Emerging Trends in Education

By Saransh Sharma

From just studying using books or referring to classroom lectures to now accessing different study material on iPad or laptop, education and gaining knowledge has witnessed a transformation.  

There was a time when students used to spend hours in libraries to work on their projects or doing any research. If back then, any of the learners had been a soothsayer and predicted what the future is going to look like, they would have hardly believed it.

From then to now, the education scenario has surely taken a strong turn. Earlier, it was all about rote learning and writing the memorised topics on the answer sheets during exams for the sake of getting marks. 

However, times have changed! 

Given the competition today, young minds or learners are expected to have a vast knowledge. The idea is to learn different topics not just from the prescribed books but from different relevant sources. The curriculum has surely expanded and is making students indulge themselves in a slugfest at every stage, which actually increases knowledge with practicality rather than replicating the book on a white page.

Today, in addition to the conventional way of imparting education, teachers’ endeavour is to create fun-based, engaging classroom sessions. This is being done via interactive apps and informational websites, allowing students to interact from anywhere and anytime. 

Several steps are being taken by educational institutions to adopt a hybrid mode of learning, to ensure all students receive education. 

The idea of education today is not just imparting knowledge, but to focus on the holistic development of learners. To prepare students to face the challenges of the real-world and inculcate different hard as well as soft skills.

The previous education system had a sink or swim way of teaching. The problem was the presence of few career options to choose from. One such illustration for the same is fixation of jobs for men and women already decided by the society which was: engineering for men and medical for women.

Today’s generation prefers to gain knowledge and boost their skills by staying connected to the internet rather than sitting in classrooms. Students pursuing the path of online education including videos or online are ought to be more productive than they will be in a classroom environment. Even the traditional classroom is improving with the insertion of the latest technologies.

Surveys even suggest that digital trends will replace textbooks in the coming years. Introduction of concepts like artificial intelligence, virtual reality are changing the face of education at present. Gamification is another such learning tool, recognised as an interactive source of learning that is transforming lectures into video games while proving to be the most productive of all. Earlier it was mandatory to attend the lectures to grasp whatever they have to offer, but now that same knowledge is immanent and can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere.

The concept of AI (Artificial Intelligence) has brought an astounding amount of advancement which might actually make one believe that technology is overtaking the human cerebrum. Technology has changed every aspect of development including education and each family might actually need a tech-savvy member. 

Surveys further suggest that technology will boost the traditional teaching practices in the coming years. There will be a changing role of teachers as strong facilitators. 

However, the only thing that will never change in the education system is the purpose it serves, which is not about just learning facts, but training the mind to think innovatively and creatively!