How AI & personalised learning shaped education

From the shift away from traditional teaching methods to a more inclusive and personalised approach, to impactful reforms under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2024, entry of more foreign universities, strengthened collaborations between academia and industry and the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), 2024 has been a landmark year for the Indian education system. As the year comes to a close, let’s reflect on the key takeaways of the education sector in 2024.

Impact of NEP 2020

Union minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan mentioned in October how the National Education Policy 2020 is going to have a global impact. “States like Chhattisgarh emphasised regional inclusivity by integrating local dialects, while institutions like JNU introduced programmes in Indic studies,” said Shantanu Prakash, founder of The Millennium Schools. According to Radhika Shrivastava, executive director, Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB), NEP 2020 emphasised holistic, multidisciplinary learning with a focus on soft skills, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. “The NEP 2020 continued to influence educational reforms across India. Several reforms were brought out by the education regulators that included the introduction of apprenticeship embedded degree programmes, micro-credentials linked skill programmes, introduction of mandatory internships, introduction of the four year under-graduate degrees, introduction of two admission cycles in a year in universities etc. There was also a push to introduce skill development for school going students which can be a game changer for the country,” said Shantanu Rooj, Founder and CEO, TeamLease Edtech.

Rise of personalised learning

In 2024, the adoption of personalised learning models demonstrated their effectiveness in addressing individual needs and goals. Dr Prabhu Aggarwal, Dean, BSM Hyderabad informed how education has transformed into a personalised, inclusive, and project-based experience. “Integrating technology, immersive learning, and experiential education has become crucial, revolutionising the higher education landscape,” he said. “This year, schools and educators embraced data-driven approaches to personalise educational experiences, optimise resource allocation, and drive student engagement. The sector has taken strides toward inclusivity and enhanced learning outcomes by aligning policy vision with actionable insights,” said Jasmeet Singh Chhabra, Co- Founder, Crimson Schools.

Future is AI

This year, AI has been a major focus in education. The AI market grew to over 184 billion US dollars in 2024, up by nearly 50 billion from 2023. IBM predicted that 2024 will be a key year for AI as researchers and businesses explored practical ways to use this technology in everyday life. “Education witnessed big strides in 2024, such as AI tools in classrooms, personalisation of learning, and embracing hybrid learning methods around the world. We realised that flexible courses are needed in terms of new technologies to be prepared for future jobs,” said Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal, Chancellor, Lovely Professional University. Technology also played a transformative role, with AI-driven tools creating more personalised and accessible education for all, said Shrivastava of FIIB.

Growth of Indian Edtech market

Despite a slowdown in 2023, edtech remains India’s most funded startup sector. Between January and June 2024, Indian edtech companies secured $164 million in funding, nearly doubling the $81.9 million raised during the same period in 2023, according to the market intelligence platform Tracxn. “The Indian edtech market continued its growth trajectory and is expected to grow by 23.06% between 2024 and 2028. Technology adoption in education continued at a rapid pace with GenAI leading the transformation. Venture investments in EdTech started picking momentum again with a few of the startups raising growth capital,” said Rooj of Teamlease Edtech.