Divya Lal On New Education Policy

These changes are a step in the right direction that will help shift focus from “rote learning” to “active learning". However, as much as we’re fortunate that the Ministry of Education has finally created an action plan to further optimize education in India, the success of these changes will only reflect as more and more schools adopt the Phygital model of education. 

Personally, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me as the digitization of learning was only a matter of time. After all, Digital Learning helps schools and all learning institutions shift to a blended learning model where Classroom Learning is supplemented and supported by online learning solutions. 

This shift to active learning was already being driven by Fliplearn for many years as our focus has always been to make Personalised Learning available to all students. As a matter of fact, over 200 schools have come on board and over 9,000 teachers have been able to continue guiding more than 2 lakh students through the Fliplearn Platform during these 3 months of lockdown.  

I feel it is the lockdown which has showed the policymakers just how advantageous Digital Learning Technology can be and the limitless opportunities it can provide to students and teachers. Unfortunately, during the current lockdown, many schools in rural areas did not have the resources to shift teaching to an online platform. These initiatives by the government will help reduce the digital divide and in future create a level playing field for the students in any part of the country.  

Another point that I am thrilled to know is that the NEP will enable students to independently choose their subjects based on their personal preference. This is something we weren’t expecting but I was certain it was only a matter of time before such a change was made. 

Either way, the education system has finally recognized that students have curious minds and must not be restricted by predefined disciplines like Science, Commerce & Arts. As a result, they can now pick and choose subjects as they like and I am a huge advocate of free subject choices.  

I also feel that school leaders have a big role to play in strategizing how they can fully leverage this new opportunity brought in by NEP. School leaders must embrace the digital aspect of learning and use it to optimize the in-class and at-home learning experience. Schools should adapt to the “Phygital Model” of teaching to make learning more interactive and engaging.  

Students, being digital natives should be encouraged to use the technology at their disposal to build curiosity and knowledge at home. This curiosity and knowledge can then be addressed by the School Teachers using application-based examples.  

Fliplearn has been developed to support online learning by providing a plethora of resources and flexibility to the teachers, with features like virtual classrooms, class and individual assessments, automated corrections, assignment, readymade question banks and flexibility for the teacher to create her own resources. The response Fliplearn has got from schools during the pandemic is overwhelming. Teachers have welcomed this technology with open arms, and why won’t they? At the end of the day, this technology makes their life much easier. 

With the freedom to choose subjects, languages and extra-curricular activities based on their own preferences and with access to digital platforms, students will actively participate in learning and emerge with a more practical mindset.  

The NEP also addresses one of the main issues with Education, which is the lack of application-based learning – a practice not closely followed by a lot of schools even today. With the introduction of virtual labs, students will be able to solve real-life problems and experiment while independently applying different perspectives. With all this in place, the NEP will help create community leaders who’re solution-oriented, confident and far more independent. 

Only time will tell what the future holds but rest assured technology will play a major role in this transformation. 

Divya Lal

Guest Author The author is MD, Fliplearn