Globalization and technology have brought many changes around the world. Pakistan is also among those countries, who have adopted technology for advancing in different fields of life. One such field is digital education. In this article, we will talk about the situation and future of digital education is in Pakistan. 

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What is the Future of Online Education in Pakistan?technology education, tech education, online education

This concept revolves around innovation. Digital technology is used innovatively for learning and teaching purposes. This is what we call Digital Education. Another name for this pedagogy is Technology Enhanced Learning (abbreviated as ‘TEL’). The short form of this pedagogical strategy is ‘e-Learning’. Digital Education allows teachers to explore technology. It makes them use it to make their teaching style more engaging. They are able to design a dynamic curriculum, which is in total contrast to the traditional system. 

Types of Digital Educationcareer, career tips, career opportunities

Educational institutes utilize Digital Education in many different ways. There are two main types:

Blended Learning

This type of learning merges the traditional classroom with online or digital activities. One example of this type is the ‘flipped classroom’. In this teaching style, the online activity is completed by the learners before they come into the class. It allows them to discuss what they think or what they did.

Online Learning

In this type, the students have complete access to outlines, course content, and recorded material. Also, they have a chance to replay lectures. Moreover, students can access their teachers at any time through the internet. Another advantage is that they can study in a flexible way. 

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Advantages of Online Educationblended learning, blended education, online learning

Digital Education allows teachers to be creative with their teaching methodology. The educators can use completely online resources or blend them with traditional learning. Moreover, this type of pedagogy involves facilitation from the instructor and familiarity with technology itself. Therefore, the student can learn on the go through digital education. The teachers are available to respond throughout the day to the students through the internet. Also, the classroom is more interactive through the use of this pedagogical skill. Students already adore technology. As a result, they enjoy learning from a teacher who is also familiar and comfortable with using technology.

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The majority of schools and higher educational institutes have started adopting online education as a part of their learning process. This is partly due to globalization and modernization and partly due to the pandemic of COVID-19. Moreover, this disease has made people restrict themselves at home. But, the educational journey of the students cannot be left at a standstill. This is where the role of digital education comes in.

The students can continue pursuing their school, college, and university education through digital mediums. This pedagogy can make students self-motivated to learn. The students can re-watch the lecture as much as they like. This makes pedagogy a form of personalized learning. Digital education, being self-paced, has allowed students to be accountable for their work and time. 

With the arrival of COVID-19, schools, colleges and universities had no choice but to shift to online education. However, this switch was not at all smooth for the educational institutes of the country. Around 36% of schools slowly and gradually shifted to digital education by February 2021. These schools developed a proper learning platform for themselves.

The private schools were the fastest ones to ensure this switch to digital education. In this sense, the students of these schools have been the lucky ones to continue their educational journey despite the pandemic. Besides these schools, the remaining communities could not switch towards online education. This is due to the lack of internet access in rural areas. 

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The Future Perspectives for Digital Educationblended learning, hybrid learning, online learning

The majority of technology experts believe that digital education is here to stay for sure. The government will have to make the internet and technology more accessible for the rural areas. The education statistics report of 2016-2017 states that 86% percent of primary schools in rural areas have restricted access to the internet. This keeps the students in a disadvantaged position. This economic divide should be dissolved so that educational opportunities are given equally to all. 

To resolve the differences, the government introduced video classes from class 1 to 10 through television. Thus, teachers delivered these lectures. The videos on-aired at designated time slots. However, this is not enough. The future requires more support, training, and access to the teachers as well.

They need to shift their traditional teaching skills to technology education, which is not easy. 98 percent of teachers agree that digital education is here to stay. Therefore, they want the authorities to ensure the provision of digital tools to the whole country.

Also, the educational policy of Pakistan needs upgrading too. It needs to talk about digital education and its postulates. Such steps are the only way through which we can make Pakistan digitally educated.