Technology Integration in Indian Schools & NEP 2020
Implications for Schools and Educators
As 21st-century skills for students becomes the buzzword in elite education circles, and workshops and webinars discuss the multifarious ways in which learners can be molded to meet the needs of a fast-changing global economy built on critical and creative thinking, schools and educators must give deeper thought to their long-held notions on the need for technology, or the lack of it.
India: A Robust Presence
The National Education Policy rolled out by the Government of India (NEP) 2020 shows a firm thrust on technological interventions in teaching-learning and assessment processes, intended to enhance access, remove barriers of language and streamline educational management and administration (Government of India, 2020). India’s robust presence in the world arena in the field of information and communication technology, and its recent digitization initiatives make it likely that the design and operation of schools would undergo a transformative change in the coming years (Griffins, 2003 as cited in Summak et al., 2010). As the internet makes access to information and procedural knowledge an effortless endeavor, schools must rework their curricula and transactional design to align with real-world requirements, augmenting students’ real-world engagement, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, communication skills, collaborative working, and information literacy.
The pandemic and the forced closure of schools across the world made the digitization of classrooms a precursor to accessible education. Efforts made by schools and educators across the country and the world to understand and use technology increased manifold post the pandemic. In the light of these developments, it is necessary to upscale digitization processes and share best practices.
Modern technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchains, machine learning, and others are bound to change the way children learn in our classrooms (Government of India, 2020). Despite this monumental shift in gears, not all educators have the same relationship with technology.
Divergent Views on Technology
Bruce and Levin (2001 as cited in Najdabbasi & Pedaste, 2014) note that technology can encourage inquiry, help communication and enable students and teachers to express themselves better (p.3). Technology also provides a sophisticated structure for teachers and students to interact and builds complex lesson frameworks. Although this notion that technology can ease and facilitate teaching and learning in diverse ways is a fairly common one today and many educators and schools are eager and enthusiastic about incorporating technology, others may resist technology integration for various reasons (Wilichowski & Cobo, 2021).
Some argue that a teacher’s role is essentially an intellectual one, and embracing technology may not be necessary to ‘impart’ knowledge. One must note here, that the very notion that a student is an empty cup that needs to be brimmed, a reservoir that needs to be filled, is in itself is a superfluous one. So the idea of the teacher “giving” and the student “receiving” is a rather unenlightened one. Today’s average student is a thinker, a quiet observer, a well-informed teacher even if only one would give them a chance. This student needs an educator who can “facilitate” learning. Schools and educators must realize that today’s 21st-century learner is a digital native, who thrives on technology and is at ease with it, unlike older digital immigrants who are trying their best to adapt to the change. The debate on ‘whether technology is relevant or not’ perhaps does not even feature in other professions as it does in education. And as educators, we must cognize that technology is “the lens through which children experience much of their world, the pen and paper of their time” (Warlick, n.d.). With technology tools, students are willfully engaged and interested; and therefore absorb better.
“Any growth requires a temporary loss of security” (Hunter, 2009). Technology may make educators feel lesser in control and reliant on external factors, which may be unsettling initially, but the benefits it brings are evident.
Technology came as a ready redeemer in the last year and a half through the pandemic for educators. Educators connected with students through online interfaces and lessons were transacted through a screen that came to be the classroom for thousands across the globe. Schools came to understand then that there are no ways about integrating technology.
Technology Tools in the Classroom
Technology supports new teaching paradigms (Prensky, 2008) that can be path-breaking for all stakeholders. Of course, technology does not offer much support to traditional teaching methods and the antiquated ways of “telling” or “lecturing”, except through videos or pictures that educators can share. Some teachers even argue that students misuse technology in class. But when they are given no opportunity to put their “21st-century” skills to use in class (Prensky, 2008), this outcome is a rather predictable one.
Any lesson across grade levels can be transformed into a technology-driven one, with some planning and resourcefulness on the part of the teacher. For instance, a teacher who says “Photosynthesis involves 3 main processes — take them down in your notebooks” may have tried to make the lesson more student-centered and technology-driven by saying “Photosynthesis involves 3 main processes; Look up what they are and discuss them to your peer” (Prensky, 2008). Here, some may picture that it is up to the students to embrace technology tools (Prensky, 2008) and teachers have no need to embrace it, but the fact that teachers who do not make friends with technology may never really incorporate it into their classroom remains true.
Technology tools for classrooms include a myriad of applications (Socrative tools like Jamboards, Padlets, Thinglink, Nearpod, Flipgrid, gaming apps like Kahoot, Mentimeter, and hundreds of others) that can be successfully used to engage students, make learning visible, and create accountability and on-task behavior, but only if they are embedded into lesson plans from the planning stage.
For instance, if a class was going to delve into a unit on explorations, educators may plan for students to research about noted explorations from their devices, locate places on Google Maps, communicate by sharing opinions on Flip Grid, create a class quiz on Kahoot, take formative assessments on Mentimeter and engage in a full-length group project as part of their summative assessment by working together on a Padlet or ThingLink (Restifo, 2020). Knowledge of these diverse platforms becomes a precursor to leading children to use them too.
Technology also allows educators to promote higher-order thinking skills and evaluation (Anderson et al., 2001 as cited in Armstrong, 2010) in a classroom; simpler skills like recalling, understanding, and memorizing may be achieved through flipped lessons. Technology allows the creation of inclusive classrooms that can be skillfully used to engage learners with sensory and physical disabilities. This makes differentiation of lessons based on the individual needs of learners possible, while also making it feasible to maintain a fine balance between intra-personal and interpersonal skills, by providing an equal number of tools for collaboration. The NEP 2020 reiterates the need for an inclusive curriculum that offers equitable opportunities for intellectual development to all students (Government of India, 2020).
Technology Pitch in Schools — An Instrument of Nuanced Change
In schools, digitization allows combining education design with varied other aspects including information management, interdepartmental coordination, quality enhancement, marketing, and research (Killen & Knight, 2013). At its foundations, technology essentially becomes a tool that can improve curriculum design.
It allows schools to:
- Test and refine curriculum design processes.
- Map and scaffold curriculum across grade levels facilitating seamless transfer for students.
- Enhance communication flows between departments and neighboring schools.
- Provide a database of information that is accurate, accessible, and error-free.
- Develop effective communication processes.
Killen and Knight, as early as 2013, offered insights into how a nuanced technology pitch can create a culture of responsiveness in schooling communities. An astute and responsive curriculum not only enables institutions to engage purposefully with stakeholders but also breaks ground for a new business pitch. For instance, universities in the United States work with professional bodies to identify skills students needed when they entered employment, which was integrated into assignments and students could mark these skills in their e-portfolios (Killen & Knight, 2013). Directives such as these or even simpler ones in the school context can let institutions lucidly communicate their strategic intentions to the general public, and draw capable students for admissions in the foreseeable future.
Digitization also creates effectual and structured workflows that lead to continuous improvement. Technology can play a pivotal role in curriculum design, making it a transparent and collaborative process that engages educators, across grade levels, districts, or states even, and allows them to identify gaps in curriculum and logistics.
Technology also reduces paperwork and paves way for a constructive design that is more responsive to the need of students, teachers, and other stakeholders. While this may seem financially arduous at the start, it proves to be economical in the longer run. It makes the schooling experience a consistent one for all, and the institution is seen as a forward-thinking one that operates in the context of real-world scenarios (Killen & Knight, 2013)
While schools may initially use technology as a direct substitute tool with no functional change in the process, they may slowly move forward by using technology as a tool to create functional improvement. However, this is possible only when teachers are trained in the full range of technology tools and are using them independently in everyday curriculum transactions (Summak et al., 2010). The recent endeavors by CBSE and NCERT to train teachers in technology tools and their applications have been a move in the right direction. However, it is essential that schools do not relapse into their retrogressive methods post the pandemic.
The Way Forward for India: Implications
India sees online and digital education as the way forward in the coming years. The technology boom has created a ripple effect in the educational scene and schools are gearing up to bridge the divide. The NEP calls for particular attention to be paid to disruptive technologies that would create path-breaking changes in the educational scenario in the coming future (Government of India, 2020). These include areas like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality Systems, Blockchain technology among others.
Higher Education Institutions (HIEs) have been directed to boost research and Master’s degree programs in multidisciplinary fields that combine technology with subjects such as law, agriculture, health care, and others (Government of India, n.d.). Schools must cognize this shift and create opportunities for students to use immersive technologies in classrooms in relation to core and allied subjects. Curating digital content repositories with resources such as virtual games, media prompts, simulations and videos, and audiobooks may be an excellent way to lead the change.
Schools and institutions offering higher education must consider investing in the digitization of libraries, as this may lead to constructive partnerships, thereby aiding in the creation of open, shareable resources benefitting all. Forming institutional clusters to facilitate easy sharing of open resources would augment availability and access, also creating a sound digital infrastructure in the process.
The School Complex/Cluster Development Plans (SCDPs) proposed by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development are set to be “vibrant learning communities” that work together on improvement initiatives, infrastructure, cultural initiatives, and teacher development (Government of India, 2020). The policy also promotes a twinning system by letting public schools shadow a private school each, so that the best practices of these institutions can be mirrored by public schools.
Technology would also facilitate multilingual education which is yet another aspect stressed by the NEP 2020. The internet and technology use a socio-cognitive approach to engage students in real-world social contexts and use language interactively (İlter, 2015). Educational websites, games, and blogs make language acquisition and vocabulary improvement an organic and involuntary process (İlter, 2015) while ensuring that learning is engaging and enjoyable.
Technology would also bring equity in education, providing access to and accommodating the needs of the differently-abled (Singh & CAM Corporate Team, 2021). Assistive devices that offer textbooks in accessible formats and braille, and other technology-based tools would enable learners with disabilities to gain equitable access to educational resources (Government of India, 2020). Digitization would allow the differently-abled to work at their own pace, while also offering them multiple modes of assessment and evaluation (Government of India, 2020).
Adapting our Sails to New Seas
The clear shift that is needed to prepare for a digitally-driven future is incumbent on educators. Adapting our sails to the new seas is essential, and educators must foster a spirit of life-long learning to make this happen. Of course, while digitization and technology integration are harbingers of a progressive future aligned with global standards in education, we must also remember that technology is only a tool in the learning process and cannot substitute involved teachers, who influence students’ lives in countless ways.
As educators work towards the goals laid down in the NEP 2020, they must remember that they hold the immense responsibility to create learning experiences that are pertinent, pragmatic, and effective.
As Dewey notes, “if we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s we rob them of tomorrow (1947, p.167, as cited in Ledertoug & Paarup, 2021). While technology can never replace great teachers, technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational (Couros, n.d.).
And educators and schools must hone our craft to make this happen.
References
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