Growing Demand for Online Education During Covid 19
In India educational institutions like schools, colleges and universities are mostly based on conventional methods
The deadly and infectious Coronavirus has shaken the world. It has greatly affected the education sector. Various schools, colleges, and universities have discontinued in-person teaching. The schools and colleges are forced to shut down. Due to the second wave of the pandemic, it is uncertain to get back to normal teaching anytime soon. This will have negative effects on students learning. Educational institutions are unable to cope up with this challenging situation. This difficult situation is compelling the educational institutions to set new trends of teaching and learning. Many academic institutions are now shifting to an online mode of learning.
There is a great demand for online learning platforms as more and more people of all age groups want to upgrade their skills and knowledge. Students of K-12 and university level are more inclined towards academic courses whereas working professionals want to utilize their time to enhance their knowledge, acquire new skills.
Due to the influx of technology online learning has become very comfortable. Online learning, open learning, web-based learning, computer-mediated learning, blended learning, m-learning have in common the ability to use computer-mediated learning, blended learning, m-learning have in common connected to a network that offers the ease to learn from anywhere, anytime with any means
Online learning is a powerful tool that can make the teaching-learning process more student-cantered, more innovative, and even more flexible. Online learning is possible with the help of devices such as mobile phones, laptops, etc. with internet access. In these environments, students can be anywhere to learn and interact with instructors and other students. The learning environment is structured in the sense that students attend live lectures, there are real-time interactions between educators and learners, and there is a possibility of instant feedback.
In such a system of learning, education material is not available in the form of live lectures or classes; it is available at different learning systems and forums. Amidst this pandemic situation such online platforms are needed where (a) video conferencing with at least 40 to 50 students is possible, (b) discussions with students can be done to keep the classroom active, (c) internet connections is proper (d) lectures are accessible in mobile phones also and not just laptops, (e) possibility of watching already recorded lectures, and (f) instant feedback from students can be achieved and assignments can be taken.
There are various factors associated with e-learning such as accessibility, affordability, flexibility, learning pedagogy, life-long learning, and policy are some of the arguments related to online pedagogy. The online mode of learning is easily accessible and can even reach rural and remote areas. It is considered to be a cheaper model of education in terms of the lower cost of transportation, accommodation, and the overall cost of institution-based learning. Online learning is quite flexible learners can schedule or plan their time for completion of courses available online. This type of learning methodology can increase the learning potential of the students. Students can learn anytime and anywhere, thereby developing new skills in the process leading to life-long learning. The government also realizes the importance of online learning in this dynamic world. Online learning is the panacea in this time of crisis.
Many companies are offering online courses to students from personalized classroom teaching to preparing for competitive exams.
Now many institutions will go from offline mode to online mode of pedagogy. The institutions, which were earlier reluctant to change, to accept modern technology are also now adjusting to the new norm. This catastrophe will show us the lucrative side of online learning. Many universities around the world have fully digitalized their operations understanding the dire need of this current situation. Therefore, the quality enhancement of online teaching-learning is crucial at this stage. During this difficult time, the concern is not about whether online teaching-learning methods can provide quality education, it is rather how academic institutions will be able to adopt online learning on such a wide platform.
The shift from face-to-face lectures to online classes is the need of the hour. Indeed, academic institutions would not be able to transform all of their curricula into online resources overnight. Distance, scale, and personalized teaching and learning are the three biggest challenges for online teaching. Innovative solutions by institutions can only help us deal with this pandemic. There is a requirement of a quick shift to online learning mode; therefore, the products by Google like (a) Gmail, (b) Google Forms, (c) Calendars, (d) G-Drive, (e) Google Hangouts, (f) Google Jam board and Drawings, (g) Google Classroom, can successfully be used as an alternative for face-to-face classes.
There is a long list of companies offering online courses to students and fulfilling their various needs- from personalized classroom teaching to preparing for competitive exams. EdTech companies like Byju’s, Udemy, Coursera, Unacademy, IGNOU, Vedantu, Toppr are providing online learning tools to many learners.
Conclusion
We need a high level of preparedness so that we can quickly adapt to different delivery modes, for instance, remote learning or online learning in situations of pandemics such as Covid-19. Institutions should prepare contingency plans to deal with challenges such as pandemics. Reliability and sufficient availability of Information Communication Technology infrastructure, learning tools, digital learning resources in the form of, e-books, e-notes, and so on are of utmost importance in such severe situations.
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