Today elearning has become more focused on developing courses for various languages. Earlier when Edtech(educational technology)came into the picture, the focus was more on teaching coding to those aged between 7-12. Now, educational technology is faced with a new challenge, how to provide learning to Indians who speak 22 languages.
This is the basic challenge before elearning websites, is how to cater to this huge population.
Elearning companies are trying to find a solution to this problem:
- Lectures in local languages: For the benefit of those children who want to use the internet in Hindi or any other regional language, it’s better to have lectures or elearning videos recorded in local languages.
- Online classrooms: These are also a way for children to learn subjects in any regional language. Virtual classrooms are the same as any other classroom except that the teacher and student are connected via a teleconferencing tool.
- Modules which are translated: Modules can also be translated for children so that they can understand the content in their language.
- Tools of translation used in elearning modules: Some elearning tools have options for users to see the subtitles in their languages. If parents are helping children to study at home, then such translated subtitles can also be of use to them in understanding the video and explaining it to kids./li>
- Elearning courses can include regional language games: These games are quite useful for children in times of the pandemic when they are missing hanging out with friends. When they play such games, they enjoy work spirit. But for developing these games in elearning courses, an elearning company needs regional languages specialists.
- Interaction with parents: It is also important to see that there is interaction with parents in the native language who don’t speak English very coherently. This will make sure that the onus is on the parents that the kid takes online learning seriously.
This way courses can be developed for kids in regional languages. The elearning courses providers in India are getting ample support from the government to develop content in the regional languages
The National Education Policy 2020 wants to convert the village-based education system into a digital model. This will become possible with the Digital India framework which plans to provide internet access universally
The scope for education in regional languages has also increased because the National Education Policy 2020 says that the kids till class 5th should be imparted education in regional language. Hence, this indicates new challenges for elearning course providers.