Digitally Educated

Digital learning is the talk of the town, and online classes are so 'in'. In fact, several educational institutions are advertising themselves with the help of their digital classrooms and online teaching capacities. 

And that's a good sign, a sign of growth and advancement. It's a sign of adaptability and of the human spirit that does not give up to obstacles, instead finds new ways to overcome them. Such is the enthusiasm to provide education in the times of corona, that even government run schools, in urban and rural areas, are connecting with the students digitally.

However, if truth be told, online learning is more of a formality. According to newspaper reports, most of the students in rural areas do not have access to the technology, not even smartphones, which are an important means for digital teaching and learning. Situations are not very different in urban areas too. Even though, there is greater availability and access to technology in cities, but the lack of awareness among people is mostly prevalent. Another factor is the lack of resources for teachers. We cannot expect every teacher to possess all the essential technology and training required to carry out efficient online teaching, because 

none of the above has ever been provided. Hence, except the teachers who are running coaching classes, etc., it is mostly impractical to expect perfection in online teaching. Still, teachers all over the country have been responsible enough to try their level best in imparting as much knowledge and education as they can, in as many ways possible, and even coming up with some very genuine ideas to make it work.

Thus, the concept of digital and online learning can be a boon if implemented systematically, with required resources and training. Otherwise, it is more of an educational predicament, that muddles with the minds of everyone involved, leading to disorder, rather than order in the virtuous process of teaching-learning.