The Indian “e-learning market size reached US$ 5.6 Billion in 2021. Looking forward, IMARC group expects the market to reach US$ 12.5 Billion by 2027, exhibiting a growth rate of(CAGR) of 13.9% during 2022-2027.”
Online learning technology is rapidly expanding in educational institutions in India. According to CBSE officials, online learning technology has brought about a paradigm shift in the educational system. Technology will play an essential role in the education system in the future. Microsoft recently partnered with the Central Board of Secondary Education to integrate coding and data science into school curricula.
When India went into national lockdown, most private and public schools focused on online learning to keep students engaged. Few schools are completely capable of utilizing online learning technology in education.
Most schools are utilizing blended learning curriculum for their students. Because online learning technology is difficult and complex to upgrade, especially in India, few schools are attempting to integrate e-learning and face-to-face instruction approaches at the same time which is known as blended learning.
Following Covid, school leaders, principals, and parents understand the importance of online learning technology; however, the question is how much money should they invest in this technology and what factors they should consider when purchasing?
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In this article, we attempt to highlight three budgeting considerations to bear in mind before investing in online learning technology.
1. Is online learning technology accessible to all stakeholders?
If you are committed to investing in online learning tech, the most important thing to consider is how the it will be accessible to stakeholders such as school leaders, teachers, parents, and students.
Most schools in India use online tech as part of a blended learning curriculum. The School Leader of an institution plays an important role in investing in online learning technology as there is no one-size-fits-all solution for it.
The School Leader must recognise and identify what specific need they are going to solve from the online learning technology and he/she must recognise and evaluate the technical skills of the teachers and staff they have.
It is not enough to have an internet connection and hardware; it is also important to consider how easily students and teachers can access this new technology. For example, how the teacher can teach different subjects in different approaches/methods in a class, where the children’s level of understanding of the subject or concept is not equal. As a result, schools must determine which online learning technology is appropriate for their students.
2. Will my school save time and money?
When investing in online learning technology, the school leader must understand how the technology improves the efficiency and profitability of the organization.
It is preferable to avoid investing in unnecessary items that are inappropriate for their schools. School leaders may bring software, hardware, apps, or licenses, but the school may discontinue their use because they do not work well in classrooms.
When updates are made, the School Leader should consider how the technology has access; is that technology easily scalable when student strength in classrooms suddenly increases?
When purchasing online learning technology, we should also consider what support/service they provide and how it contributes to the student’s learning outcomes; additional support provided by the provider in comparison to other providers.
3. Determine how you will measure program success
The School Leader must consider how to ensure the program’s success; if you believe online learning technology will lead to increased student growth (better learning outcomes), how will you measure it? There are numerous learning apps available for various subjects and device types.
School leaders must ensure that the strategy for implementing online learning technology is goal-oriented. Management and teachers should be able to track student progress.
Before investing in online learning technology, the school leader and management must consider three factors: is the online learning technology accessible to all stakeholders; does the online learning technology save money and time compared to traditional methods of teaching; and can we measure our student’s growth over time with the chosen online learning technology.
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