Trends and Emerging Opportunities in Online Education

Given the social distancing measures put in place across the world, the online education sector in India is set to boom. Concerning the facet of distance education, online courses in India in particular have been experiencing a steep rise over the last few years. Due to the ease of access to the internet, cheap smartphones, and students seeking part-time education that is cheap, the demand for online learning courses has now surged. Some key trends shaping the online education sector in India are:

Online course India: Emerging trends and opportunities

Let’s get into the rise of online courses in India, check it out:

Growth in Edtech Companies

Some of the leading edtech businesses from India like MSM Online also provide a number of online programs for students of all age groups as well as working professionals who wish to enhance their credentials. These platforms are applying such features as interactive videos, learning roadmap, doubts solving, and gamification to provide an effective and engaging model of online learning. The amount of money these startups have been able to mobilize underscores the opportunities investors, both foreign and domestic, envision in online education in India.

Employees’ Training Programs and Re-training Programs 

New technologies are emerging at the speed of light, and, thus, the older an employee is, the fewer employable skills they have. Therefore, more working professionals are enrolling and applying for online up-skilling and re-skilling in trending domains like AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, blockchain, etc. Edtech firms have established strategic partnerships with industry giants to develop the relevant courses that help learners prepare for the future marketplace. Another benefit of the course is that it can be learned whenever one wants without having to follow a specific timetable.

Vernacular Languages Content

One emerging indication is that there is now vernacular content available online in languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, etc for the learners who are more comfortable in the Indian languages. Making online education accessible to rural students and including them in training is much easier with locally spoken language courses. It is also attested that voice assistants and other related speech recognition technologies are also facilitating vernacular e-learning. 

AR/VR for Immersive Learning

Most ed-tech firms are using the available technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality to incorporate more interactivity in the learning processes such as virtual labs/simulations, 3D models, and gamified/AR/VR quizzes. One of the advantages of this approach of teaching is that it enhances the interest of the participants and enhances their memory retention. Thus, AR/VR is not just the evolution of the type of content present in distance learning environments to videos or even to serious games, but to full-scale active learning experiences.

Growth of MOOC platforms

India ranks second place to the US in terms of demand for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOC platforms such as MSM Online, Coursera, edx, have collaborated with IITs and IMs, and multiple other institutes to provide a huge array of free as well as paid online courses. The knowledge is credible, which means that learners can easily earn certifications online and progress academically and in their careers. Technological subjects, business, and creative arts being among the most popular subjects among the students. 

Microlearning Modules 

Online modules and ‘micro-learning’, which are courses divided into tiny digestible portions, are becoming popular due to the short attention spans. The edtech firms are now developing their course structures to comprise online classes with compact sections of about 5-15 minutes each as these are easier to finish. Quick learn modules ensure that working Indians can carry out their learning processes without any interruption due to tight schedules. 

Data Analytics and Adapted Learning

Online learning platforms employ big data for purposes of monitoring students’ performance, understanding the learning process and content, and modifying it as needed. Intelligent adaptive learning systems deliver content and lecture tempo in accordance with the students ’ strengths and limitations. This kind of ‘customized’ and ‘targeted’ e-learning is possibly more effective.

Innovative Payment Models

Various payment structures including monthly fee payments, semester/annual payments, and money-back schemes are offered by the Indian edtech players for enrolment. Further, there are schemes like pay after placement, education loans, installments, or EMI which make it affordable and possible to reach out to quality e-learning for the middle-class Indian population. 

Multimedia-rich Content

Online courses today come with a variety of features such as animations, simulation, graphics, videos, and real-to-life examples rather than extensive text content to enhance the interest of the students. Most edtech companies have their in-house creative staff which includes instructional designers, visual artists, and video producers to design and develop HD e-learning content suitable for the learners in India. 

Summing up, it is essential to underline, the online education sector in India will show steady and sustainable development in the upcoming decade, backed by the growing demand, the constant evolution of IT & content, venture capital investments, and liberal policies. Yet, issues of connectivity & accessibility, and quality control across the platforms are still important targets to achieve. All in all, the future seems to be extremely bright for the edtech in making learning more accessible in India!