The Future of Online Learning in India

All of us are under the notion that education can only be imparted via standard methods of schooling. Rewinding times, earlier it used to be gurukuls where gurus would teach a bunch of students which later with time transformed into schools where qualified teachers taught students as per a standard curriculum under their supervision in a four-walled place.  And now with the advent of technology and the changing mindset of people, the ruling era of digital has taken place with online learning full in action like never before.

A brief of Education terrain in India

India has got a multi-layered complex formal education system starting with schools, colleges, graduates, postgraduates, and diploma. Most schools are governed by CBSE, ICSE or other state boards that decide on the academic pattern and curriculum. On the other hand, informal education comprises of tuition’s, coaching classes or in brief something acting as a supplement to the formal education system. Primary education (K-12 learning) is mandatory that serves the foundation of any student.

Later a series of national-level examinations are conducted by higher authorities to allot students into respective colleges of their interest.

Key factors for driving online learning

The growing smartphone penetration is driving technological adoption amongst masses in India.

Approximately there are 290 million smartphone users in India which will see a tremendous rise by 2021. The online education players are hugely going to be benefited with the increased internet penetration which is said to grow exponentially in the coming years.

People from all walks of life (be it parents students or teachers) are changing their mindset and becoming more adaptive to the new ways of online learning analyzing the numerous benefits it offers. They are slowly recognizing the power of online education and the change it brings to our everyday lives.

Statistics by KPMG and Google on online education in India

• The online education market in India is set to grow to around 9.6 million users and $1.96 billion by the year 2021. (This is around 8X growth)
• The online coaching classes in India which aim at preparing for competitive exams like JEE, NEET, IAS, etc. will be high in demand a rise in CAGR up to 64%.
• Online MBA will be popular amongst the distance learning courses in the category of higher education. The market size will expand enormously with a CAGR 41%.
• People are focusing on quality education rather than just laying emphasis on clearing exams. Thus, primary and secondary supplement education will see enormous growth.

The process of online learning

1. Through varied marketing strategies, the online players ask students to view the educational content on their platform and provide them with their relevant experience.
2. Once they go through the samples, they are charged for the complete courses if they wish to proceed ahead.
3. Course Subscription is done based on the student’s interests.
4. Add-ons are provided to further increase their leads and retaining the customer base.

Thinking what had led this major shift over the years? Decode them right below-

• The power of choice- The key motivational factor behind adopting online learning courses in India is the power to choose your study material. All you need to do is an internet search. On the web, you will easily find hundreds of courses of one particular topic. You choose what you want to study and when do you want to study. The wide variety and the option to pick something that matches our needs is something that was required since ages.
• The flexibility and convenience- Every individual think differently, learns differently. The pace and aptitude of students depend upon their learning environment that they have been into over the years. Classroom teaching gets a major drawback here. Teachers can’t compromise on their pace because at the end of the day they have to meet certain deadlines as well. Educators though are well aware of this fact but high customization in content delivery would obviously consume a lot of time and resources. So, how should this issue be resolved? With an online learning portal.The variety of study material available on the web, the facility to play, pause, stop a video lecture whenever you want, getting involved into live sessions, webinars,  and much more has led this particular rise in the online industry.The best online learning courses for competitive examinations are being designed catering to the needs of an individual student. And therefore, online sites in India of leading coaching institutes are targeting young generations.
• Money really matters! Well, this is one of the growth drivers of online education in India that is providing a low-cost alternative to people. The online methods of learning, for example, skill enhancement courses are much cheaper as compared to offline alternatives. Moreover, online learning does not compromise on quality. You are bound to get well-formulated courses by highly acclaimed teachers on the internet. Also, apart from the paid courses, a user can get a volume of free content and video lectures easily.

Conclusion- With the evolution of online learning, it has truly expanded the horizons in learning without any restrictions on age. Individuals who actually are looking for an opportunity to learn are surely going to be benefited with this rising era. It has definitely got a bright future!