Online education in India is estimated to be a $1.96 billion industry by 2021. Kshitij Jain shares online education trends that will mostly likely to dominate in the coming year
Online education, that was once considered humble cousin of mainstream education, has witnessed an upward swing in the last few years. The change has been brought in not only by various technological innovations but by innovative newage content and curriculum that online education providers offer to the learners. The industry in India is estimated to be a $1.96 billion industry by 2021, according to a research conducted by KPMG, with insights from Google search. According to the report, the paid user base is likely to grow six-fold — from 1.6 million users in 2016 to 9.6 million users in 2021.
Increased penetration of internet and smart phones, factors such as convenience, increased reach and personalised content offered by online education providers have led to the growth and expansion of online education market to tier-II and tier-III cities. Online education modules today allows distant learners to join in virtual lectures, pose questions to professors, chat with fellow students and take virtual exams. Most of the programmes are career-focused helping students to chalk a career path and set goals. Here are some trends that are likely to dominate online education.
Emergence of cloud computing: According to Technavio analysts, emergence of cloud computing will be one of the major trends that we will witness in the coming year. The cloud computing technology enables online education providers to save significant amount of content and data on a single platform. This makes it easier for users and providers to process, obtain, access and manage information from anywhere at any time.
Focus on future-ready career skills: With a changing world, the online educational institutions are trying to keep a balance between learning and skills required by enterprises and industry. They are offering new courses which help students become well equipped for the jobs of tomorrow. In 2019, we are likely to witness launch of more such courses and career programmes.
Many institutions are offering online degrees in specialised areas like AI, IoT, business management, data science and digital marketing. These courses have been designed to equip the students with skills that are likely to dominate in the years to come.
Game learning: The trend is likely to catch up as it makes the learning process more interesting and effective. Game learning techniques ensure higher level of involvement and interaction from students, offers them opportunity to experiment and introduce new technological innovations.
The modern business environment is becoming complex every day. With the help of game techniques, it is easier to explain these. During the interactive sessions, participants make decisions, develop strategies, immediately observing their influence on the financial position of the company.
Project-based learning: This allows students to demonstrate skills by developing apps and product. Many a time, it requires constant instructor feedback and multiple attempts if a student fails to meet the criteria. Project-based education is the foundation of the curriculum of some online educational institutions. Students create several projects over six-12 months and receive regular feedback to earn a degree.
Blended e-learning programmes: These courses with offline touch points are increasingly gaining popularity amongst individuals and organisations looking to upskill their employees. E-learning providers have witnessed a 25-30 per cent jump in companies opting for blended model over 100 per cent e-learning courses. The model facilitates discussions and collaborative learning, offers flexibility to learners has better completion rate.
Increase in interest in AR and VR: Though AR and VR are yet to reach their full potential in online learning, these technologies are expected to have a impact. Engagement, that has been one of the weakest aspects in many e-learning platforms, can be increased using these technologies. Use of AR and VR in online learning platforms have shown significant increase in engagement and improved results.
Adapting existing content: Not everyone can incorporate the latest technologies into their learning processes. In most cases, users are only looking for information that is important. Therefore, online educational institutions should review their existing study material, in terms of how useful, relevant and detailed the information is. They must be prepared for constant changes.
In 2019, training will become more specific and personalised. The online courses will need to play a key role in creating a roadmap that leads from basic knowledge to expertise in the shortest possible time. The focus will remain on people who want to learn about specific skills and not waste time learning about everything. The decisive factor will depend on the person’s motivation to regularly devote time to self-education.
The writer is Vice-President, Career Education Business, NIIT Ltd
