My article on "Digital Transformation and Innovation: The Path to Future-Proofing Your Business"!

🚀 Excited to share my latest article on "Digital Transformation and Innovation: The Path to Future-Proofing Your Business"! Discover how you can stay ahead in today's dynamic business landscape. Don’t miss out – read it now! 🌟

Digital Transformation and Innovation: The Path to Future-Proofing Your Business | LinkedIn

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Education and EdTech: An Overview of Recent Global Developments and Transformative Platforms

The education sector worldwide is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by innovative educational technologies (EdTech) and evolving pedagogical approaches. In the past month alone, several significant developments have made headlines globally, showcasing the future of learning and teaching. Here’s a roundup of some of the most impactful education and EdTech advancements from around the world.

Global Expansion of Online Learning Platforms

Several major online learning platforms have announced significant growth initiatives with an enhanced focus on providing courses that cater to a diverse range of interests and skill levels, as well as a shift towards more interactive and personalized learning experiences.

Coursera and edX, two of the largest online education providers, have both added new courses, particularly in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, and sustainability. They have also partnered with more universities worldwide, expanding their reach and influence.

By integrating social learning features with their courses, platforms like FutureLearn are facilitating interactions and collaborations among learners, which can enhance the learning experience. These expansions and integrations, delivered through learner-friendly platforms incorporating AI and adaptive learning technologies, are making high-quality education more accessible, relevant, and enjoyable for learners globally.

AI-Powered Personalized Learning in the U.S.

In the United States, schools are increasingly adopting AI-powered educational tools to enhance personalized learning. EdTech companies like DreamBox Learning and Khan Academy are using artificial intelligence to tailor educational content to individual student needs, helping bridge learning gaps and improve student outcomes. These technologies analyze student performance in real-time and adjust lessons accordingly, offering a customized learning experience.

Discovery Education, the parent company of DreamBox Learning, launched a new suite of STEM content as part of the STEM Careers Coalition in April 2024, nurturing students’ curiosity with classroom learning resources, career planning tools, and engaging after-school activities.

Europe’s Push for Digital Literacy

EU countries are emphasizing digital literacy as a core component of their educational strategies. The European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 aims to enhance digital skills among students and teachers. This initiative includes funding for digital infrastructure in schools, teacher training programs, and curriculum updates to integrate digital literacy at all levels of education.

A review marking the halfway point of the Plan took place on April 29, 2024, in Brussels. This review highlighted some of the key achievements of the past three years, including:

• Guiding Member States through the pandemic with blended learning strategies.
• Organizing the Digital Education Stakeholder Forum, Europe’s first major event on digital education.
• Establishing the European Digital Education Hub.
• Launching #ESTEAM fests to enhance digital and entrepreneurial skills among 1,500 women and girls.
• Providing guidelines and lesson plans for educators, focusing on misinformation and AI.
• Expanding the SELFIE tool (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the use of Innovative Educational technologies) to 40,000 schools in 83 countries, with 180,000 teachers using SELFIE for their own professional development.

Collectively, these efforts are enhancing digital education and competencies across Europe.

Innovative EdTech Startups in Asia

Home to nearly 60% of the world’s population, Asia is witnessing a surge in innovative EdTech startups. Many companies are revolutionizing education with interactive learning platforms and gamified content, focusing on making learning engaging and effective, catering to the diverse needs of students across the continent.

Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand, is experiencing significant educational transformations through EdTech. Offering blended education, eLearning, and microcredentials, and adopting emerging technologies like AI, here are some standout government initiatives:

• Singapore: The 'EdTech Masterplan 2030' aims to create digitally empowered, future-ready learners.
• Philippines: The 'Digital Rise Program' enhances EdTech for diverse learning environments.
• Malaysia: The 'Digital Education Learning Initiative Malaysia (DELIMa)' reaches 1.7 million monthly users.
• Indonesia: The 'Merdeka Belajar' movement offers flexible, beyond-classroom learning.
• Vietnam: A top ten EdTech market promoting IT and digital transformation in education.
• Thailand: Collaborates with cloud-computing giants to modernize educational infrastructure.

The future of EdTech in Asia holds promise, with technological advancements, strategic government initiatives, and private sector investments poised to personalize learning, bridge educational gaps, and foster lifelong learning.

Africa’s Investment in Educational Technology

African Union countries are investing heavily in EdTech to address educational challenges and improve access to quality education. Countries have launched national programs to integrate digital tools in classrooms and provide students with tablets and laptops. These initiatives aim to enhance learning experiences and help reduce the digital divide.

Some noteworthy EdTech initiatives across Africa include:

• Digify Africa: A South African initiative using a WhatsApp chatbot for digital literacy and youth skills training.
• Kukua: Kenya-based platform empowering children with digital storytelling for education and entertainment.
• uLesson: Nigerian EdTech offering live lessons, video lectures, and personalized support for primary and secondary students.
• iSchool: Egypt's EdTech providing innovative programs for children aged 6-18, enhancing learning methods.
• Black Ubuntu: Expanding educational access in Africa through technology, connecting students with employers for postsecondary education and career opportunities.

Moving forward, extensive research and advocacy will be pivotal to unlocking EdTech's full potential in Africa. Qualitative research, comparative assessments, community feedback, and collaborative partnerships offer a comprehensive perspective. Policy reforms to bolster digital infrastructure, promote digital literacy, and enhance funding avenues for EdTech startups are essential for fostering long-term and sustainable progress.

Virtual Reality in Classrooms

Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming an integral part of education at all levels in several countries. In the UK, schools are using VR to create immersive learning experiences, allowing students to explore historical sites, conduct virtual science experiments, and engage in interactive simulations. This technology is transforming the way students learn by making lessons more interactive and engaging.

Teacher Training and Professional Development

Professional development for teachers is receiving increased attention worldwide. Australia has introduced new programs like the Educator and the High Achieving Teachers (HAT) Program, focused on continuous professional development for teachers, emphasizing skills in digital teaching tools and innovative teaching methodologies. These programs are designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in modern classrooms.

Pertaining to the wider job market, career development and skill-building through courses and certifications in emerging technologies are helping individuals adapt to and advance in their careers or make a rewarding transition to new fields.

At VERITADYNE, we are dedicated to helping educational institutions, EdTech startups, and companies navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of education. Whether you are looking to develop innovative learning and teaching methodologies, implement technology-supported academic platforms, or provide professional learning and development opportunities for educators and trainers, our team of experts has you covered!

Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your efforts towards enhancing learning experiences and achieving educational excellence.

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Quote - Orison Marden!

A golden rule that has survived the test of time & is always relevant in business!

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Jamshedji Tata - an inspiration!

Commemorating the life & legacy of Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata - a man of extraordinary vision, prodigious fortitude, and unyielding industriousness - at 184.

In the words of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, who called him a 'One Man Planning Commission' - "When you have to give the lead in action, in ideas – a lead which does not fit in with the very climate of opinion – that is true courage, physical or mental or spiritual, call it what you like, and it is this type of courage and vision that Jamshedji Tata showed. It is right that we should honour his memory and remember him as one of the big founders of modern India."

#JamshedjiTata#JamdetjiTata #JNTata #tata #Jamshedpur #India #Industry #Steel #tatasteel #founders #planning

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)

This year marks the Indian presidency of the G20. India plans to use this to create a unified global health accelerator whereby the world is united in its health preparedness to tackle global emergencies efficiently.

One of the first tweets that I have seen from the government rightfully focussed on antimicrobial resistance and creating an awareness about it in the form of a quiz. Since this is such an important topic, I am writing this article to put down some thoughts on AMR, causes and effective ways of dealing with it. 

What is antimicrobial resistance (AMR)? 

AMR happens when microbes of any kind (bacterial, viral or fungal) develop mechanisms that help them to evolve, thereby resisting the effects of the antimicrobial medicine used against them. That means they can't be easily destroyed and treating them in a patient becomes very hard or sometimes impossible, leading unfortunately to death!

Main cause of AMR?

Mainly overuse or misuse of antimicrobials by individuals for themselves, in farming and livestock rearing are all causes. 

Another major cause is improper disposal of:

• Unused antimicrobials
• Water and waste segregation that does not focus on the leaching of medicines into the environment

Why is AMR a cause for concern?

From data in 2019, about 700,000 people die of infections caused due to resistant pathogens every year world over.

In addition to this, the pollution of our environment and water due to improper disposal of unused antimicrobials is also another big problem, leading to further AMR being developed by all kind of microbes leading to creation of 'superbugs'. 

What corrective measures/awareness is required in an individual capacity?

1. Antibiotics should only be consumed when absolutely required and prescribed by a doctor. They should also be taken in the right way, the right dosage and completion of a full course, as not doing this could also lead to AMR. 
2. Disposal of antimicrobial drugs - Please read more about the individual drug and manufacturer's recommendations. Some have take-back policies, some have collection sites to receive drugs back, mail-back programs, or recommended safe options to discard at home. 

However, not all countries have these options and many governments do not require pharmaceutical companies to take responsibility for the proper disposal of unused/expired medicines. 

Need of the hour?

Humankind now needs governments, with their policies in place and pharma companies, with their moral & ethical responsibility to step up and do the needful. 

In India for example, The Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) Rules, 2016 categorises expired drugs rightfully as 'domestic hazardous waste' and mandates that they be segregated, stored in separate bins and disposed in line with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 that mandate that the drugs be incinerated at high temperatures.

Unfortunately, due to poor enforcement of the MSWM policies, there is poor management of hazardous waste, including unused/expired drugs & antimicrobials in the country. Waste segregation is an important area for the country where there is a lot of improvement, but policies have to be made clear and their implementation tight to bring everything together to fruition. 

Shared responsibility:

This responsibility for safe discarding of medicines however cannot begin and end with governments alone. Pharmaceutical companies, wholesalers and distributers of medicines, hospitals and any other relevant industry partners should step up and this should be considered a legal responsibility. Very importantly, this properly defined method/flow of medicines will also prevent illegal secondary trade of controlled use medicines.

Other important government stakeholders like pollution control boards, drug regulation boards and other important groups in society are also going to play a vital role in proper implementation of responsibility on the ground! Transparent and well-defined policies and procedures will be vital if this is to be successful.

The above issues are true of many developed and most developing countries, and one would hope that the efforts of the G20 in unifying healthcare response also tastes success in implementing certain universal policies such as safe disposal of antimicrobials to safeguard our environment.

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From Darkness to (moon)Light - India's Services Sector in Need of Enlightenment

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." - Oscar Wilde

What is Moonlighting? 

Very simply put, people taking up extra work other than their full-time job, which is traditionally expected to be 9 to 5, without informing their current employer, is called moonlighting. 

Recently this whole discussion came to the fore in India when Wipro's chairman Rishad Premji tweeted "There is a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating - plain and simple."

Following this, last week, Wipro also sacked 300 employees stating the same reason, further explaining that they also worked for Wipro's competitors. Following suit, TCS, Infosys and IBM have also warned their employees that moonlighting is unethical and will lead to disciplinary action or even termination. 

However, Tech Mahindra CEO, C P Gurnani, recently said that it is required to change with the times and also said, "I welcome disruption in the ways we work". 

India's Union minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, yesterday joined this debate by tweeting in support of employees moonlighting if they wish to use their skills and time to expand their work, which will also help the country with talent deficit. He has strongly recommended companies to embrace this change and not to suppress talent & the very intention to innovate.

Satya Nadella, the CEO of Micrsoft, went one step further and coined a new term "Productivity Paranoia", which is companies feeling their employees are not being their productive best, leading to unwelcome activities such as spying on the employees. Microsoft firmly believes that employee surveillance is just wrong and in today's hybrid work models, to bridge the gap between what employers and employees want is of utmost importance. Employers should in fact be more concerned about employee burn-out as worktime and 'other' time have completely blurred following the imposed WFH culture due to the pandemic.

It is my opinion that people must have the freedom to work on what they want in their own time (i.e. time not paid for by an employer). Most companies do have 'Non-disclosure' agreements (NDAs) and ‘Non-compete’ clauses (NCCs) in work contracts which employees commit to, which should cover any ethical concerns. Employees on the other hand could avoid conscientiously working for a direct competitor and should definitely not engage in unethical practices which will only spoil it for everyone as seen in the case of Wipro. 

Of concern, however, is in the loose definition of 'competitor'. Big conglomerates could even consider a start-up as competition and thus stop employees from utilising their private time to work pretty much anywhere within a sector which would otherwise benefit from access to their skills. This could be the primary reason for employees to leave other work undisclosed. 

It should be deemed unethical for companies to have a blanket contract that prohibits employees from taking up any other paid work. Not only is this treatment of employees as bonded labour antediluvian, but it is also plain unconscionable and does not fit in a digitally mobile world, especially post COVID! Employees must stand up for their rights, including that of privacy, and reject such contracts. NDAs and NCCs, on the other hand, need to be rational and clearly articulate a company’s terms, which must be explained to prospective/current employees, giving them a fair chance to accept, come clean, or reject the terms. Such mechanism can help mitigate perceived threats of moonlighting and develop an atmosphere of trust in which employees are self-motivated to ensure ethical conduct and can feel safe disclosing their other commitments. 

 More than policies and policing, it is a company’s culture which will define whether moonlighting becomes a threat or an engine of positive transformation for both employer and the employee.