Big data

Data in the education sector has to be effectively used eliminating bad and wrong data

The traditional method of teaching has continued for decades. In some parts of the world, it still exists. The advent of the Internet has transformed how students learn and presented new trends for the future of education. Moreover, it has also accelerated the growth of data. Big data provides numerous benefits for the education sector involving the use of cutting-edge devices and gadgets.

However, the growth of data in the education sector has posed one serious question of how teachers, schools, education institutes will make use of this data? Data analytics provides new opportunities to enhance the education process by aiding teachers and students to make smarter decisions.

Earlier to know what’s happening around the world, newspapers were the source of information. Libraries were stocked up with diverse books and encyclopedias that gave knowledge and information to students apart from their education curriculum. But today, we have smartphones with push notifications that update you about the latest trends and news in a second. No more going to librairies, thanks to the Internet and search engines like Google that provide information with just one click.

All this has helped students learn smartly. Moreover, it has helped teachers also to shift their focus from monotonous tasks to giving personal attention to each student and monitor their performance.

Teachers face this huge challenge of changing their teaching style as per different students, each of whom learns at their own pace. Big data helps in providing adaptive tools that are intelligent to adjust the pace of education as per each student’s abilities, interests and enthusiasm.

While it is helping teachers, it can also help in providing personalized learning to students. Data and data analytics can evaluate each student’s strength and weakness that enables teachers to design education material for each student within the same course. The idea is to accelerate student’s interest in the subject as well as help teachers understand when and to whom particular content should be taught.

With real-time data, teachers can accelerate the process of data accumulation, easily adapt to a particular pedagogical approach and devise content as per the individual needs of our students. Who knows, we can even predict graduation results to help teachers understand which student is lacking in which area and how can they cope up with other students.

The growth of data and information has helped in making society smarter. Smartphones and social media apps have transformed the world. Such apps in some way are helping us to restore our human connections with the world. Not to forget, almost every day there is an introduction of new technology that surpasses the existing ones.

Using humongous data to make business decisions is important, even in the education sector. Now is the time to exploit cutting-edge technologies to drive economic and social change.

Not to forget, the growth of data is also causing duplication of data and misinformation. Having standard practices is essential to avoid getting hands on misinformation and wrong data. Similarly, it is crucial for the education sector to filter data, classify and use it for its advantage.

Moreover, the access of data to students is critical. It’s quite challenging to limit the access of data for students as information is already around them. The majority of the students already own a smartphone and have their presence on every social media. Education institutes should consider what kind of information students should have access to and what they learn from it.

Ultimately, we have to use data that helps in making students future-ready and not where students get drowned in the ocean of misinformation and bad data.