Learning the E-way

By: Diwakar Chittora,CEO,Intellipaat.com

With the recent penetration of the Internet across a spectrum of industries; everything offline seems to have launched itself in the online space. Industries like education, retail and banking among many others, have expanded their orbits to the digital platform, in order to cater to the internet-savvy generation and spread their access to unexplored territories.Technology has now become a part and parcel of our daily life.

To keep pace with current lifestyles and their demands, students aiming to carve a niche in the competitive job market have started opting for online courses to boost their learning and increase their qualifications. This trend has become a crucial aspect of acquiring a versatile and skilled educational standing in the work sphere. The education ecosystem has evolved itself tremendously in recent years. By connecting itself to technology, the domain has become more people-friendly, cost-effective and time-savvy. Gone are the days when learning was time-consuming and limited to the four walls of a classroom. The dotcom boom that started in early 2000has brought with it the concept of 24*7 online learning.

E-learning scenario in India:

E-learning in India has not yet blossomed to its full potential. Whether it be students or working executives, virtual classes have become a favourable option to attain industry knowledge and skills. Even school students have started embracing this concept as it keeps them abreast with the lessons taught in school while they are on leave. If online learning has received tremendous response from people, it has also garnered negative views from many who do not support the concept. Various advocates of online learning are of the view that such a platform is cost-effective and that it is an adequate, practical and impactful method to acquire knowledge. On the other hand, some have a contradictory viewpoint regarding the same, as according to them face to face learning is still the most effective and convenient way of imbibing knowledge.

With internet-based learning catching up in India rapidly, the educational landscape of the country is transforming by leaps and bounds. The daunting challenges that the sphere had to face till some time back are now being tackled efficiently. There was a time when schools did not have enough teachers and cities did not have adequately-equipped schools to teach students. E-learning has dealt with these quandaries quite competently. Now, one single computer serves the purpose of educating students both in rural as well as urban India. From exam preparations for entrance examinations to online & corporate training in Data Analytics, E-learning covers all under its umbrella.

Scope of Internet-based Learning:

The e-learning landscape in the country is still at a rudimentary level. Since majority of India still dwells in rural areas, it’s difficult to persuade people to adopt the new-age learning system. This deters e-learning from creating its footprint across the country. The huge gap between the urban and rural areas needs to be filled for people to reap the benefits of online learning across locations and socio-economic barriers. Many renowned colleges are offering online courses to cater to the widely-scattered students, who due to geographical, financial or work-related problems are not able to pursue regular courses. The authenticity of such online graduate and post-graduate courses tempts students or working professionals to opt for the same.

E-learning in IT:

It is usually a common practice for IT professionals to enroll for online courses in order to hone their skills and bolster their career. The IT industry is metamorphosing massively due to new technologies like Big Data and Cloud Computing, dominating the sphere of Information Technology. Such a scenario demands employees who have additional skills other than basic IT knowledge. Hence, working professionals who have dearth of time to go for regular courses usually prefer the online way to widen their knowledge base. IT companies, today, are always on a look-out for employees who possess the skills required to work with new technologies. Hiring fresh graduates add to the financial cost of the company. Hence they prefer experienced professionals equipped with the required skills. This has escalated the competition in the market, urging employees to pursue online programs in order to upgrade their technical know-how.

Besides this, e-learning also supports working professionals in changing their career orientation. It often happens that in the middle of their careers, people start losing interest in their field of work. With new industries emerging in the market, this is a common phenomenon among young professionals. With shortage of time for traveling and attending regular classes, online courses with their instructor led interactive courses offered by recognized online platforms are one of the best ways to change one’s career track conveniently.

Learning the e-way has become the pulley to work up the career growth ladder in the contemporary world. Although offline classes have their own importance, nothing can beat the multiple benefits that online learning provides. The hectic lifestyle, paucity of time and lack of sufficient finances are the driving factors that are prompting people not just across the country, but from all over the globe to embrace online learning to sustain in the aggressively-competitive climate.