How the modern eLearning is changing the learning trends in Indian context
Recently I came across a meme in Times of India, on the Teachers Day. The young boy in the class, with folded hands, was thanking his laptop profusely while the teacher looked on with a glum face. However this is the reality of todays India.
As per 2015 statistics, the eLearning industry in India is an approximately 1 billion dollar industry and is growing at a rate of 55%. Although the industry is still in its infancy, it has a tremendous growth potential.
E-Learning has been there in the corporate world for over a decade where it has been used as a great tool for up-skilling and re-skilling its workforce at a greatly reduced cost. Employees could learn at their own pace, at their own flexible time and validate the learning on their own by appearing for certification courses.
With penetration of Internet and mobile technology, eLearning has been a great equaliser in the Indian society. Now small town kids need not lag behind due to lack of exposure or opportunity. They have access to the same resources which the children of metros have. Most of the schools today have a combination of traditional classroom teaching and eLearning where students are no longer solely dependent on text books and their teachers. E.g. it is common for students to carry out online research while preparing their project work. It has made them more inquisitive, less restricted and more self-reliant.
However, the eLearning channels for direct consumers have grown the fastest in the recent years. Physical coaching classes for ICSE, CBSE etc. that used to supplement the school education have been significantly replaced by eLearning companies. Career assessment and competitive exams like SAT, GRE are also being offered by such companies. They provide digital learning solutions with the help of a wide range of tools like virtual classrooms, animation, video and so on.
The eLearning solutions today are not limited to only conventional education. Anything can be learnt on internet today, starting from cooking to dance. There are music academies, fitness studios and many other extracurricular activities in the virtual learning space.
The governments new initiative of digital India and skill India has also brought in new dimensions to the entire learning ecosystem. To support the entire ecosystem of digital learning solutions, we need resources including Teachers, content developers, software solution providers and infrastructure providers, which promise to create jobs as well.
Today eLearning has changed the learning landscape of modern India. It has empowered learners of all age and all social segments. It is here to stay and grow.
