Tech enable your teaching learning processes: But what processes?

In this age when everything from banking to shopping to purchasing tickets is getting a serious dose of technology, many Higher educational institutes are still using the same century old teaching learning methods. A professor comes in the classroom and delivers lecture. The lecture is accompanied by lot of writing on blackboard (or whiteboard these days). In between he/she gives some quizzes or assignments to students. Students submit their answers, on sheets of paper, and after a few days receive their marks. 

Though the method of study by students has undergone major changes. When you go to any college or university, you will find very few students in the library, queuing for issuing or returning books. This is because a lot of study material in form of scanned books or eBooks is downloaded on their laptops from various legal or illegal sites. Copyright issues in this digital age are a separate complexity in itself which we will discuss in future. 

In the K-12 schools, adaptation of technology tools has moved a little faster because of various products being pushed from companies like Educomp, NIIT, Everonn and so on. But in Hi Ed, the status is quite different. This is because professors in colleges and universities typically are used to bigger freedom for topics coverage, reference books and teaching styles. They do not like to use a readymade digital content made by some company. Many senior professors enjoy a celebrity status because they teach their subject with their own style and their own content. 

We all agree that usage of right technology increases efficiency and effectiveness of anything that we do. So it should be possible to apply technology to teching learning processes in our educational institutes. We can broadly categorize teaching learning processes in any institute in following 5 areas: 

1. Lecture by teacher.
2. Self study content like books.
3. Collaboration between teacher and students or with peer students.
4. Hands on practice using machines or equipment in lab.
5. Evaluation of student using different forms of quizzes, assignments and exams.

As you can see in the graphic below, Technology enabled tools can provide alternatives for all traditional processes. But nobody would recommend that any institute should start using all new technology processes and stop use of traditional processes.

While technology tools are a necessity to deliver elearning or distance learning facility for students. A blended approach of traditional methods mixed with technology tools is the best dose recommended for institutes running courses in physical classrooms.

The right blend of the two set of processes depends on many factors which need to be studies for the institute. Any such initiative also needs to be assisted with change management to orient faculty members to use technology in their teaching process. Technology training is an ongoing activity to make faculty members comfortable in using technology.