Teaching is no more limited to the walls of the classroom, thus, creating a true learning continuum between home and school. In fact, schools are empowering teachers and students alike to have better control over the educational process, and harness the potential of new learning technologies.
Transforming the role of teachers
Technology-based education is learner-centered. Thus, there have been fundamental changes in the roles and responsibilities of teachers to complement this process. Teachers’ role in current times is more complex. They are expected to craft a student-centered learning environment that aims for high academic achievement. Hence, teachers are required to become technology-oriented to crack the new learning standards and meet the expectations of their students.
In the eLearning paradigm of India, teachers certainly need to develop a few crucial qualities to provide their students with an immaculate online learning experience. These skills are mentioned below;
Effective Communication
Teachers are the forerunners of modern Instructional Design (ID). Communication is a key requirement in Instructional design & delivery of a course to its audience. Thus, as the science of teaching & instruction evolves, so does communication. As the teaching-process becomes more objective (rather than abstract), passive communication won’t hold the forts. Teachers must now become adept in understanding the ways in which online tools work & young students interact. Encouraging questions, discussions, activities & other engaging exercises must be a part of their teaching style. This will aid them in not just becoming better communicators, but also influencers who can shape young minds.
Collaboration Skills
Collaboration is essentially a skill rather than just a vanilla engagement tactic- as in business, as in education. Collaboration enables abstract ideas to flow onto the paper & then into reality. Indian education system, as it takes on digital wings, is realizing the importance of the same. It is encouraging teachers to actively participate with the students in the learning process via group formation, team-work & collaboration-activities. For instance, in the Blended Learning Model of Instruction, teachers have an opportunity to work with students in smaller groups. Thereby, the teachers can provide one-on-one attention to the students, and persuade them to actively engage in the learning process.
Adaptive Aptitude
The one-size-fits-all model of education is ineffective because every student varies in terms of learning style/preference, capacity, & pace. This is the reason why personalized learning apps like Learnflix are becoming popular amongst the students to unleash their academic excellence potential. To become partners in the learning process, teachers must learn to adapt to the changes, namely- student preferences, technology-aids, latest trends & even self-learning to teach better. They must develop an ability to modify lesson plans and other aspects of learning as the time demands.
Guidance & Facilitation
Taking the responsibility of performance of every student is virtually impossible for every teacher. Blame the logistics or the poor teacher-student ratio for that. Though, teachers can ‘enable’ the students to help themselves with the right guidance. Modern tech-driven education is about facilitating & coaching rather than spoon-feeding the knowledge to students. For instance, teachers can recommend note-taking apps, applications of the newly learned concepts, good reference material & exam preparation strategies rather than just mushing through the syllabus.
Closing
Tech-driven education requires teachers who can encourage and support students to embrace the technology rightfully & enable them to crack their personal academic goals. The role of modern teachers has evolved from mere preachers of knowledge to frontline drivers of the ‘societal talent’- our students. With their enhanced skills & supplementary boost of tools like Learnflix, teachers now have the true power to lay the foundation of a better tomorrow.
