In today's educational landscape, technology has revolutionized learning, enabling individuals to engage in a dynamic digital environment. Through the advent of Educational Technology (EdTech), traditional educational landscapes have been reshaped, offering innovative avenues of knowledge acquisition and skill development.

From interactive courses tailored to specific interests and collaborative learning spaces fostering global connections, the EdTech journey promises a dynamic and personalized approach to learning. As learners embark on their online EdTech journey, they explore a variety of digital resources such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), interactive modules, and virtual classrooms.

Learners utilize digital tools to assess their learning needs during self-guided study hours and to cover additional syllabus material easily. They appreciate the convenience of accessing recorded videos at their own pace, the cost-effectiveness of abundant study resources, engaging demonstrations and teaching styles, organized study notes, and the availability of doubt resolution forums through special app features.

While online classes offer flexibility and accessibility, they also present challenges such as disparities in digital infrastructure, trust issues with services, limited doubt sessions, and unresponsive support. All these factors hinder engagement with EdTech emphasizing the need to prioritize equity and inclusion in education. 

The learner journey encompasses pre-admission stages of need identification, discovery, exploration, shortlisting, and selection, followed by post-admission phases of induction and regular usage.

Pre-admission phase: In the need identification phase, students and parents want guidance from top teachers to optimize time effectively. During the discovery phase, they come across online EdTech platforms through various channels such as TV ads, social media, or direct outreach from sales representatives. In the exploration stage, they evaluate platforms by researching online, checking app ratings and reviews, and consulting with sales representatives. Shortlisting and selection involve counseling sessions to aid decision-making.

Post-admission phase: In the induction phase, students receive batch assignments and necessary study materials. Throughout the regular usage phase, students engage in live lectures, recorded classes, periodic quizzes, and performance monitoring.

Challenges encountered by learners during online classes:

• Need Stage: Apprehension regarding excessive screen time and skepticism towards online learning.

• Discovery Stage: Intrusive approach by sales representatives while exploring educational options.

• Exploration Stage: Internet search results often exhibit bias, portraying online learning negatively, and lack comprehensive information on past learner performance.

• Regular Usage Stage: Learners face challenges such as internet connectivity issues disrupting live lectures and the disparity in the number of test takers between online and offline platforms, leading to skewed rankings.

Despite these obstacles, the quest for knowledge perseveres, underscoring the need for adaptable and holistic online learning environments.

Conclusion

The EdTech learner's journey in the online realm exemplifies the transformative potential of digital education. From embracing adaptability to self-directed learning, they unlock opportunities for growth in the educational landscape. This journey illuminates the way forward, towards a future where education is accessible to all, regardless of location or circumstance.