Learning in the comfort of home or office environment may have been the fantasy earlier, but is now a realty for those who can’t join the regular classrooms. Thanks to the e-learning modules provided by many reputed universities and institutions, thousands of people are making use of them cutting across the geographical boundaries.
E-learning refers to teaching or training online through internet thereby providing flexibility of access through laptop, tablet or mobile. Though there are numerous advantages of acquiring knowledge through online mode, there are certain limitations too. Some of these are discussed as follows;
Benefits:
- Distance does not matter – A trainer need not be from the same town or country yet she can easily connect online for imparting knowledge
- Flexibility of time and location – Most of the online lectures can be accessed directly from the web portal of the institution. This provides flexibility of learning as per the convenient time or location. A person can access the portal while at home or travelling
- Cost Saving – Since no infrastructure of classrooms, electricity, furniture, etc. are involved, it provides immense savings in costs to the training organization. This results into lower cost of learning to the student or trainee
- Technological aids – With advancements in technology such as 4G, broadband, fast processor speed and large storage capacities, lectures are now supported by audio-visuals and 3D images for better understanding of the subject
- Customization – Learning modules can be customized as per the requirements. With availability of options, a person can choose the number of hours to be devoted to each topic
Challenges:
- Lack of motivation – In the absence of classroom, a learner is unable to feel the environment of competitiveness and may lose interest after some time
- Time Management – As there is not time control, learning may stretch to longer hours. However, this may not happen where online lectures are held as per the given time schedules
- Technological glitches – Internet speed and mobile connectivity is a major issue as most of the tier-II / III cities as well as rural India do not have robust telecommunication infrastructure
- Lack of practical exposure – Practical laboratory exposure cannot be provided through e-learning mode and thus an important drawback in some courses
- Certification approval from competent authorities – Those courses which are imparted only through online mode without any additional classroom teaching, are generally not recognized by the competent regulatory authorities such as UGC, etc.
Despite some of the shortcomings, which can be overcome over a period of time, e-learning provides immense scope for countries like India where still three-fourth of the population is deprived of higher education. It can help the rural population especially the women in acquiring skills that can help in improving their standard of living. Through online mode, companies can also upgrade their employees on new developments, in a cost effective manner.
Realizing the importance of e-learning, Ministry of HRD, Government of India in October, 2014 launched ‘SWAYAM’, a Web portal where MOOCs (Massive Open On-line Courses) would be made available to the students on different subject areas. HRD ministry also plans to create online digital library called as ‘National E-Library’ that will have resources from top universities and institutes. SWAYAM shall specifically help the students from far off places, working professionals or college dropouts. They will get ‘Verified Certificate’ after successfull completion of courses.
Most of the older IITs and IIMs are now offering various short term online programmes. A few universities such as IGNOU, Pondicherry University, Sikkim Manipal University and Amity University also offer programmes through e-learning mode. However, a person undergoing such courses must be careful in ensuring their accreditation status, for the purpose of employment or higher education.
JIMS Rohini Website - http://www.jimsindia.org/
Dr.Sumesh Raizada
(Professor)
JIMS Rohini Sector-5
JIMS Rohini Sector-5
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