Guru vs. Google - New Challenges and Learning Trends

Abstract

Educators and employers in most countries are getting uneasy on many fronts because of hurdles created by old textbook-based curricula and traditional mode of face-to-face (F2F) teaching which dominated education for the last two centuries. In this new century of the World Wide Web (WWW), increased global connectivity, availability of 4G/5G networks and exponential growth in the use of portable and smart devices is forcing countries around the world to upgrade their educational system for online learning. In USA, Europe, Australia and several other countries in Asia, educational institutions are rapidly integrating online learning into their academic programs and curricula. The speed of innovations leading to a synergistic blending of a variety of internet-based search engines, social media and rich digital content made available by MOOCs, edX, Khan Academy and other portals is quite overwhelming. It is becoming increasingly clear that this new combination is also changing the role of the Guru in educational processes. In India and elsewhere in Asia-Pacific region online learning is increasingly becoming a key factor for the growth of digital economy and sustainable development. New academic programs and curricula based on an increased emphasis on eLearning or digital learning will help new generation to successfully compete in digital economies and enhance strategic sustainable development not only in India but also elsewhere in the world. This paper also sheds some light on the importance of SMAC (Social, Mobile. Analytics and Cloud) in education, especially in higher education and how to use it for skill development (SD), a sector of human resource development neglected since the independence of India in 1947.