Technology has been casting its spell on every sphere of our life including education. Gone are the days when education demanded physical presence and limited resources. Now, the internet leaves you with a virtual library of resources every time you search for a textbook, a question, or an essay topic. These days, students are turning their heads to lucid ways of solving numerical, understanding Science concepts, writing essays that leave an impact, and whatnot. With YouTube and Wikipedia by their sides, knowledge has taken the shape of a vast ocean. Seeing their students getting advanced, educational institutions are heading towards advancement too by embracing digital education. In this blog, we will understand what digital education is, its types, the benefits it comes with, and the challenges it poses. 

What is digital education?

In the words of the University of Edinburg’s Institute for Academic Development, digital education is nothing but “the innovative use of digital tools and technology skills for students during teaching and learning, and is often referred to as Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) or e-learning.”

In simple terms, it goes beyond classrooms and the traditional curriculum. It focuses on giving children the finest forms of education in all spheres and obtaining the best results from them.

Types of digital education

Digital education can be categorized into three forms - online learning, blended learning, and distributed learning. Let’s understand them in some detail:

1. Online Learning

Online learning involves teaching over the internet using smart gadgets without being present in the same place. The geographical distance is bridged by technological tools such as Zoom, Google Meet, Google Classroom, and the most demanded 10 digital skills tech. Online learning is regarded as the most convenient form of learning. 

2. Blended Learning

Also known as hybrid learning, it is an amalgamation of online and offline learning. Teachers end up sharing lectures and assignments with students over the internet but take interactive doubt sessions in the classroom. This helps a student in learning better.

3. Distributed Learning

Distributed learning is an amalgamation of the previous two forms. It refers to the online part of blended learning or fully online distance learning. Under this system, the most important aspects of learning are done online.

Now, since we are well-versed in the forms of digital learning, we can now move to the benefits of digital education. 

Benefits of Digital Education 

There is no iota of doubt that a lot remains to be discovered in the field of education. But we cannot neglect what we have unearthed with the help of digital education. Digital education has brought about myriads of improvements that have transformed education forever. In this section, we will understand the numerous benefits of digital education. So, let’s get started:

• Learning has become more flexible than ever! 

Whether you accept it or not, the more digitalized the educational system is, the easier it becomes for the teachers as well as the students. You can be in your bedroom and attend a class by eight in the morning. You can be listening to a podcast on the French language while solving Physics numerical questions. This flexibility allows students to manage their time well and improve their productivity. Furthermore, there is no physical constraint or social barrier to stop a working person from learning a new language by watching the class videos and rewinding them as many times as one desires. 

• Improved assimilation

Many people have concerns about the distractions caused by digital education, as students can ignore their academics whenever there is a notification from Netflix or Instagram or any other exciting thing on their smartphones or laptops. The reality, however, is a bit different. While attending classes can lead to academics getting side-lined, it also improves assimilation. Students can attend lectures at their leisure and return to recorded lectures to listen again. Also, it has been found that students who learn digitally, lay hands on diverse subjects as compared to those taking the traditional form of education.

• Teachers are becoming tech savvy.

Teachers have also learned to use learning enhancers such as visual aids to help understand concepts being discussed and improve the concentration of students. Digital education has also brought to popularity the idea of personalized teaching whereby teachers can customize learning content according to the needs of each student. 

• There isn't such thing as a time-management issue.

One thing you must know is that digital education fills the gap in physical education. It solves the problem of time constraints, allowing students to learn when they are at their best. It also allows people who have other obligations and cannot go to school physically while attending to other duties. This flexibility has brought about more inclusivity in education.

• Improved interpersonal skills.

Another beneficial impact of digital education is improved communication between the students and the teachers, and among the students themselves. It also enhances students’ writing skills as they have to do a lot of their communication through writing.

However, digital education also comes with its own set of challenges.

Challenges posed by digital education

Digital education has been a blessing. But since every coin has two sides, we cannot neglect the negative impact it leaves on teachers and students. Some of the challenges posed by digital education include the following: faced include that:

• Teachers find it difficult to adapt to changes. 

Given their age and the way they have been teaching so far, sometimes, it becomes next to impossible for a teacher to switch to digital education. The lack of technical skills often causes discomfort to them.

• Not everybody has access to smartphones and laptops.

Given the population of our country, not every child is privileged enough to have his/her own smartphone or laptop. With a household consisting of five school-going children, the presence of a single smartphone is not enough. And buying such gadgets is costly.