Dr. Tasaduk Hussain Itoo
Online education has seen significant growth in today's world of technological advancement and internet revolution. Forming one of the most important aspects in today's education domain, it has taken away the limitations of sitting in a classroom for learning. It takes away the hindrances such as transportation, location, accessibility and cost. Online education has revolutionised the way we look at education in current era. India ranks second only behind the United States in terms of online enrollments, comprising of over 15 percent of students worldwide. These students get access to some of the best courses around the world and get skilled in various domains. Many world class universities now offer distant online education bringing the best instructors and professors into the homes of students.
Recently I conducted a series of live interview sessions with some India's top educators and You Tubers to laid practical emphasis on online education. Various educators from many states of India ( including Jammu and Kashmir) joined the sessions, put their views about online education and shared their experiences being online educators on largest educational platforms of India - Unacademy , Study IQ et all. Among the prominent educators include Dr. Awadhesh Singh ( Founder/Director at Awadhesh Academy), Arpita Prakash ( You tuber and Top educator at Unacademy), Rahul Aggrawal, Prakash Ingle, Ayyush Sanghi, Dr. Farhat Umar, Vironika Sharma (Jammu-based top Study IQ educator), Danish Khatana, Aartee Mishra (You tuber and Top Unacademy educator), Navdeep Kaur (You tuber and Top Unacademy educator), Shazli Sayyad , Om Jaiswal (You tuber and Top Unacademy educator), Satyam Gupta, Shailender Yadav, Surdarshan Gurjar and others.
The above mentioned educators specifically stressed upon benefits of online education for both teaching and student community, its role in empowerment and eduprenuership and the revolution it has brought about in the overall learning and educational scenario in the world during current times of technological advancement. By taking broadly into consideration the views put forth by educators, the benefits of online education can be drawn briefly in the following way:
ACCESSIBILITY: One of the best things about the online education structure is that a student is not limited to a geographical location to attend a course. The fact that a student can pick a course from any country and, successfully, complete it in the comfort of their home makes these courses very popular. You can pick the program of your dreams in traditional education, too, but that would involve traveling away from home, living in a completely unknown city, and struggling in an extremely competitive learning environment.
COST EFFECTIVENESS: Since these courses do not require students to physically attend the class, it is a cheaper alternative that enables people to learn at lower costs. While some people believe that online education is not as effective as traditional education systems, the truth is that these courses are just as effective and enable students to understand and learn the course in the right manner.
QUALITY: Getting educated from the best teachers without a limitation of space, time or money, gives it an undeniable edge over the traditional system of education. Forums like Unacademy, Khan Academy, Byju's, iTutor, Study IQ etc are gaining huge popularity. One thing is for sure. The future belongs to e-learning.
AUTHENTICITY: A number of people believe that an online degree does not hold as much value as a traditional degree, however this is not true. The degree holds just as much value and how you perform on the online course helps to shape your career.
FLEXIBILITY: The fact that a student gets to choose what, when, how much to study empowers him beyond measure. The variety of courses available on these platforms offers a huge canvas to the learner's community.
Online education does not come with any restrictions and students from varied backgrounds can opt for these courses. Forget about attending classes for hours, sitting in an uncomfortable chair, and suffering from back pain by the end of the day. You will not be bound to physical class session when you opt for online education. All lectures and needed materials are provided via online platforms, so you'll easily access them from the comfort of your home. You will not take public transport to get to campus, you won't have to spend money on gas for your car, you won't have to get up early to get dressed for class, the list of conveniences goes on and on.
AFFORDABILITY: The fact that online programs are cheaper when compared to the ones held in a traditional campus setting is enough to convince you to consider them. Any online courses are completely free of charge. Unacademy , India's largest online learning platform, for example, offers maximum course materials online without any charges that are useful for anyone who wants to learn from prestigious educators of India.
HUGE SCOPE: Owing to the steady economic growth and globalisation, education in India is no longer just a teacher talking to a bunch of students in a classroom. With more than 370 million internet users and hundreds of local as well as global business tycoons willing to invest in the future of education, online education in India has picked up pace. In fact, the e-learning market in the country is estimated to be worth more than $3 billion.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, based on the experiences shared by educators, it can be undeniably said that the future belongs to online education. Online courses and degree programs are more convenient and cheaper than their counterparts in traditional education.Those are the two main advantages of online learning that lead many students to opt for online platforms when they want to earn a degree or certificate. The best thing about online learning is that you can learn in a relaxed manner even if you don't want to get certified. You only need passion for learning and a quick online search that will take you to the right course. From that point on, you will be the master of your own education. |
