The online classroom

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Pursuing his Ph.D in mass communications, Varinder Verma is now keen to try the online learning platform by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. “The new edX platform offers free online courses for learners. Students who complete the courses here will not get credits, but can earn certificates,” he informs.
Not driven by global education but mere interest, Garima Cha-wla, a Delhi University (DU) student, wants to pursue an online programme on biodiversity this summer break. “I have always been a nature lover. I came across the new programme that is available on the SAVE platform of IGNOU. I do not need to go anywhere, and I can also earn credits. It can bring me opportunities too,” she says. Recently, a new study compared the two versions of an introductory statistics course, one taught face-to-face by professors and one mostly taught online with only an hour a week of face time. Researchers found that students fared equally well in both formats on every measure of learning. The only difference was that the online group appeared to learn faster. The report by Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit think tank, focused on technology and education, also suggests that online courses can suit a wide section of students, not just the elite.
In India too, e-learning has surpassed the challenges of reaching out to a varied audience, overcoming the non-availability of adequately qualified teachers in rural India and making rich content available to an audience that was unreachable earlier. Universities such as IGNOU run open course portals such as FlexiLearn that runs 27 online programmes, and is keen to add graduate programmes soon, says Prof. Uma Kanjilal, co-ordinator eGyanKosh, IGNOU.
These online courses are taken by working professionals and students alike. The duration of a course can range from a few hours to a few months. The courses are specialised and industry relevant. “Our course in digital marketing has been reviewed by industry experts and, therefore, carries lot of experiential knowledge. The course is extremely beneficial for participants looking to up-skill,” says Ishan Gupta, CEO, EduKart.com, which runs a programme in digital marketing certified by IAMAI.
With students and universities now keen to see each other online, it’s education that stands to benefit. Once an online student herself, Dr Usha Sapra, a consultant of acupuncture at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, believes the current times are better than the time when she did an online course.
“Students today have computers and laptops. There are also a variety of courses with different timelines. Besides, the programmes offer a few hours of hands-on training. Now universities only need to drive the trend amongst the students,” she says.