Why I think Technology ALONE cannot solve our Educational crisis?
Let me start with my usual big disclaimer(s) – I am NO expert in the field of “Education”, “Policy”, “Governance”, “Child Psychology” or Behaviors Science”. I also confess I am perhaps least qualified to even subtly comment on such topics, leave aside writing a post.
And yet – I think I should. Perhaps write simply to share a “layman-ordinary” citizen’s thoughts on these topics (even if experts have already written on these topics, with their in-depth research)
Second Disclaimer – To my international connections – This article/post is somewhat more relevant or specific to situation in India today (my guess is that it may be similar in many developing nations as well). So even if you don’t relate, it may be a good read just to see a perspective an ordinary citizen of a developing nation! (That’s me).
Lastly – I welcome all kind of comments even if they are diametrically opposite of what I seemingly propose. That is the only way known to me for being the eternal learner I aspire to be.
So let’s start with two worlds
The other day I had the opportunity to spend considerable time with some of those wonderful children to whom life had deprived everything and yet were attending “school”. (Isn't it wonderful considering the fact that all educational reports claim abysmally low attendance and high dropout rates across the country). These were children from neighboring slums and dwellings whose parents were always busy trying to make the ends meet through daily labor chores ranging from construction workers to drivers to maids to even beggars.
As I went ahead trying my small-talks with them, I was learning. I was learning that these children have an uphill tasks ahead of them. I was learning that unlike children from relatively affluent family, these children have to work harder in “reconciling” what the education tends to teach and the “harsh realities” they witness each day in their own homes and surroundings. I was learning that education for them is not just about teaching Maths, English and Science even if it is taught by the greatest teachers of the world. I was learning that education for them is also about helping them to break away from their past (and present) and usher a better future while delicately not letting their innocence fade away in knowing those harsher truths. I was learning that the teachers (or mentors or whatever we call them) need to transform themselves into a strong “hero” with whom they can relate and gradually replace their “current ones” – those neighborhood mafia leader whom everyone seems to respect or the drug peddler who always seems to have abundant money or the good looking hulk whose predicted to be the next leader of the gang.
On the other end of the spectrum are my two daughters. For them life has come in a gift wrapped package. They have everything in relative abundance. From love that’s generously showered at them by their parents, two sets of grandparents, uncles and aunts to viewing “How Universe Works” in HD in Discovery Channel. They have more than sufficient access to information and more than required means of getting them. Educating them would really mean asking them the right questions and letting them find answers. Education for them is all about exposure – the more you expose them to knowledge, the more wisdom they are going to absorb. Education for them is about “pace” at which we can let their natural learning take place and how do we allow these different “paces” to work in tandem.
The crisis staring at us
The ASER Report (Annual Status of Education Report) 2014 says that in India, more than 50% of grade 5 children cannot read grade 2 texts, 76% of students don’t quite make it beyond grade 8 and over 9 lakh teacher vacancies exists across primary and upper-primary classes. Well it says much more but I picked up only a few!
So what could “educating” could mean in today’s times. Here are some of my inferences
- It needs to be something that makes “learning” the end objective and not “finishing the curriculum”. It means a grade 2 doesn’t really get over until it actually does. Just the passage of time doesn’t mean anything. It means asking more questions and letting answer find its receivers (the students)
- It needs to incorporate “differing paces and levels” of each student. We can be potentially be having a mix of grade 1 to 5 (in different aspects) sitting in one class. The teaching needs to be self-modulating in its speed. In other words, the same lessons needs to be delivered at varying pace and depth.
- It needs to fill the massive gaps of teachers and bring a higher quality of teaching available to everyone.
- It needs to be able to change the context and examples as per the ecosystem of its recipient. It means if an urban child gets an example of “visiting a mall” for a subject, the same lesson needs to change to “visiting the local kovil-tiruvizha (temple carnival” for a rural child
- It needs to arrest the high abysmal drop-out rates by making the “school airtime” the most sought-after time by the children. It means changing the way we teach, we behave, we organize and we deliver the so-called-education. This is perhaps more warranted in non-urban schools as of today, but the same applies for urban ones too.
- It needs to subtly and gradually influence the minds of the children so they see a value of the entire education process. They need to “feel” the need of getting educated. They need to be able to reconcile the differences of what they see at home/locality and what the education tries to show as an “ideal” behavior. For this the “Teacher” is the only facilitator, the only bridge, the only mentor and the only guide who can explain the anomalies and paradoxes that surround some of these children.
Back to the topic – How can technology help us solve some of these issues?
By the way that was just the tip of the iceberg, there are probably plenty of more “ice” hidden there!
But even with the ones I mentioned, let’s see what is perhaps possible with technology
- “Adaptive Learning Technology” is perhaps something which definitely needs to be explored. In simple terms it means that the teaching “adapts” itself as per the students learning abilities. It “paces” itself so the same content is delivered at different speed and rigor to different children. So if my child has trouble with HCF and LCM, he/she spends more time solving exercises than her/his peer who may be struggling with fractions. It also means that if the student is having trouble understanding the lesson in one way, it can try changing the way, the examples till the student attains a minimum proficiency.
- (Refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adaptive_learning for more details)
- With cheaper internet and smart devices, it may not be too far to have a lecture delivered from a renowned subject expert from anywhere and streamed into the classroom (or better still into their individual devices) with real-time two-way possibilities of the communication channels. This may address part of the shortage of good teachers.
- I imagine a kindle in the hands of every child instead of heavy bags. They will contain rich text book contents, classroom notes, embedded lectures and even Youtube videos that provides everything in one convenient place. Just add the Adaptive Learning technology and you have customized content and lesson plan for each student. What else can we ask for?
…And what it cannot?
It cannot replace the “human” touch that is required as a “glue” to help children see the value of the entire learning process. They need to hear and feel a “real” living human to even relate to the entire complex purpose of education. They need a “real” emoting human to understand them and their individual problems. They need a “real” breathing human to show them that there are multiple type of heroes in this world (and not just the ones they see in their streets).
Technology cannot substitute this “real” teacher who lives, who emotes, who breathes and who thinks as children. It cannot be a substitute of the compassionate teacher who is the very reason why children come to school. It cannot be the “guide” that can explain why bad things happens to good people in spite of the brilliant education they have had. It needs a real teacher to “influence” the children and taking them forward towards higher success.
We need “real” teachers. We need teachers who understand that the work is not about teaching, it about creating the spirit of learning in each child that they encounter. We need teachers who can relate to each and every child and know why they perform the way they do. We need teachers whose only aim in life is to explore and bring out the best of every child. We need teachers who understand that there cannot be one scale to measure every child. We need teachers who knows that creating better citizens is more important that creating Math Whiz kids or a spelling bee champion.
The crisis today needs a healthy mix of both technology and “real” teachers to tackle them. It may be futile to even think that one can do without the other. We need a perfect tandem of “real” people and “virtual” technologies to address all the challenges that lay ahead of us.
That’s what I think, what about you?
