Digital Influx in Knowledge Fields

Abstract

Digital technologies have enabled learners to gain access to a much wider range of knowledge. By gaining access to a vast body of open-source knowledge repositories across disciplines, students avail themselves of enormous flexibility and choice. By forming groups and subgroups, they become part of the global community of learners blessed with the wonderful opportunity to interactive learning against one another through reciprocal support. A wide variety of digital devices have made their learning unprecedentedly quicker and deeper. Technologies empower students with the facility of learning, any time, anywhere and at any level. Students can move from university to university by availing the freedom of multiple entry and exit for doing courses. They can deposit their credits in an account with the Academic Bank of Credits and exchange them for degrees from the university of their preference. Nevertheless, digital technologies are not just an array of teaching and learning tools that have been the central transformative force in education the world over. They have been transforming not only how to learn or what to teach but also the nature of knowledge itself. Knowledge that has been an object for long is being turned into a series of flows. In digital technologies, knowledge is no longer a product, but a process in communication networks. As a result, disciplines are drawing closer to one another beyond their boundaries and generating new knowledge to be stored more in digital devices than in prints. There is a sea change in the mode of production, consumption and exchange of knowledge. This is yet to percolate down through an up-to-date curriculum and adequate courses.