The Critical Necessity of Integrating EdTech in English Literature Pedagogy in the Indian Classroom

Hiamthuiyang James¹, Shurhonuo Tsurho²

¹ Independent Researcher, Manipur, India.

² Department of English, Phek Government College, Nagaland, India. 

Abstract

The instruction of English Literature in the Indian higher education system has long been characterised by a fossilised, colonial-era pedagogy, often prioritising the rote memorisation of canonical interpretations over critical inquiry and creative engagement. As the global educational landscape shifts towards digital fluency, the Indian classroom faces a dual crisis: relevance and access. This paper argues that the integration of Educational Technology (EdTech) is no longer a supplementary luxury but a critical necessity for democratising and modernising English studies in India. By addressing the specific challenges of the Indian demographic—including severe linguistic diversity, large class sizes, and stark geographical resource disparities—EdTech facilitates a paradigm shift toward a student-centric, contextually grounded, and constructivist pedagogy.

Drawing upon the Theoretical Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, Lev Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism, and the post-colonial critiques of Gauri Viswanathan, this paper examines how digital interventions can decolonise the classroom. It explores specific technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR) for contextual immersion, Digital Humanities (DH) tools for distant reading, and Generative AI for personalised scaffolding. Furthermore, it aligns these technological interventions with the mandate of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for “multilingual pedagogies” and “digital literacy.” Ultimately, this paper posits that technology acts as a “Great Equaliser,” bridging the gap between the historical text and the contemporary Indian students, transforming them from passive consumers of colonial knowledge to active producers of global digital discourse.

Keywords: Educational technology, English literature pedagogy, TPACK Framework, Digital humanities, NEP 2020, Artificial Intelligence in education.

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