Teaching and learning processes are layered within social, cultural, and technological constructs with each of these directly or indirectly influencing stakeholders and vice versa. Changes in any of these domains alters the educational experience for students as well as educators. Especially in this period, where technological proliferation has influenced aspects of education, it is prudent to verify its utility for educators. Digital literacy and competence are being talked about in pedagogical literature; however, it needs to be verified in terms of its efficiency when educators of different ages and gender employ it for teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. The book chapter also focuses on how technological access and digital literacy, along with the aforementioned demographic factors influence session preparation time, resulting in student engagement for teachers working in India, which has large enrollment numbers when it comes to undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
TopIntroduction
Teaching and learning processes are dependent on social, cultural, and technological constructs with correlative impact from all stakeholders based on the volatility in these domains. Constant flux in the environment, adds layers of complexity to the teaching and learning process primarily due to its impact on the two main stakeholders, i.e. the students and the educators. Changes in one domain, either social, cultural, or technological can have a rippled effect on how synchronous and asynchronous teaching is delivered and accepted, which makes it critical to examine these forces within this context. Although technology in education works towards improving the quality of education through betterment in efficiency and optimal output (Stosic, 2015), it may only be successful in this intention, if the educator is skilled in employing technology effectively or with ingenuity. This dimension takes significance when teaching has to answer the call for a large, heterogeneous group of students, especially in a country like India.
The integration of technology and education is prompted by the need to bring about large-scale and inclusive education as laid out in the 4th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-4). Within the Indian context, this takes on more importance when factors of geographic and population expansion are factored into teaching. Relying on technology through sustained induction of ICT in education, to fulfill the sustainability goal mentioned above, not only assists inclusivity but also fosters equitable education for all (Asian Development Bank, 2000; UNESCO, 2016; World Education Forum-UNESCO, 2015; World Bank, 2016). However, the notion of integrating technology into education may not be bereft of its challenges. The implementation may be a function of many factors such as student-to-computer ratio (Banerjee, Cole, Duflo, & Linden, 2017; Barrow, Markman, & Rouse, 2009; Campuzano, Dynarski, Agodini, & Rall, 2009; Carrillo, Onofa, & Ponce, 2011; Morgan & Ritter, 2002; Suhr, Hernandez, Grimes, & Warschauer, 2010), change in pedagogy (Barrera-Osorio & Linden, 2009; Barrow, Markman, & Rouse, 2009; Borman, Benson, & Overman, 2009; Rockoff, 2015; Rouse & Krueger, 2004)or modifications in classroom practices (Banerjee, Cole, Duflo, & Linden, 2017; Linden, 2008; Lai, et al., 2013; Mo, et al., 2014).
Despite the challenges, technological know-how still permeates educational interventions primarily due to its innate benefits and partly accelerated by the onset of the pandemic. Thirdly, the proliferation of mobile-based technology has also made it easier for both students and teachers to access education via digital modes. This phenomenon is pronounced in the Indian context due to the ease of access to high-speed internet and the availability of cheaper handsets. However, these driving forces being at the center of the conversation may overlook two crucial aspects that are explored in this chapter. Firstly, the impact of technology on the students and secondly the comfort of educators in using technology. India, with its substantial enrolments in higher education, poses a challenge for educators as their adeptness in employing technology will depend on how successful the teaching and learning interaction has been. To investigate this a structured approach has been adopted in this chapter firstly focusing on the magnitude of enrolments in the Indian Higher Education sector followed by an analysis of how technology conditions teaching and learning. This is then followed with a computation on Indian educators and their use of technology for teaching.