Education Should Be A Want And Not A Need By Dr. Prem Das Maheshwari, Business Director, South Asia, D2L

Education Should Be A Want And Not A Need

Dr. Prem Das Maheshwari, Business Director, South Asia, D2L | Thursday, 03 December 2020, 13:46 IST

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Dr. Prem Das Maheshwari, Business Director, South Asia, D2L

A recent study by the India Brand Equity Foundation has revealed that the development of education infrastructure is expected to remain one of the key contributors to economic growth in India in this decade. While the sector has seen a host of reform in recent years, there is still much that could be done to transform the country into a knowledge haven. For one, the investment in education technology could potentially mitigate the issues concerning India’s education system.

Education technology appears to be the solution that opens up opportunities to excel in India. While you might not be able to physically send a hundred thousand professors to every village to teach, you might be able to do so virtually, though Edtech. Furthermore, given how different students learn differently, Edtech will be able to personalise teaching methods to suit different learning styles. With such eLearning platforms, students are able to undergo a smoother learning process that is tailored to their specific needs.

In the evolution of learning management systems (LMS), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data analytics are starting to be utilised in advanced solutions like D2L’s Brightspace LMS. By leveraging these technologies, the Brightspace LMS can exponentially improve user experience and offer a holistic and rounded education. This essentially provides children with the best chance of attaining their learning goals. Ultimately, integrating technology in education can deliver streamlined learning that surfaces the natural talents and capabilities of students.

In this article, we take a closer look at how utilising an LMS can extract and bridge the gaps in learning through AI and big data so that education becomes a want and not a need.

The impact of AI on learning platforms

The Indian edtech market is pegged to touch $2 billion by 2021, and a large part of it is due to the rise of AI. Thanks to AI, it is much easier to provide smart content that brings learning to life. Through the use of audio, video and written content, lessons are produced, quickly modified and curated to meet the learners' needs. Through online assistants or virtual facilitators, classes are more interactive and gamified to engage the attention of the student. These assistants can also detect when a student is falling behind or has completed tasks with ease, allowing it to adapt the upcoming content to make it easier or more challenging according to the child's needs.

With the help of animated facilitators, young students can interact with the system to gain a greater understanding of the content while feeling assisted and heard, while still having fun.

But that is not the only function of the AI integrations. These bots can also provide further insights into the child's learning journey, helping to smooth out any bumps along the path by analysing the patterns that emerge. With this information, educators, teachers, parents, and anyone else involved in delivering the learning content or monitoring the child, can have a more robust view of how they are progressing and gain insight into any areas that may need some extra work.

Armed with this information, the teacher or content creator can further adapt the content, making it more relevant to the child or adding enhanced resources to improve and personalise the experience to encourage learning. The AI removes some of the admin tasks that burden the teacher, freeing them up to explore and develop ways to disseminate the content or solve issues that a student may be having.

“Education technology appears to be the solution that opens up opportunities to excel in India”

When created, the curriculum content, support resources and examinations are then adaptable to meet the needs of the students. If a child has a hearing or visual impairment, the material can be adapted to assist them, helping prevent them from falling behind or feeling left out. The language options utilise AI to allow for translations to various languages, which can be extremely helpful if the child's native tongue differs from their teacher or peers. By translating some or all of the resources, the LMS removes the challenge faced by someone who may struggle otherwise.

Big data's role in an LMS

As a child works their way through the materials for their coursework, big data analytics, such as the robust analytics in Brightspace LMS, can monitor all aspects of the process. It can examine the length of time it takes for completion, any difficulties faced and track the responses to questions etc. in real time for individual students. All this information helps to create performance trackers that keep the school, teacher, parents and child in the loop. It follows their progress and highlights any areas that could need more attention or alert if the material levels are not challenging enough, and that the pupil requires more exciting or engaging content.

The data gathered can help the LMS to predict the type of material that is more suited to each learner, pushing forward content that piques their interest or concerns an area they need to work harder on to attain their goals. With this data operating in the background, the LMS starts to adapt to each pupil's needs and levels, while keeping the educators informed of progress.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to rethink how education is delivered. The requirement to be able to continue education wherever a child is, on any device and at any time has become essential. Communication functions on the platform also help the student feel connected to their teacher and their peers-a vital part of the learning process. Thankfully, this is possible through the technological advances that allow the implementation of a platform such as the Brightspace LMS.

Using an LMS as part of the educational process helps to bridge any gaps in a child's education. Through AI and big data, D2L's Brightspace platform makes eLearning more accessible, adaptable and suitable for each learner's needs. By combining technology and education, an LMS can really enhance a child's learning progress, helping them to achieve more in life and hit the educational targets their parents and teachers have set for them.

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