For this weekend read, we spoke with EdTech professional Ritika Subhash on the relevance and future of technology in education, her experience studying overseas, and why she chose to return to India after completing her masters in the US.
Before we begin, a brief introduction: Ritika Subhash is a seasoned professional and subject matter expert in the EdTech sector. A BTech in Computer Science from Jamia Millia Islamia University, India, and an MS in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University, USA, Ritika has spoken extensively on Artificial Intelligence in education, Neuroscience of Learning, Math Anxiety, integrating technology in 21st-century classrooms, and the National Education Policy. She currently serves as Director of Asian Schools for Blue Duck Education Ltd (www.mangahigh.com), a London-based EdTech firm working in the field of building math and logic skills in children in primary and secondary grades. She is also a published author of children’s fiction.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE EDTECH TO A LAYPERSON?
Edtech encompasses many aspects of technological interventions that aid in better learning outcomes and enable learning for all. A big component of EdTech are platforms that deliver educational content, either in a one-to-one or one-to-many format; however, the most effective platforms are those that offer a personalised learning experience, ensuring that the learner’s individual learning needs are met.
AS AN EXPERIENCED EDTECH PROFESSIONAL, HOW HAVE YOU SEEN IT IMPACT EDUCATION OUTCOMES?
I have observed the impact of EdTech across age groups and across socioeconomic strata. I acknowledge the fact that technology is an effective tool to help people overcome various barriers to learning, such as fear of judgement, lack of effective teachers, and lack of motivation to learn in a traditional classroom environment. Technology, when used mindfully, can raise engagement among learners and give them agency in their learning journey. All of this can result in self-motivated practice, thus leading to higher confidence in the subject and, in turn, better learning outcomes.
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS GLOBALLY ARE EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM. HOW IS EDTECH FARING IN ASIA, AND SPECIFICALLY IN COUNTRIES LIKE INDIA?
Overall in Asia, the acceptance of EdTech has been very high. The last two years have shown that technology is here to stay in educational institutions. In most Asian countries, technology in classrooms is treated as a non-negotiable – a basic mode of driving up engagement and raising outcomes of learning. In India, though, the teaching community at large still looks at EdTech as a good-to-have and it will take a long time for them to build their faith in technology as an effective teaching-assistance tool. While platforms for collaboration, online voting, attendance, etc have still found acceptance with schools and universities post the pandemic, the core EdTech programmes that deliver learning and assessment experiences to students are still not readily accepted by traditional teaching organisations.
HOW ACCEPTING ARE PARENTS OF THIS NEW WAY OF LEARNING?
Parents’ response is always a mixed bag. Those who spend time exploring various platforms are able to discern the value that technology brings to the table, and would even support us with constructive feedback. On the other hand, there are others who feel that EdTech will encroach upon traditional ‘study time’, which is why counselling and orientation of parents is a must. I find it very effective to invite parents to use our platform and maybe play a math game or two, and that mostly brings them onboard. The most common response I hear from parents is, ‘I wish these tools were available to me when I was in school!’
ARE EDUCATORS AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR JOBS TO TECHNOLOGY? HOW CAN THEY ADAPT TO THE CHANGE?
This question is always at the top of everyone’s mind when talking about EdTech. I don’t see this happening in the foreseeable future and beyond, because humans are wired to connect with other humans. Regardless of how much we enable our lives with technology, we will always come back to fellow humans for mentoring and inspiration, and for tethering our lives to the real world. What EdTech will do, however, is take away the mundane, repetitive and automatable tasks, thus freeing up the teachers to do their job better. This includes saving a teacher’s time in setting and checking assignments, creating personalised learning pathways, increasing classroom engagement and more. Educators need to start accepting the fact that remaining forever busy will lead to burnout, and technology can help prevent that.
NOW, ON TO YOUR STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE. YOU HAVE STUDIED AND WORKED IN THE UNITED STATES. HOW DID THE EXPERIENCE IMPACT YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL?
I went to Texas A&M University in 2007 to pursue my master’s in management information systems. It was an enriching experience to start living on my own and finding my way around a new country. It was exciting, as it was daunting, to have my own back, but it taught valuable life lessons – the first being to learn how to manage one’s sustenance. In India, most households don’t focus on giving life skills to children, such as cooking, cleaning up after themselves, managing finances, conflict resolution, etc – all of which I learned during my stint abroad. As a professional, studying and working abroad taught me the value of commitment to a shared vision and how you can use your uniqueness to your advantage. My university and workplace were a melting pot of people from all across, and thus collaboration was another key skill I learned there.
WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MOST STRIKING DIFFERENCES IN YOUR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION EXPERIENCE COMPARED WITH YOUR SCHOOL AND COLLEGE EDUCATION BACK HOME?
The biggest difference I experienced while studying abroad was the agency I experienced to choose my own subjects and tailor my learning experience to suit my skills and desires. Suddenly, I had a lot of say in what I wanted to get out of my education, rather than simply following a set curriculum. India’s National Education Policy 2020 has a similar vision to provide more flexibility to students in what they learn, but it is still to translate into action.
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO RETURN TO INDIA?
I had one personal and one professional reason to move back – the first being that I wanted to be close to my parents. Having an older sibling living abroad and well settled already, I felt it was important for me to choose to settle near my parents. The second reason was that professionally, I wanted to be involved in work where I could see the large-scale impact of my contribution. While working abroad gave me the comfort of a good salary, I saw myself yearning for more meaning in the work that I did, and there is no better place to start working towards societal impact than your own country, and thus the decision to move to the education sector in India.
THE NUMBER OF INDIANS ENROLLING IN OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES IS ON A STEADY RISE. WHAT IN YOUR VIEW ARE THE RIGHT REASONS FOR AN INDIAN STUDENT TO CONSIDER STUDYING ABROAD, ASIDE FROM HAVING AN INTERNATIONAL DEGREE ON THEIR CV?
Simply wanting to have an international degree on the CV is actually a very wrong reason. It can lead you to a lifetime of student-loan debt, if not planned properly. In fact, aiming to be at a certain university or in a certain country is not the right reason for me. The right path to deciding on your higher education would be to examine what you see yourself doing after the next few years and then work backwards from there to see what courses/universities fit the bill. Gaining some relevant work experience before that would be an added advantage, as it could help you get a scholarship or fee waiver.
DO YOU BELIEVE HAVING AN OVERSEAS DEGREE ENHANCED YOUR CAREER PROSPECTS IN INDIA AND HOW THE CORPORATE WORLD AND YOUR PEERS PERCEIVED YOU AS A PROFESSIONAL?
In my case, since I moved to India and changed my industry as well, I settled for a significant pay cut. Money was not my motivation, yet it was not an easy decision to make. It took me many years to learn about the industry and to build my credibility, but it was worth it.
YOU’VE AUTHORED TWO CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND MORE ARE FORTHCOMING. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO TURN INTO AN AUTHOR AND HOW DO YOU TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE?
After becoming a parent, I suddenly felt a gush of emotions and a need to vent them. Writing became my solace. I enjoyed writing parenting blogs, short stories and rhymes, and suddenly it occurred to me to try and publish those. Some ideas came to me at odd hours, so I would put my son to bed and then jot them down late at night. When you’re truly passionate about something, even if it is for a little while, you make time for it, and that’s what I did. It helped me cope with the challenges of being a new parent and gave me joy as well!
If you are considering studying abroad why don’t you discuss your prospects and opportunities with experts at Lurnable’s dedicated study abroad counselling division LurnPathways?
