The outbreak of COVID-19 in India, followed by the lockdown, has been a turning point for the educational industry and its infrastructure. The models that existed before, have been brought to a standstill, and it has made educational institutes rethink their priorities with regards to models of learning. This has unfolded new frontiers for EdTech platforms and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in India to expand their horizons in the country. 

As the education industry continues to witness a paradigm shift, India’s infrastructure capabilities are also evolving. It is necessary for educational institutes and EdTech platforms to adapt to these changes in the industry. The educational infrastructure in the country has been one of the major deterrents faced by the sector with regard to growth from national to international standards. 

Gone are those days where people selected careers based on the question 'Engineering or Medicine?' Today’s generation decides their career choices from a larger pool of opportunities. Be it health and fitness, gaming, coding, or any other stream, people are increasingly opting for non-traditional careers in today’s time. According to a survey by Statista, an average of 50% of young Indians in non-metro cities prefer exploring an off-beat career path. EdTech platforms or institutions that offer these courses are flourishing and giving birth to experts in these fields. One such example is INFS (Institute of Nutrition and Fitness Sciences) where people can opt to study the nuances of exercise science, nutrition, health and become full-fledged professionals. 

This need for a transition from traditional to modern methods of teaching, along with actionable changes required in the infrastructure need to be genuinely considered. 

Need for a more customized learning

Education is one such arena where one-size-fits-all does not work. There needs to be a more personalized and customized education ecosystem to encompass the different capabilities of students. EdTech platforms have brought about a paradigm shift by providing 1:1 coaching, along with personalized content capabilities. A report released by the Government of India in July 2019 revealed that the student-teacher ratio in India is 24:1, which is lower than 19:1 in Brazil and China. This poses a problem in the domain of personalization, as teachers get overburdened with many students to cater to at a time.  With the shift to unconventional courses and careers, there is a higher rate of personalization that comes into play. 

Convenient, on-demand learning

As opposed to traditional educational settings, students prefer consuming educational material at their own time and convenience. With the emergence and acceptance of MOOCs and EdTech platforms offering on-demand learning, a learning gap has been filled. This has also led to a shift in the axis from passive classroom learning to students actively looking for courses that suit their needs and are compatible with their career choices. 

Demand for expert educators

The traditional educational ecosystem brought along with it, teachers that taught multiple subjects to the same group of students. Modernization and technological advancement have led to a need for educators to be experts in their respective fields. These experts are in a better place to guide and mentor their students instead of the traditional form of rote learning. 

Greater internet penetration

Earlier, there was a stark digital divide that encompassed the industry. People would relocate to Tier 1 cities to get access to basic, quality education. With the larger availability of smartphones and greater internet connectivity, people can now connect to digital classrooms and get access to more forms of learning. 

A student’s learning is deeply affected by the industry infrastructure. With Indian education going through a drastic shift, it will be interesting to see how the industry grows and expands in the years to come.