Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the recently launched NEP (New Education Policy) 2020 highlighted the usage of technology in education. A National Educational Technology Forum (NETF) has been created where the e-courses will be developed in regional languages and virtual labs will be developed. E-content will be developed in many regional languages other than English and Hindi in the new education policy in 2020. The ministry will use the technology in education planning, teaching-learning, and most importantly in the assessment.
Creation of NETF:
NETF will be created to help enhance learning, assessment, planning, and administration.
- To support the professional development of teachers, improve classroom processes, enhance educational access for disadvantaged groups and streamline educational planning, administration, and management as an appropriate integration of technology into all levels of education.
NEP Implementation
The technology-oriented approach in school level:
With various new technical policies and changes in the existing education policies, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reform announced that Indian school children from standard 6 onwards will be taught coding as a part of the Indian school syllabus/ curriculum that will help school students develop an early aptitude for programming and app development. If they like it, then that could encourage them to diversify in the field of developing innovative products and services for India and the world in the future.
The key role of technology in educating students:
NEP 2020 highlights stipulate appropriate integration of technology into all levels of Indian school education with the idea to better classroom processes and help the professional development of the educator. This will also include better means of education for disadvantaged groups, including specially-abled kids. Technology will also be used to streamline educational planning, administration, and management in Indian schools and colleges going forward. Along with the inclusion of technology, the new policy has scrapped the 10+2 structure of the school curriculum, replacing it with a 5+3+3+4 pattern.
The NEP 2020 reform also seeks to boost research across a higher perspective of education by setting up a National Research Foundation. Again it is a very appealing step to address the skill gap between what students are taught in academic institutions and what they are expected to do in a professional environment. The policy has focused on industry-based skill empowerment that lays importance on creativity and innovation, which are the key factors for someone to excel in the 21st century. It proposes a new National Educational Technology Forum and induction of new-aged technologies such as online learning platforms AI-driven customized learning solutions, video-based learning, peer-to-peer learning, etc.
It also encourages the establishment of dedicated institutions that specialize in offering a curriculum that helps the students to grow their understanding of future technologies, and develop a spirit of innovation and problem-solving at a global scale.
Implementation of E-learning:
According to the HRD sources, the NEP 2020 is set to include more online and e-learning options at both school and college levels to make it more technology-oriented. Especially, in the wake of the lockdown, this is in line with the MHRD’s current policy of teaching students through different e-resources.
In the education sector, special emphasis was given on the use of technology through enhanced learning and adapting by the use of technology such as online classes, education portal and class-wise broadcast on dedicated education channels. As education institutions are shut for quite a long time, platforms like DIKSHA, SWAYAM, and E-Pathshala have been recommended by the ministry for college and school students.
So, yes definitely this New Education Policy 2020 reform will be technologically driven as the new policy is planning to digitally equip schools, students, and teachers.
Source: NEP 2020
