TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND CHALLENGES FOR SOUTH ASIAN STUDENTS IN DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Abstract: Certainly, the entire global education system has been drastically transformed in the last two decades. Nevertheless, post-pandemic Digital Technology is also setting new challenges for educators, academicians, policymakers and students. During the pandemic, online mode was the only available option for running the global education system and for commencing uninterrupted teaching-learning. The pandemic caused the worst hit on the global economy but the marginalized and disadvantaged groups had been suffering the most. Post-pandemic education technology is also extended vastly in every area of higher education systems without even understanding the repercussions and challenges. Various other changes are observed in the education sector such as NEP, International exchange programs, Students’ Mobility Tracking, Resource Generation, Accreditation, Global Ranking System and Corporate academia linkage etc. Digital technology especially Artificial Intelligence (AI) is prepared to reshape the future of higher education. Various educational portals are developed for information sharing, credit transfer and interaction as a part of e-governance initiatives. Post-pandemic student mobility is showing positive trends in many nations. To limit the students’ mobility developed countries use live tracking tools to trace the mobility trends in various courses and institutions. In addition, many universities are introducing digital learning platforms and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for students and teachers. The pandemic was a lesson for many middle-class parents who had been borrowing educational loans from banks to send their children abroad for education. Moreover, affording advanced digital technology to offer a modest education for all is another bit challenge for many parents. Dropouts and suicides are also reported in notable and productive institutes due to undue pressure on students. This article presents an overview of the Global education system, technology adoption in HEIs, mobility issues, and challenges for South Asian students studying in digital learning environments.