Online School Summit: Experts discuss boon, limits of digital edu

New Delhi: To explore the growing impact of technology on modern education, The Times of India organised the Right to Excellence Online School Summit on Wednesday. The event brought together educators, policymakers and thought leaders to explore the future of digital learning. The summit featured insightful discussions on critical topics, such as strengthening digital infrastructure, enhancing the online schooling experience, and understanding parental perspectives in this evolving educational landscape. Key speakers at the event, sponsored by online schooling platform 21K School , included Pankaj Arora, chairperson, NIOS & chairman, NCTE, Yeshwanth Raj Parasmal, founder and CEO, 21K School, cybersecurity expert Rakshit Tandon, philanthropist and author Ronnie Screwvala, Anirudh Kumar, additional director, Education and Research Network, ministry of electronics & IT, actor Tisca Chopra, and content creators Abhiraj Rajadhyaksha and Niyati Mavinkur. "I see online education as a platform which allows people to be more democratic in their approach while discussing their ideas. However, I have also seen the challenges that come with this shift," said Arora. Sharing his thoughts on online education, Screwvala said, "Online is not here to replace the traditional mode of education. I think you are giving choice." While Tandon spoke about how AI could play an important role as AI proctoring could be done to analyse and assess the behaviour of the child, Kumar highlighted the flexibility online education offered. Speaking about the evolving role of technology, Parasmal said, "AI and ChatGPT provide free knowledge, but they can't help us implement it. The real challenge is empowering learners with critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and collaboration across cultures and locations. This shift will require significant change." Talking about the impact of digital content on education, Mavinkur said, "A lot of people view online education from the restricted prism of how it can help you with your soft skills. But there's also a whole section of knowledge out there to teach you real-world skills." Chopra spoke about the time during Covid. "Initially, there were reservations about online schooling. But we saw that she (my daughter) didn't waste time travelling and there was a lot of actual learning that happened."