Trend

e-learning, a peep into the future

With universities introducing online distance-learning programs, e-learning is the latest boom in India, says Malabika Sarkar

Look back three years and there were hardly any online programs offered compared to the numerous e-learning initiatives that have been floated today. Even professional bodies like ICSI (Institute of Company Secretaries of India) have started offering online programs. Online education/training has proved to be successful in areas like pre-recruitment training for Insurance Agents, Certified Financial Planners, MBA programs etc. Even though the IT sector has begun to go slow on recruitment it still needs highly skilled people for key positions and such people are in short supply.

Shailesh H Mehta, CEO & Founder, GurukulOnline Learning Solutions, said, “e-learning is the need of the hour in India. More than 50% of India’s population is under 25 yrs of age. We have the biggest youth brigade in the world. Population is not necessarily a liability as is generally believed. It can be turned into an economic resource and a huge competitive advantage if we can provide the right education and training to the masses. India is not rich in natural resources therefore our primary strength is our people. We should provide vocational education to those who cannot opt for higher education and try to provide large scale, high quality higher educational facilities. All this requires use of technology whether we are looking at a brick and mortar, click (virtual) or a blended model.”

e-learning enables the distribution of quality education easier, faster, in a more convenient manner and facilitates content customization at the same time. The Indian e-learning market is still at a nascent stage and is far behind when compared to those in developed nations. There are certain zones within the country, especially in the metropolitan cities, where the adoption is faster. At the same time, there are zones where there the technology has yet to establish even a beachhead due to the lack of network infrastructure. Some organizations/institutions are trying out e-learning.

Homz Umrigar, Head e-learning (R&D), GurukulOnline said, “There is an acute need for e-learning solutions at all levels, be it at schools, colleges, universities or corporate houses. India is ready for e-learning, with its young, tech-savvy population. However, Internet penetration leaves much to be desired. We must quickly lay down standards/policies, release frequencies for the latest technologies like WiMAX and Wi-Fi. Moreover, unbundling of local loop (i.e. the last mile connectivity, which is the telephone line) which rests with state telecom companies needs to be done at the earliest and the market needs to be opened up for whoever can offer the best quality at an affordable cost.”

Slicing up the e-learning market

The e-learning market can be sliced and diced in many ways. The first is on the basis of purpose, such as training (primarily for the employees in the corporate sector), self- education (for young students who are willing to pursue both higher education and work), and others (such as housewives who want to get involved in studies during their free time, self-employed people, etc). Among all these potential target segments the corporate sector is the biggest consumer of e-learning. Secondly, we can also segment this market by the mode of learning, which can be blended (a mix of traditional and online learning) or pure e-learning (online learning only).

e-learning is an umbrella term that is used to refer to any of the following: CBT (Computer Based Training referring to CDs here), WBT (Web-Based Training using PDFs, HTML pages or digital content created with tools like Flash—with or without animation, graphics, audio, or video), video lectures (also known as Interactive Video Lectures - iVL) and audio lectures (also known as Interactive Audio Lectures - iAL), Live Virtual Classroom, Simulations and mLearning, which includes PODcasting (Audio Lectures), VODCasting (Video Lectures), etc.

Apart from these, there are many tools that are commonly used in e-learning, such as Web blogs, social bookmarking, wikis, RSS, podcasting, instant messaging, text chats, Internet forums, etc. Presently institutions and organizations are trying to bring in simple, cost-effective e-learning tools for different individuals.

Pace of adoption

Talking about the pace of adoption of e-learning in India Mayank Saxena, Senior Industry Analyst, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia and Middle East said, “Adoption is slow in the Indian market. However, the level of adoption depends a lot on how such a mode of learning is promoted and marketed. The early adopters are primarily from the corporate segment, followed by a few prestigious schools and colleges. These companies are training- and consulting-based, and are trying to provide face-to-face meetings, demos, training classes and lectures by using this technology. Similarly, a few software training institutes are offering courses through e-learning. These early adopters are trying to develop their e-learning programs in order to impart quality education, which is customized to suit their needs. Once the benefits of early adopters are witnessed by the market, adoption will gain pace and the e-learning market will gain momentum.”

Most of the ET500 companies have some kind of e-learning program and these companies are largely in an advanced stage of taking training programs online. At the university level, the e-learning trend started with Amity University and Symbiosis and is now becoming popular with other universities as well. Amity offers weekend classes via a live virtual classroom for its eMBA program.

Jayant S Bhadauria, Head Education Solutions—India, Adobe Systems India Pvt Ltd, said, “e-learning in India has not taken off in all segments, but it has been successful in some verticals namely ITES, BFSI and Education. e-learning requires a change in mindset as we are still used to an instructor and classroom setup. However, with improvements in infrastructure, e-learning has taken off in education. Many programs are being offered through the e-learning mode by various universities. India with a large geography, population and lack of teachers needs to take advantage of e- learning. The government has put considerable emphasis on creating e-learning content to ensure that our future generations are prepared to compete in the global economy.”

Some of the factors that are hindering the adoption of e-learning are the network infrastructure of the country and the cost associated with the technology, which will specifically affect the common student as well as employees in tier-2 or tier-3 cities. Mehta said, “Internet penetration, availability of a stable electric supply and Internet connectivity are the biggest challenges that we face while providing e-learning.”

Making learning effective

Some companies have come up with innovative forms of e-learning. Blended learning is one such procedure, which is a careful mix of both traditional learning and e-learning. It is considered an effective and proven learning method as it attempts to incorporate the benefits of both formats.

Umrigar said, “There are many e-learning companies that offer either a learning management system (LMS) or content services. The customer is going to demand a complete learning experience including self paced learning, recorded video/audio lectures of expert faculties, live classroom, simulations, mock tests, and soon learning over mobile devices. There is no one company that offers end-to-end e-learning solutions.”

Harman Singh, Founder & CEO, WiZiQ.com, said, “We provide an online learning platform focused on empowering teachers to make learning more effective, efficient and intuitive. It is equipped with live audio-video communication, chat, content sharing and session recording capabilities.”

Talking about another e-learning platform that Microsoft has initiated, Karan Bajwa, Group Director-Public Sector, Microsoft India, said, “Microsoft India has introduced indianshiksha.com, an e-learning initiative in India. The belief of the IndiaShiksha network is that the teachers are lifelong learners who thrive on the learning process themselves and as a result pass the excitement of learning on to their students. Teachers should get high quality learning content and access to professional learning communities. Such professional learning content provides teachers with the skills and knowledge to effectively facilitate student learning. The professional learning communities provide a collaborative learning environment where teachers can reflect on their own learning with colleagues, share expertise, and build a common understanding around innovative practices.”

Besides the growing demand for e-learning in the education segment, there has also been a rise in the number of courses and variety of content that is available. e-learning enables a convenient mode where content can be increased and modified as per the desire of the person doing the learning. Timings are flexible and all a student needs is an access device (PC or laptop) that is connected to the Internet. With the help of recorded classrooms, a few good teachers can impart education to thousands of students and these students can consume the courseware at a pace that fits their understanding. Overall, if the benefits of e-learning are used effectively, they can help improve the quality of education and reach a far greater number of students at one go than would be possible in the real world.

Expectations from the Indian market

“e-learning will take some time to gain visibility in the Indian market and in the near future there shall be certain pockets in the country that will adopt this concept sooner. These will be the places that have a better network infrastructure and a mindset, which is ready to understand and explore the advantages of e-learning,” said Saxena.

Forecasts are more optimistic and going by those the industry is going to witness exponential growth over the next few years and the same will continue for at least a decade from now. There will be a drive among service providers to offer end-to-end solutions to customers. Many more players are expected to enter the market. Those who can offer end-to-end solutions or quality niche products with a strong value proposition will survive and thrive in the market.

malabika.sarkar@expressindia.com