Evolving Landscape of Digital Technologies in Indian Schools: Mapping Policies, Practices and Challenges

• In Event: Topics in educational research on schools: smart educational systems, digital technologies in Indian schools, school counselling and harnessing process data

Proposal

The Indian school education is witnessing speedy expansion coupled with diversity and disparity amongst schools and learners. As one of the largest school education eco-systems in the world, there are nearly 14.89 lakh schools catering to 26.52 Crore young children at all levels of school education. The complexity of diversified context, composition and learning environment and conditions of schools are continuing as areas of concern to achieve equitable quality education for all children. Along with many developmental initiatives, use of digital technology is gaining momentum in the education sector. National Education Policy (2020) aims at creating an education system by 2040 with equitable access to the highest quality of education for all learners including integration of digital initiatives in the teaching learning process. The fundamental principles of NEP focus not only on universal access for diversified learners; reforms in structure, curricular and pedagogical practices but also giving unequivocal emphasis on digital technology and its integration to provide equitable quality education for all.

The paper explores the policy pronouncements on the use of digital technologies in schools, initiatives taken by the government and system for effective institutionalization and use and integration of the new digital technologies and their impact on teaching and learning in the school.The methodoly adopted for this paper are the combination of multiple approaches such as digital technology policy scrutiny and current situational analysis through secondary data and perception of educational administrators,teachers and learners through series of webinars and interviews and also observation of practices in the schools and interviews of teachers and learners to map the integration ,impact and challenges.The study was conduted covering five provinces and ten schools managed under federal ,local government and private.In depth case analysis have been done to map the degree of integration and the challenges for the effective institutionalisation of digital technologies in the school education sector.

The policy analysis of last one and half decades clearly indicates that, India witnessed intensive ICT discourses in school education sector. Aligning with the international policies, the Government of India enacted the National Policy on Information Technology (2001) and National Policy on Information and Communication Technology in School Education (2012). These policies recommended new framework for digital education and closure of long line of ICT innovations such as the CLASS project(1984) and interactive multimedia and mobile learning. The pandemic period equally witnessed compelled use of ICT by schools revealing the digital divide across the provinces, schools and social categories (Panda,2020). Having experiences and use of digital technologies in schools, NEP (2020) emphasizes on the adoption of the emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI), simulation,3D and robotics. The policy places significant emphasis on the intersection of education and technology aiming to overcome language barriers, enhance access and improve educational planning and management. Policy further recognizes key components for integrating technology into school education -provision of ICT infrastructure in schools, professional development of teachers and Open Educational Resources. (OER). The policy analysis and review clearly indicate that almost all national policies have commitment and advocacy framework for a comprehensive approach for integrating technology into education and to enhance the accessibility, equity and quality education.

The paper further focusses on major initiatives taken by government and system as a sequel to policy pronouncements for the effective institutionalization of digital technologies in schools. The paper has flagged few innovative initiatives of Govt.of India creating conditions for digital technologies for creative and critical thinking amongst the learners. Currently 1876 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) are operational in the school premises in India. Other digital investments are PMe-VIDYA (a multi-mode access to education), ePathshala (e-resources including textbooks, audio, video, periodicals, and a variety of other print and non-print materials), DIKSHA (‘One Nation, One Digital Platform’) etc. The narratives of the investment in digital technologies over the last one decade is highly appreciated but the major question remain unanswered relating to the access, integration and use of new digital technologies and the impacts in teaching and learning in the schools.
The findings are quite revealing from the multiple perspectives. The secondary data (UDISE + 2021-22) indicates that 50 percent schools have computer facilities in the schools and 30 percent teachers are trained in the use of the computers for the teaching learning processes. 1876 schools under ATLs have the opportunities to use advance technologies. The perception mapping of educational administrators and teachers significantly demonstrate that development of digitized material is the prime focus continuing since COVID pandemic. Two challenges flagged by them are access to digital technology, infrastructure investment and effective use of technology by few teachers.

The schools related data further unfolds the critical questions relating to the effective use of digital technologies in transforming teaching and learning processes. The findings are classified under three heads 1. Extent of use of digital technologies in teaching learning practices 2. Conditions and context for using digital technologies 3. Challenges faced by the schools for the effective institutionalization of the digital technologies. The analysis is based on the Substitution-Augmentation-Modification-Redefinition (SAMR) framework developed by Puentedura (2014 and 2015). The schools are using diverse digital practices based on the access, availability and competencies of teachers. The visible findings are the redefinition of the use of digital technologies to solve mostly mathematical and science problems and engagement of learners in developing projects and solving local issues through AI,Robotics ,Jamboard, Geo Gebra etc. The further analysis reveals that the diversified digital technological practices are reliant on preconditional factors such as committed and passionate teachers, leadership of school heads, professional learning groups and the digital ecosystem of the schools .The interview of teachers, students and school leaders indicated that new digital technologies can assist in transforming teaching and learning to greater extent .But schools are required to give professional support for the effective use of the digital technologies and for meaningful integration .

Author

• Pranati Panda, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, New Delhi, India