If your school days were in ’90s or early 2000, you
can remember the blackboards and chalks being used in classrooms. I can still
remember how history teachers used to throw chalks and dusters at the back-benchers!
Sometimes I also used to dodge sitting at the 2nd bench and
punishments used to be kneel down outside the classes. However, today my nephew
does not look at the blackboards and ask the teachers what he or she has
written on the 3rd line or the lines extreme down. Reason is simple
– he enjoys studies in digital classrooms.
Well, I tried to find out what could be the benefits
of digital classrooms? How this new generation classroom is transforming
education system? And my findings came something like what I am jotting down
below:
Improved
demonstration due to familiarity with topic of discussion
Earlier, what will be demonstrated in
the classes used to remain in the notes of the teachers. They used to come and
write on the blackboards and students had to instantly grab those ideas. No
point of early assumption/preparation could be there. However, students now get
the lectures or classroom discussion copies beforehand and prepare them to face
the classes with inputs ready to be added.
Similarly, teachers now do not have to land in classes
with alien topics that could seem to most of the students as rocket science.
Students know what will be discussed and teachers can expect familiarity of
students with topics. Blackboards are replaced with projectors and computers.
Voice reach till the last bench with microphones or headphones in use.
Interactive
learning leads to better understanding of the subjects
In our times, we used to take note of the discussions in the classrooms. We
used to have little time of question and answer sessions with teachers on every
class. But digital learning has given time for interactions. Teachers know what
to discuss and students stay ready to ask questions prepared before the classes
begin.
Gone are the days of text based discussions! Now audio
and visual representation of the topics provide students better understanding
of the subjects. They can relate their subject with the world and clear doubt
from the knowledge spread across world wide web. Teachers also enjoy same
freedom to quickly expand the horizon of learning to the students.
Equal
opportunity and reach of learning from 1st bench to the last
Most of my friends used to sit in the last benches to avoid studies. On the
other hand, meritorious students used to claim the front rows by default. The
pathetic conditions used to be with students like me who used to sit from or after
4th or 5th benches till nearing the last bench. Either
they were deprived of the visibility of writings on the blackboards or tortured,
humiliated by the last-benchers and even the toppers!
This does not happen now with digitization. Study
materials reach to every student equally. It means, now even last-benchers
cannot escape the notes or stay passive. They have to interact with teachers
shading all excuses. Physical disability is no more a restriction against learning opportunity. From anywhere classrooms are available. One more thing is provision of jointing the class from
outside. If a student is sick or by any mean cannot attend the class
physically, they can join online. Everybody can learn and get share of learning
equally.
Well, there are so many advantages of digital
classroom, I found these really strong enough to replace the blackboard and add
projectors, e-learning materials and computers in classes. Being nostalgic is
good but accepting something for the better future is receptivity.
Together we
can make difference
Swami Vivekananda said – “Education is the
manifestation of perfection already in man…” I think digital classrooms are
helping teachers to bring out that knowledge hidden in students through
accessibility, interactivity and equal opportunity. I pray to God that every
student of India can get this opportunity of digital learning.
I hope before my
death, I can see this happening. I am ready take step in making this happen,
now others (the reach, businessmen and Government) should come with true desire
and funding. There should be more instances like Procter and Gamble to come
forward with corporate social responsibilities where one slogan is - “parega
India to barega India (education will take India ahead).” They are trying to
take education to all, the next step can be digital classrooms – if not today, tomorrow
for sure.
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