Virtual Lifelong Learning: Educating Society with Modern Communication Technologies

Teaching is becoming one of the most challenging professions in society as the world is changing at an exponential speed, especially during the pandemic. In the current economic scenario characterised by changes in industry advancements in the fields of artificial intelligence, intelligent robots, the Internet of Things, augmented reality, virtual reality, autonomous driving vehicles, big data and neuro-technological brain enhancements, traditional classroom coaching cannot always meet the requirements of lifelong learning. Learning has been shifted in higher education institutions (HEI) and working professionals like corporate trainers, professors and consultants need to integrate eco-friendly education. They must understand how they can correlate and put their knowledge in varied contexts according to the requirements of the industry. Traditional, blended, and virtual e-learning using modern communication technologies has an influence on the teaching-learning process in the new era which offers tremendous opportunities and reduces the cost of living. The future generation is expected to be highly trained in emerging communication technologies by learning how to use these technologies in a pedagogical context and need to appreciate the values associated with remote educational strategies. The fundamental challenge encountered by teachers is to understand the concepts of Education 4.0 and educational institutes must adapt to the demands and challenges of Industry 4.0. There is a necessity for rethinking teaching and redesigning learning to be relevant to post-pandemic learning needs and practices. 

The Staff development, designing and training, learning and development (L&D) are very essential in the domain of Higher Education (HE) in India. The changing of the present day, too, have added a multitude of issues to the Higher Education Institutions (HEI). At a point in time, the Academic Staff Colleges (ASC) made the efforts to train the teachers joining the HEI, through orientation programs and engage the in-service teachers through refresher courses, which made all efforts to build the capabilities of the teaching community. The explosion in HE with the coming in of Private Universities, deemed to be Universities, Autonomous Institutions, and increase in Central Universities, ensured that the L&D for HE teachers became essential. The ASCs were established by the University Grants Commission (UGC) in 1987 and did yeomen service to the Nation and the HE teaching community after they came into existence following the recommendations of the then New Education Policy of 1986 till 2015, when they were rechristened as UGC-Human Resources Development Centers (UGC-HRDC) and continued to cater to the needs of the faculty and the administrators of HEI across the country. By 2020, the UGC-HRDCs started to roll out the Faculty Induction Programmes (FIP) in ten structural modules to help the faculty members to the newer nuances of the fast-changing dynamics of HE. The present study is a real-time assessment of the way UGC-HRDCs have taken to virtual training and adopted to the Hybrid-mode of learning for the benefit of the teaching communities and administrators. 2023 has been a watershed year for Higher Education, Teacher capacity building, with the UGC-HRDC being rechristened as UGC-MMTTC, with an intent to usher in synergy and integration between programs as envisaged by the Ministry of Education, Government of India.

India's educational system is poised at a fascinating turning moment, in preparation for the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The NEP 2020's underlying vision is to prepare a highly educated and literate generation to appropriately assume social, economic, and political duties. The Indian Government has proclaimed that the NEP 2020 is a tool to fight poverty and satisfy the demands of the 21st century. NEP-2020 is a comprehensive framework emphasizing education from the primary level to higher education in the nation and will replace the National Policy on Education 1986. Though the Government sought inputs and suggestions from citizens, educationists, and other stakeholders on a draft of NEP, some of the stakeholders have levelled several criticisms against NEP 2020 and shown reluctance in its implementation. The present investigation aimed at assessing NEP 2020 based on the attitudes of educationists towards it and seeking valuable suggestions from them for the successful implementation of the new NEP to accomplish its objectives in a very efficient and effective way. Fishbein’s multi-attribute model is used in this research to measure the attitudes of educationists in India in quantitative terms. Statistical analysis is performed on the average attitude score to judge the degree of favourableness of attitudes. Seven features that an education policy must possess are derived from the review of the inputs and suggestions given by various experts to the committee constituted by the then Ministry of Human Resource Development in June 2017 and used as attributes to apply Fishbein’s model.

This chapter addresses the need for skill development with a specific focus on the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). The attempt is made to streamline the core of NSQF itself for improved understanding of the concept by simplifying the application of the NSQF in organizing the educational learning outcomes in a series of levels that can be mapped with competencies for the agility of the learner in both education system and employment sector. The core objective, the significance of the NSQF in the education system, its functionality, and international experience with qualification frameworks are the main topics discussed in this chapter. 

The development of new courses, the preparedness of instructors, and the Covid 19 pandemic have each contributed to the emergence of difficulties at universities. This research examines the possibility for Open Journal Systems (OJS), which was hitherto merely a manager of periodic electronic scientific publications, to become a new learning platform for thesis proposal development courses (TPD) during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is based on two factors: (1) the features of the OJS editorial review process that are used in the consultation process between supervisors and students; and (2) the recording function of OJS that will store assistance data along with the results of the review that are organized in a review article session that is divided into multiple sections in OJS. Students are required to be able to generate a thesis proposal and comprehend the scientific publication process, which is a requirement for graduating from their program of study.

Interaction between people has become a lot simpler in modern times because of the ever- widening interface between humans and technology, which itself is an outcome of the “Digital Revolution”. In the contemporary scenario, access to digital information has become a basic requirement for navigating through everyday life, whether in education, security, business, or other sectors. However, even with such a broad reach, there are certain sections of the society that remain untouched by the advances in technology.

 The COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent closure of educational institutions around the world left us all stranded in our homes forcing us to rely solely on a virtual environment for education, information access, and even for everyday interactions (Barrot et al., 2021). In this context, the already persistent issue of “digital gender bias and discrimination” re-emerged and got magnified, especially in poor and underdeveloped regions. Numerous studies and reports have highlighted how women were not treated equally and were not fully included in this new revolution, which allowed inequalities to linger on, and in some circumstances, even worsen.

This chapter presents a study that explores how virtual learning environments and education can enhance female entrepreneurship, leadership, and empowerment in today's world. The advent of digitalization, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, has had a significant impact on how information can be accessed, processed, and transformed into knowledge-transforming these variables into critical components of economic creation and political power. In a rapidly digitizing world, it is crucial to develop multiple educational streams for varied talents, but it is even more important to ensure that women emerge as significant stakeholders in this new digital setup. Keeping this in mind, the chapter outlines the challenges that women have experienced and continue to confront in the digital world, as well as the recommendations for making the e-environment more egalitarian and progressive.

 Virtual technology has revolutionized the global universe into a new dimensional structure, as well as the age-old impediments of time and distance have almost vanished. Nowadays, technology plays a significant role in education as a powerful tool for accelerating the modernization of education, particularly for differently-abled students. Technology offers many new ways to reduce accessibility barriers and provide opportunities for differently-abled people to exchange information and knowledge for effective virtual learning. ICT tools and applications are paving the way for differently-abled people to access and participate in educational materials and resources in various formats. For this, there are various kinds of tools available according to the type of disability because disability can be in any form like dyslexia, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dysgraphia, physical disability, etc. But still, challenges are faced by disabled students during virtual learning. So, the present study proposed to study the benefits and challenges of virtual learning for disabled students. Further, the study also investigates the different tools available for different-abled students. The research is conceptual in nature and uses secondary sources for data collection which include journals, reports, newspapers, websites, books, and thesis. Current research has academic as well as practical implications as it is an addition to existing literature and helps different stakeholders like teachers, differently-abled students, and parents to participate more effectively in the virtual learning environment for disabled students.

The sudden outbreak of Coronavirus has impacted almost everyone. The education sector has seen a major transformation. The pandemic introduced the world to the concept of Virtual Education. As per the survey conducted by UNESCO, in 2020 around 1.07 billion students were affected due to this corona outbreak which affected approx. 61% of the student population globally. From traditional brick-and-mortar schools, students started shifting to this new mode of learning. Video conferencing, social media, etc. became new venues for the creation of knowledge. Not only students but even skilled professionals started this online platform to upgrade themselves. The pandemic has completely replaced traditional teaching pedagogies with trends like participative learning, experiential learning, and problem-solving methodology. This blend of device-based and verbal learning will help in developing the cognitive ability of the students to a remarkable level. Forbes estimates that the size of the global elearning market would rise from $165.36 billion in 2014 to $325 billion in 2025. To keep ourselves abreast with this world of online education, a few trends need to be highlighted. Trends like Artificial Intelligence, Microlearning, Gamification, Blockchain, Mixed reality, and Personalized Learning will influence how students learn now and, in the future. Also, it raises the completion rates of courses, streamlines the process of learning, improves productivity, and boosts the satisfaction of the user. This chapter will be focusing on these trends and how these trends are impacting the entire community of online learners with reference to real-life examples. By making use of these innovative trends’ user experience can be enriched and immersive environments can be created. 

As a decentralised platform, blockchain may be used by educational organisations to exchange details about online courses and programmes, as well as by students to rate what is offered online. This will aid in the discovery of accredited programmes that will help other students enhance their education. The management of academic records as well as how students and teachers collaborate have the potential to be significantly changed by blockchain. Blockchain's distributed ledger technology can significantly improve the transparency and accountability of the education sector. Numerous aspects of education could be impacted by blockchain, including keeping student information, awarding certifications and diplomas, storing papers, and developing curriculum and courses. Smart contracts can be used to create exam papers, and blockchain-enabled technology can be applied to evaluation as well. In the Gartner study, approximately 50% of respondents from the higher education sector expressed a lack of interest in using blockchain. This opposition may be mostly attributed to the challenges of technological integration, such as worries about security, scalability, adoption rate, and cost. In this chapter, the function of blockchain in the educational space is examined, along with all of its applications and difficulties.

Blockchain is a groundbreaking innovation and has been incorporated into education lately. Blockchain has acquired significant consideration from analysts and specialists. This is primarily because of its exceptional elements including decentralization, security, unwavering quality, and data preservation. Despite this growing interest, some significant information was available regarding the use of blockchain innovation in education as well as a growing awareness of the current status of information. It revolves around three principal topics: The potential of blockchain innovation to deliver constructive changes to education, as well as the challenges it poses, has been demonstrated with several informative learning applications. It additionally offers an understanding of other instructive regions that could profit from blockchain innovation.

Blockchain is the innovation that can prompt critical changes in our learning climate and will incredibly affect the years to follow. Blockchain technology is designed to provide a decentralized and secure way to record and verify transactions or data across a network of computers. Its key features include Decentralization, Immutability, Transparency, Security, and Trustworthiness. Thus, this review endeavors to examine and investigate favorable as well as challenging factors used in Blockchain Technology for current or future utilization. Accordingly, countless distributed examinations were thoroughly investigated and dissected depending on their commitments to the Blockchain's assemblage of information. 

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, 4IR, or Industry 4.0, conceptualizes rapid changes in technology, industries, and social patterns and processes in the 21st century due to increasing interconnectedness and smart automation. This phase of industrial change is a fusion of technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, virtual reality, and advanced robotics that are blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological worlds. In the future, the most in-demand skills will not only be related to technology but there will be a huge demand for creativity, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills. Traditional formal education systems can no longer respond to the most important expectations of smart cities and related societies. Students can no longer be prepared for the future with linear knowledge-based education, much less to compete with robots. Virtual reality has been around for over half a century. We further present and compare a large number of recent virtual reality technologies and discuss their potential to overcome several challenges identified in our analyses, including cost, user experience, and interactivity. If we implement virtualization in classroom activities, then it enhances the learning ability of students. The human brain, as we now know, retains information more effectively when it sees, hears, and visualizes it in its entirety as opposed to just reading it. So, by implementing V.R. in the education sector, we will try to provide visualized practical learning simultaneously with theoretical knowledge. Students are more engaged in their studies when they visualize the academic material, and this will benefit society by producing valuable human resources. 

This chapter addresses how information and communication technologies (ICT) can be used in industrial engineering and manufacturing, as well as how Web and Agent Technologies can be used to maintain and monitor the status of mechanical and electrical systems. Condition monitoring in the manufacturing sector demands great competence and full potential. This prompted the adoption of distributed and artificial intelligence technologies for condition monitoring in the industrial sector. ICT integration with the mechanical industry has been more efficient as decision support tools subsequently. This chapter outlines the integration, maintenance, diagnostic, and prognosis uses of ICT technologies in manufacturing and other industries. 

Digital health-based medical technology (m-health) uses mobile phones and other patient monitoring equipment to keep tabs on a patient's health. It is largely acknowledged as an important modern-era technological accomplishment. Traditionally, big data analytics and intelligent machines have been used in m-health to provide far more productive medical coverage. Current therapeutic research utilises a variety of data types, including electronic health records (EHRs), diagnostic images, and professional language that appear to be disparate, unclear, and disorganised. In addition, it makes a substantial contribution to the emergence of a large number of unstructured and jumbled data sources as a result of mobile platforms and healthcare infrastructure. The use of machine intelligence and big data analytics to enhance the mhealth infrastructure is thoroughly examined in this chapter. Additionally, various machine learning big data approaches and platforms are studied to the data source, methodology used, and application area. The overall findings of this study will undoubtedly affect the creation of techniques for processing m-health data more easily utilising a resource that incorporates big data and AI.

Online education is becoming increasingly necessary and in high demand as a result of the current circumstances and the enormous expansion in internet users. Various studies have been done in this area to enhance the positive benefits of offering educational courses online. One of the most crucial concerns for learning contexts like schools and universities, especially during current epidemic period, is the prediction and analysis of students' performance since it aids in the development of practical mechanisms that enhance academic achievement and prevent dropout. Most educational institutions now place a high priority on forecasting and analysing student performance. That is necessary to assist at-risk students, ensure their retention, provide top-notch learning tools and opportunities, and enhance the university's ranking and reputation. This project aims to collect information related to online education and use Machine Learning to predict students’ performance.