According to UNICEF data, COVID-19 lockdowns have forced the closure of schools for more than 168 million children around the world for nearly a year. Furthermore, one in every seven youngsters (214 million) has missed more than three-quarters of their in-person learning. There's more to remote and hybrid learning than just digital classrooms. Many educators had no choice but to shift current sessions online when the pandemic hit early this year. However, back to school has moderately halted the increasing demand for digital education to some extent.

Over the course of 2020, the global education system will have witnessed more disruption and rapid change than it has in the previous few decades. With schools closing and reopening, universities focusing more on digital, and professionals needing to adapt and reskill, demand for online learning is expected to rise rather than fall. Although Covid-19 compelled institutions to adopt a digital strategy, they are now seeing the benefits of a digital education system. Innovative technologies are increasingly being used in a variety of educational settings. Almost every institution has adapted to digital teaching approaches. However, they are still dubious about the learning consequences. Parents are hesitant to send their children to the institution now that the Covid outbreak appears to be under control and schools and colleges are gradually beginning classroom coaching. This has compelled educational institutions to consider a digital transition.

Because of the pandemic, educational institutions have been obliged to embrace a hybrid approach of education, if not fully online. Incorporating student engagement approaches is the answer. Google Digital, for example, promotes digital awareness through a collaboration between Google and the Indian School of Business and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It also demands timely responses and actions during the learning process, in addition to the interactive films. It assists them in maintaining their concentration throughout the course. Digital learning technologies are rapidly gaining traction in educational settings, altering the traditional chalk-and-blackboard learning approach now in use in schools. True, this tendency is more obvious in cities and metros, but schools in rural regions are also increasingly embracing digital resources such as cellphones and videos to enhance the learning experience. In addition, due to rapid technological improvements, teachers will be expected to understand continually emerging technologies and digital learning tools. Education technologists and Edutech businesses, in conjunction with key stakeholders such as the government, are anticipated to lead the world’s shift to online education and help reap the benefits of changing the educational landscape to make it more effective and inclusive.

Current developments in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia show that, despite continuing technological challenges, online education is gaining popularity in these places, not because it is a better form of learning, but because it is seen as a reasonable, cost-effective way to expand educational options. Countries like India are increasingly embracing online education as their populations grow and the demand for education rises. Participation in online education is still limited in many developing nations due to technological infrastructural hurdles, sometimes known as the digital divide. In recent years, however, the growing adoption of smartphones has made digital learning a far more practical possibility. Mobile broadband technology is rapidly infiltrating even the most isolated rural areas, giving residents Internet access.