At the turn of the century, the Education industry has seen a massive transformation in every arena possible. Whether you talk about the teaching pedagogies or the way we deliver our lessons today, it has undergone a magnanimous change. If you talk of the revenue in the education market, its volume is set to surge to a whopping USD 9.55 billion mark by 2027, with a CAGR of 10.39% (as stated by Statista). This is a clear win-win situation for Edtech technology aspirants who plan to make it big in the industry.
When it comes to inclusivity in the classrooms, easy access to quality tech education programs is a great opening. It is an essential breakthrough for the global industry leaders who boast of diversity, to allow for a quality educational environment.
Disparity in the educational environment has been the major drawback in creating a wholesome pedestal for all learners. This is where inclusivity comes into play. It is pivotal to provide learning environments that are conducive to every learner’s milestone, those with special needs, international students, or those who have a different learning path.
It was a long-lost dream to teach and learn virtually, but the coronavirus pandemic made it a reality. Let us begin by understanding the diversity, equity, and inclusion in the education system.
- Diversity in Education
Education technology has outgrown the expectations of the geniuses of the Edtech industry worldwide. It encompasses diverse ideologies, cultural backgrounds, languages, and learning milestones and styles. The infusion of technology in school education has broadened the horizons of the learners and has worked wonders for deeper comprehension.
- Equity in Education
This is an imperative aspect of building a strong educational stream while utilizing technology for the greater good of every learner. The entire goal of education shall be defeated if there is no equitable access to education by all. Fail-proof internet connectivity, inclusive interfaces, and platforms are a great mix to empower a diversified stream of learners.
- Inclusion in Education
Inclusivity has become a norm in every industry possible. Education is no different. It prioritizes easy accessibility for learners with disabilities and fostering technology to enhance empathy, easy communication, and a sense of belonging.
Best Practices in Education Technology:
- Stakeholders’ Engagement
The involvement of top-tier management in the evolution of education technology for the betterment of the learners is of utmost priority. Communion of diverse voices from students, parents, educators, and community members is what it takes to design an effective learning model.
- Conduct Regular Audits
Regular evaluation of education technology is critical in identifying and addressing potential biases or countering any stereotypes. Timely content review and tool alignment are important for the learners.
- Professional Development
Continued support and professional development of educators and facilitators create inclusive learning environments that allow technology to promote diversity and equity.
- Continuous Feedback
Facilitating effective constructive feedback offers enough space and an easy channel for students, facilitators, and administrators to provide input on the design and implementation of education technology. allow for continued assessment of the technological landscapes in order to make necessary educational improvements.
Quick tips for an Inclusive Learning Environment:
- Virtual Classrooms
These are impactful ways to utilize technology in education for heightened inclusivity in education-learning procedures. They offer an Anytime-Anywhere access to learning and quality education setup. A virtual classroom enables many learners to learn concepts more swiftly than the on-site classrooms.
- Closed Captioning on Videos and movies
Turning on closed captioning shall benefit learners with hearing disabilities; this allows for the content of the video or movie to be easily heard and understood in a classroom. Not only that, closed captioning is a great help in assisting learners with English competence as a second language. Listening to unfamiliar words or different accents can be hard on these learners; that is why closed captioning helps with reading the captions and making comprehension easy.
- Quality Text to Speech Classroom Programs
Understanding the core role of accessibility in education, and making text-to-speech programs available in classrooms is a big hit. Visually impaired or learners with dyslexia can benefit massively as this makes reading easier for the ones struggling with learning.
- Conducting Team building games
Video games have always been a heart favorite of learners of all ages. Including these in education assists in enhancing the learning potential of the students, alongside fostering inclusive play. Some interesting games such as Minecraft and others help in player collaboration and utilizing strategies, problem-solving, and mathematical skills.
Reasons behind the Lack of Technology in Higher Education:
- Resources constraint
- Limited instructor knowledge
- Institutional barriers
- False presumptions about the Edtech sector
- Dependence
- Inability to evolve with the changing landscape
Conclusion:
In order to ensure that technology offerings work wonders for all the learners, it is essential to familiarize with the students and enable them easy access to seek and offer solutions, whenever necessary. Affordability is another factor that assists in smoothening the way ahead. Bringing technology to the forefront for every learner is an ideal way to amplify qualitative addition to education and learning in the long run.