Dr Abhay Bansal, Head, Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Amity School of Engineering & Technology, Amity University
Technology adoption in the education sector is on the rise. The deployment of information and communication technology (ICT) across schools and colleges is moving beyond traditional set-ups to a broader system for disseminating information and interacting with students, faculty and staff members. The cloud is emerging as a key technology solution that promises to change the way students learn. IT heads of key educational institutions talk about the emerging ICT trends in the sector, the level of technology adoption and key challenges…
How have the technology requirements of the education sector changed over time?
The education and training segments in India have witnessed some key advancements in recent times. The country is attaining eminence in terms of cerebral assets with numerous global IT and telecom companies setting up their innovation centres here. The government and several private universities have undertaken initiatives to enhance the distance education market, besides focusing on new education techniques such as e-learning and m-learning.
What is the telecom and IT blueprint of your organisation? What are the ongoing and future initiatives?
At Amity University, we aim to enable everyone who is a part of the Amity universe to access the complete range of teaching and learning resources through computing and telecommunication technologies. We have smart classrooms and development facilities such as advanced research centres and computer laboratories for students, faculty and staff. We continuously strengthen our prevailing information systems through cloud computing and online sharing of resources. The Amity Learning Management System is fully functional to support teaching and learning initiatives for a better interface and flow of learning materials to students.
What are your views and plans on the deployment of new technologies such as the cloud, internet of things (IoT) and big data analytics in the education sector?
At Amity, we are utilising a mix of cloud-based, mobile and desktop apps. To meet the upcoming technology needs, we are planning to enable different learning styles that oscillate between personal and group learning via idea generation and faculty training. Outdated physical learning spaces will be changed to accommodate the essentials of technology and learning inclinations like video-enabled classrooms to benefit participants in remote locations.
What are the challenges faced while managing the existing IT/telecom infrastructure and deploying new technologies?
Technology progresses swiftly and the decision to implement/incorporate new technology is the real challenge. It needs to be decided which of the new technologies will work in the best interest of the organisation. At Amity, we are in the process of shifting to advanced technologies like cloud computing, on-demand services, IoT, virtualisation and software-as-a-service for setting up and managing the overall IT infrastructure.
What are the key technology trends that will shape the education sector going forward?
Technology, and the role it is projected to play, is high on the agenda of educationalists. The sector is also experiencing speedy transformation, owing to the influence of new technologies. Advanced technologies will remain popular as learning tools for students and educationalists, as these facilitate remote learning and play a significant role in bridging education inequalities.
“Advanced technologies will remain popular as learning tools, as these facilitate remote learning and play a significant role in bridging education inequalities.”
