There is no denying the distressed brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. It certainly impacted various elements of human life, with education taking the lead. In fact, the pandemic disclosed various flaws in the education system, resulting in a huge learning gap. Given the scarce availability of resources, the gap was especially wide and fatal in smaller cities. Around 250 million kids in India were impacted by the closure of schools at the start of the lockdown brought on by Covid-19, according to a study by KPMG.
What came as the ray of light bridging the gap between education and students was the emergence of new-age technologies. These innovations brought alternatives of education, such as online learning, into the picture. Allowing children the opportunity to learn from the comfort of their own homes at their own pace, online learning entirely changed the idea of education for students. By 2026, the Indian online education industry is expected to reach $8.6 billion, according to Research and Markets.
With online learning becoming the most preferred mode of learning today, it has also given birth to other education concepts such as homeschooling. Unlike traditional curriculum, homeschooling provides the choice in the hands of both children and parents to plan their own course of study. Especially for students residing in small cities, both the concept of online learning and homeschooling turned out to be a game changers, as they provided them the privilege to access education from their comfort without having to commute to any farther places. To further make online education more accessible, the government has also stepped forward and launched the PM e-Vidya scheme with the aim of integrating digital and online teaching with the educational programs for greater accessibility to e-learning.
Online learning: Key perks
Improved learning and comprehension: With online education, students have greater control and independence over their learning. As a result, they are able to concentrate more on their weaker areas and progress through their stronger ones more quickly. This is more advantageous for children in smaller cities as they can manage their other side hustles without interfering with their studies. In addition, as opposed to standard textbooks and limited education material, online learning provides students access to media-centric content that not only facilitates their understanding but also positively impacts their academic performance. An IBM study found that participants in online learning courses with multimedia content retain information five times better than those in conventional face-to-face courses.
Affordable, approachable, and accessible: When compared to traditional educational approaches, online learning is considered to be affordable, approachable and accessible, which is definitely a bonus for students residing in smaller cities. Allowing learners to access education from the convenience of their homes, online learning eliminates the expense of travel and associated educational resources. Additionally, it encourages a paperless learning environment, which is unquestionably more practical given that all of the course and study material is accessible online.
Individualized learning: When it comes to traditional learning, parents have long been concerned about the lack of personal attention. However, to ensure a more individualized educational experience, online learning allows both students and their parents to design a personalized learning schedule based on their needs and requirements. Additionally, online learning also enables children to tailor their own learning pace, which again promotes personal growth.
Online learning: Reshaping the future of education
According to Statista, there will be over 200 million users of online learning platforms by 2027. This data clearly underlines the growing prevalence of online learning in this digitally sophisticated environment. Providing students with a greater degree of control over their learning, online education is not only benefiting children in smaller but also in large-scale cities as well. And as we move ahead, considering the current growth path of online education, it is safe to assert that the future of digital learning looks nothing short of optimistic and promising.
This article is authored by Nirvaan Birla, Founder and Director of Birla Brainiacs
