teacher in classroom training. But with digital education, even if he does not understand anything at one go, he can attend the recorded sessions to clear his doubts. Technology enables a student to learn at his own pace.
- User-friendly: The best thing about digital education is that it is user-friendly. You can very well access your curriculum wherever you are. You can learn on the go. Even if you miss certain classes, you can access the class notes and download files from the school website.
- Learn on his own: Also, nowadays, online study materials are easily available. Even if the entire education system is not digitalised, yet students can leverage the power of digital content depending upon their capabilities. So students, can access exclusive online study modules of various subjects, which help them to enhance their knowledge even without a teacher.
- External guidance: With online education, students can even further connect with distant counsellors and faculty to seek guidance or resolve queries.
Disadvantages of digital education for children
However, digital education also has its disadvantages:
- Expensive: First of all, it is expensive. That is why we see that most International schools and schools that have digital education are far more expensive than the regular schools.
- Infrastructure: To have digital education means, you need to have a proper infrastructure not only at schools but also at homes, particularly affordable broadband.
- No fixed schedule: Online learning requires much better management and rigid schedules, whereas in traditional classroom training, everything is as per a fixed schedule.
- Reduces creative abilities: Getting all answers on the net easily also reduces the children’s own creative abilities.
- Lazy approach to studies: This may lead to poor study habits and can develop in children a lazy attitude. Digital education can also make children forget the basic way of studying. Even for simple problems and homework, they are used to seeking help from the net.
- Security: Last but not the least, going online does not mean that your child is only looking for study materials. There are many things which a child might come across that are not good for him.
So, digital education has its pros and cons. So, students need to be properly guided by their parents and teachers every time they are going to use the online technology.
