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Kamaldeep
29 May, 2024
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The transformative shift in education and technology is at the forefront of the 21st century. As the digital era seeps, how we learn and acquire skills has changed. The technology-enabled online degrees are the new-age learning methods. In the recent past, institutions have seen a huge rise in enrolment for online degrees, especially for online BBA and online MBA courses. So, it is appropriate to say that online degrees have reshaped the face of higher education.
Let’s see how
Online learning, literally has no barriers, except for the poor internet connection which you have sometimes or if your desktop misbehaves. The fact that online degrees have brought down geographical barriers and allowed students from remote areas of any country to pursue their education at top universities in the world. You get to connect with international industry experts through webinars, online workshops and guest lectures. This is especially beneficial for developing countries where the quality higher education system is still trying to keep pace with the world.
Moreover, international education which is an important aspect of NEP 2024 will bring diversity to virtual classrooms. Students from different countries and backgrounds will be present in one classroom. This helps in gaining a broader perspective of the field.
The student-teacher ratio has always been an important parameter when choosing a programme. Online degrees have this promising feature of a personal touch. Universities assign mentors to every student who has to handle their academic queries and provide counselling. Apart from this, there are discussion forums, chats, and one-on-one sessions with teachers. The adaptive learning algorithms of ed-tech have changed the narratives to analyse student progress and alter the teaching pedagogy accordingly.
The personalised learning of online degrees ensures that no student is left behind. In fact, the pressure of enhancing its quality to compete with traditional learning will always keep the online degree providers on their toes.
Virtual learning is not limited to a certain age bracket of students pursuing degrees. It caterers to a broader audience, from fresh graduates to working professionals. Seeing the demands of the business world, working executives have understood the importance of continuous learning and upskilling. This has boosted the growth of online education. Since it’s convenient to pursue an online degree while working, candidates are shifting towards this unconventional option.
The idea of lifelong learning has become a necessity globally, pushing further the change brought by online degrees in the higher education landscape. The professionals now need to be more agile and make continuous learning their habit. Therefore, reshaping higher education.
Using innovative teaching methods to make learning interactive and fun was already in motion in offline education. However, online degrees were able to quickly adopt this since their roots belong to technology. Online education is more than a folder of videos and doc files. The integration of advanced technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence has made this possible. While it is expensive and hard to incorporate in traditional classrooms, these technologies bring fun to many boring concepts in online degrees.
For instance, the frog dissection part in your class. In online education, you have the accessibility to dissect a virtual frog which is not possible otherwise. This helps you to learn the concepts practically, thereby, developing strong niche skills.
Be it family commitments, personal pursuits, or work responsibilities, you can tailor your online degree to fit your own schedule. Remote learning will allow you to study the course material at your own pace fostering self-directed learning. Moving further, online degrees have made higher education accessible for marginalised groups. This has altered the path of students who often choose to complete their higher education. A degree which can be completed at your own pace from anywhere within an affordable range is a signal highlighting the reshaping of higher education.
The reforms to reshape the higher education system in India are on the rise, especially in the post-pandemic era. To promote online degrees, the Government of India launched initiatives like PM e-Vidya, PMGDISHA and SWADES. The landscape of online degrees is in the development phase, therefore, the industry is undergoing various changes. Here is a glimpse of the latest trends in the online education sector:
Learning powered by AR and VR
Adaptive learning technology to tailor and personalise your online degree
Nano learning or bite-size learning with short online courses
Earning micro-credentials and digital badges is the hype of the time
Blending of blended learning models
Enhancement and promotion of MOOCs in college curriculum
Making mobile a learning source (Since India has 1.2 billion users)
Amity University
Chandigarh University
Manipal University
Jain University
DY Patil Vidyapeeth Pune
SRM Institute of Science and Technology
IMT CDL
School of Distance Learning, University of Delhi
Symbiosis International University
Lovely Professional University
The story of online degrees has just begun. It is evidently reshaping higher education globally by integrating technology with education, expanding accessibility, bringing flexibility, and offering lifelong learning. Embracing this new era of online degrees and benefiting from their immense potential is crucial for institutions.
