John Kallelil, Founder-CEO, XED
Education is one of the key pillars of India’s growth and development. Not only does it contribute immensely to the nation’s economy, but its talent and skill force export is also renowned globally. The education sector in India has undergone a radical transformation in the last decade. The Covid-19 pandemic and edtech boom have only accelerated this transformation. Gone are the days when we had to be physically present at a place to get access to education. Thanks to modern technology and its creators, we have officially entered Education 4.0, a paradigm of learning that is connected to the fourth industrial revolution.
What is Education 4.0?
Education 4.0 is a purposeful learning approach aligned to the fourth industrial revolution. The idea behind Education 4.0 is to prepare future graduates and the current workforce for the future of work. This means educational institutions and professional training programmes must rethink their teaching-learning practices and content in the context of technological advancements.
Emergence of technology tools in education sector
The last few years has witnessed the emergence of several educational technologies such as ed-tech, web-based training (WBT), online education, virtual learning environments (VLE), m-learning and others. There are now newer entrants in the ed-tech arena who are innovating with technology to provide the best content. In fact, there is great interest in technology-led educational initiatives, resulting in much innovation and experimentation.
One of the biggest drawback of physical education is that any classroom or programme is limited by the number of seats. However, today it is possible for learners to access their desired course through virtual classrooms, irrespective of the time and regional boundaries. All that one requires is access to the internet and a gadget that can support it.
Technology is shaping the future of professional studies
The challenges unfurled by today’s dynamic, digital and highly competitive business landscape mean that even executives, senior leaders and managers must be agile and adaptive at all levels of the organisation. Today’s experienced professionals need to reskill a lot more than their counterparts in the past.
Meeting this high demand for reskilling and upskilling in a way that is non-disruptive and empowers them to create a work-life balance. Ed-tech platforms and providers have truly changed the game by providing access to some of the world’s best universities and academic experts, eliminating geographical boundaries and significantly reducing the costs involved in gaining an international certification.
There are now a plethora of choices catering to the ever-growing need for quality education. These platforms offer executive education programmes for senior professionals who are on their leadership transformation journey. Selecting from a wide range of critical thinking, strategy, and innovation modules, leaders can improve their overall acumen and understanding of business in the new normal and fast-disrupting landscape.
Organisations can leverage these programmes to build a strong learning framework for the CXOs and senior leaders. The platforms combine conventional classroom approaches with quality learning solutions that bridge the gap in experiential learning for senior leaders and future visionaries.
The vision behind these ed-tech platforms is to empower seniors and transform them into future leaders with the best in leadership, innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation skills, so that they can obtain high-end experience in their respective fields.
Technology transformations in the education sector
E-learning is not possible without technology. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, VR (Virtual reality) technology are set to change the ways of traditional education. As per a report by Research and Markets, the ed-tech market size was valued at USD 254.80 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 605.40 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.52% during the forecast period. Technological advancements are expected to be the major factor contributing to the growth of this market. The report further points out that the demand for digital learning from the vocational learner segment is expected to increase and will be driven by job seekers that are looking to upgrade language and functional skills to meet professional requirements within the country and beyond.
Digital disruption has led to the reimagination of education and the evolution is such that even professionals, especially at the senior executive and CXO levels, have access to some of the finest in executive education and experiential learning. Digitalisation is influencing the format, form and channels for executive education in unprecedented ways. The age of one-size-fits-all is now over and the newer formats and content, powered by technology meet the learners in their comfort zone to deliver the best learning outcomes.
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