Online Education: Opportunities and Challenges

        Prof. Upendra Lele
       IT Faculty
      19th January 2021

Online education has been around since quite some time now, but its usage has surged up significantly during the state imposed lock-down to curb Covid-19 pandemic. Online teaching-learning, which was so far used  mostly for voluntary, self-paced courses, has now been increasingly adopted by many academic institutions for conducting their regular courses. It has been significantly helping them in meeting their academic commitments.

Some of the distinct benefits that online education offers, are:

1. Flexibility

In a traditional classroom setting, the lecture schedules are fixed, and lectures are conducted within the working hours of the Institute. The faculty and students have little control over it. This poses challenges particularly to those students who are working, or those who have some other commitments. Such students prefer online learning as it gives them power over how they will delegate their time towards their different commitments.

2. Economy

Online education is less expensive due to several reasons. For example, there is no cost for commuting. Also, the costs that are related to transport, such as fuel, parking, car maintenance, and public transportation costs don’t affect the online student. Fairly widespread and cheap availability of mobile network services further makes online education an attractive proposition for many.

3. Quality

Students have an opportunity to connect with the best faculty in the world through online education. Online courses are also well structured and there is any time availability of learning resources in the form of presentations, videos, documents, audio clips, and practice questions. Examinations, project submissions and evaluations can also be conducted in an unbiased manner.  On successful completion of the course, the students get certificate from accredited institutions, which improves their employability.

4. Collaboration Opportunities

Online education also allows networking opportunities to the students with their peers across nations. This also allows them to collaborate with others on projects. This also makes them culturally sensitive and able to fit into other environments.

5. Student-Teacher Interaction

In traditional classrooms, there are limited opportunities for students to get personalized attention and to get their queries solved. Online teaching overcomes this limitation due to availability of integrated chat applications and availability of teachers beyond the class schedules. This enhances the chances the problem-solving and communication skills, as well as overall academic performance.

6. No Geographical limitations

Online education facilitates availability of good quality courses to the students even though they might not be available in their geographical region. Online education is scalable and allows diversity of students across the globe.

Challenges in Online Education

Despite the advantages and opportunities listed above, Online education also has several limitations which can’t be ignored. The global academic community is trying to find solutions to overcome these limitations listed below.

1. Adaptability

Switching from traditional classroom and face-to-face training to Online education is a huge transition for both students and teachers. Both need to equip themselves with technical proficiency to use the online learning platforms. In addition, the instructors need to put in intensive work and time to design the instruction, which could be a daunting task. However, understanding the long term benefits of eLearning may change this mindset and better prepare the students and instructors for online classes.

2. Technical issues

Success of online learning depends upon strong internet connection with high bandwidth. The computer system available to the student also may pose a constraint in some technical courses which demand a higher end configuration. Some students may not even own computers. They may have to use their mobile phones in such cases, which may not facilitate the same features or user experience. A solution to this problem is knowing what kind of technological support they will need for a certain course before enrolling in it.

3. Computer proficiency

Use of online education presupposes not only computer literacy, but a certain level of proficiency in using web applications. This could be a challenge to some students coming from rural background if they do not have adequate exposure to Information Technology. Furthermore, many students find fixing basic computer problems troublesome, as they have no knowledge in this area. Such issues may pose challenges to the students, as they are expected to manage their assignments and courseware in an organized manner without struggling. A remedy for this issue could be to encourage the students to attend basic courses in computer applications and web technologies.

4. Assessments

Realistic assessment of students’ performance is one of the biggest challenges in online education. It is often difficult ensure that the student does not resort to malpractices during examinations, since the access to internet cannot be stopped. So also, in case the student needs some clarification during the examination, the instructor might not be available some time if several examinations are being conducted simultaneously. A possible solution to these issues to conduct examinations in a “private network” where the student does not have access to the internet.

5. Self-Motivation

Self-motivation is absolutely essential in an eLearning environment; however, many online learners may lack it. After enrolling in distance learning courses, many learners may lose their initial enthusiasm and perseverance. Difficulties in adopting the new technology may also aggravate the lethargy of the students. Students need to find the motivation to follow the new educational trends and also properly equip themselves for future challenges in their education and careers. Only a positive attitude will help them overcome the challenges in eLearning.

Summary

Online education has grown over the last few years and has experienced widespread acceptance, particularly in the current lock-down situation. With an online class, you get to flexibility and control over your learning environment. New models of learning are always being developed, which provide students with varied opportunities to fashion their education according to their needs. It also provides individuals an opportunity to finish a degree they might have started and were unable to continue with for one reason or another. The future of online degree education looks promising and opens up education to a larger section of the population than ever before.