An investment in
education pays the best interest. And investing in education via an online
platform in India still has a long way to go.
The virtual world
has evolved in most aspects, education being one of them. Online education is a
brilliant form which needs to be strategized efficiently. Online
education being more convenient and cheaper (financing education in India is a
major issue) provides visualized learning which nevertheless is a better form
of providing knowledge than mere books and notes.
Another reason as
to why cybernetic education should be promoted is that it is accessible to
everybody- from children to working to retired class. The economically active
segment of the population indulges itself more in online courses as it doesn’t
require them to quit their jobs and then fulfill their desire to educate
themselves at a higher level. It demands much less time and energy and is available
in the most distant parts. It doesn’t require relocation of a student and hence
makes an excellent choice for a major chunk of youth.
However the basic
problems encountered in education India virtually is- the lack of
infrastructure and the lack of computer literate population. It is extremely
astounding to know that only 12.6 out of every 100 persons in India know how to
USE the internet. There is not enough literate populace and out of them a very
small proportion is computer literate.
Apart from that the
infrastructure available for reaching that online platform is limited mainly to
just urban areas even though about 70% of the population still lives in rural
areas. Despite this, Computers, internets etc are remotely available
there which puts the state of the current online platform is a miserable state.
If we actually widen our horizons to the entire country, we would realize that
even today India ranks amongst the top countries in illiteracy. So until and
unless a chief segment is strived towards literacy, there is hardly any point
in promoting online education for the minor sector. What needs to realized is
that it is more of a pyramid structure rather than a scattered thing, with
basic literacy forming the base and online education coming on the top.
To give online
education its actual worth, we need to first aim at basic literacy and
gradually go towards the top of the pyramid.
Online education is
an incredible forum which is yet to be channelized in a proficient way.
Author : Malvika Kala
Quite true.. Its not just about access to "a computing device" (if not a desktop / laptop computer) and internet though. KG to 8th grade (K-8) anyway is not a time to learn online (as a primary mode). There can be online tools that assist in tests etc but thats about it.
ReplyDeleteWhere online can help is in bridging backlogs. We clearly know that with 40-50 kids in class, some will learn slow and some fast. The situation is no better in tution centers. Thats where Khan academy type input helps. Can call this as a secondary source. To clarify some concept which was introduced but not clear to the student.
Lastly, there is nothing better than exploring stuff as real models. No simulation / virtual reality is of use when we can actually get our hands on it. Happy to see Srjna do just that. Good luck.