A Survey on Online Courses
Mrs.Anuja Makrand Lotake
(amlotake@coe.sveri.ac.in)
Asst.Prof.,SVERI’s COE, Pandharpur
What is an online course?
According to the dictionary, a course is a series of lectures or lessons about a particular subject, leading to an examination or qualification. The term became popular in the 1800s and comes originally from the Latin word cursors, which contains the idea of something that runs, or flows. Which is much related to how a course works: there’s a curriculum, or study plan you must follow in order to complete the training. Online courses in India preferred by many working professionals and students because they do not find time to attend offline classes. There are plenty of online courses available in the market which is only helpful only if you apply your skill practically.
How to make online courses more interactive: Making online courses/training more interactive is key. Interactivity enhances the motivation of participants. Interactive communication is an exchange of ideas where both participants, whether human, machine and art form is active and can have an effect on one another.
Tips to improve the interactivity of your online course
Encourage group collaboration: Start group discussions on your online course. Participants can discuss certain questions, and work together on projects. It’s even possible to add a teacher to your chat.
Ask questions during an online lecture: Online lectures can be a bit boring if participants are not able to ask questions. Involving learners is important to enhance their activeness. During an online lecture, allow students to ask questions to the teacher. The other way around is that the teacher asks a question which can be answered by learners.
Include quizzes and tests: Including quizzes and tests increases the involvement of learners. It’s a fun way to learn things, and you can get immediate feedback, which makes it interactive. In this way, the quiz or test will show participants their performance.
Interesting facts about online education in India
· The number of users enrolled for various online learning courses is estimated to be 1.6 Million in 2016, which is expected to grow about 9.6 Million by the end of 2021.
· It is estimated that there is a 175% increase in the cost of classroom education, this gives online education more preferred because it is cost effective.
These factors clearly show the involvement and future potential of online education in India. Will there ever be a world without traditional education where everything is replaced by online courses? We will try to answer this question in this article. It will show you the advantages and disadvantages of online courses over traditional education.
Advantages of online courses
Flexibility to choose your own time: Are you a morning person or an evening person? What part of the day are you most productive? This is not a question people are asked when they go to school. At school, it's necessary to follow the schedule the teachers have planned.With online courses, the situation changes. One can decide when it is the best time to study. For instance, a working mother might struggle to find time to take a course in addition to her day job. With online courses, this situation is made possible because there is greater flexibility in when she chooses to spend studying.
More interaction: Researchers are in disagreement over whether traditional or online learning is better for fostering interaction. Some studies have shown that e-learning can increase interaction for certain personalities. In other words, online courses offer shy or more reticent students the opportunity to participate in chats and discussion forums more than the traditional classroom environment.
Convenience: Learners can just stay in their pyjamas while doing their homework and activities for the day. Studying in a familiar environment can make it easier to concentrate and complete assignments. Alternatively, if they have a spare minute on the train, they could also use that time to complete an assignment on their phone or laptop!
Lower costs: Online courses save everyone a great amount of money because it requires fewer instructors and books. There is virtually no money spent on classrooms or training facilities.
Disadvantages of online courses
Impersonal: Receiving an education in a traditional class is an activity that happens within a social context. Interacting with other people is not the main goal of an online course.Some people absolutely needs an educator in order to learn a new subject. Having an educator in person to answer your questions and solve your problems is only possible in a traditional classroom setting.
Learning from a computer screen: “You will hurt your eyes.” This is something a lot of parents say to their children when they spend too much time in their computers. Learning from a computer for hours, without any breaks can cause poor vision, strain injuries, and back problems. Also, some topics require hands-on practice and cannot be taught simply with online lessons.
It requires a lot of self-discipline: If your learners don't have self-discipline, it is very unlikely that they will be motivated to complete their online courses. There is no one around to tell them to sit and get started with their studies.
What Are the Popular Online Courses in India?
Big Data and Business Analytics:
Big Data training tutorials by Lynda
Programming Courses:
Online courses by nptel
Free programming courses by Alison
Programming courses by Coursera
Online programming courses by Lynda
Web development and programming by Udemy
Putting it altogether India has great potential and opportunities in the educational technology sector with rising young population, increasing internet penetration and acceptance of online learning as a cost effective-channel.
Conclusion: Online courses are a novelty in the educational world. Will online learning completely replace traditional education? No.Online courses are not made for every person or field of study. Traditional education will still exist, but online education will become more and more present in our daily lives
References
1.https://www.easy-lms.com/knowledge-center/courses/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-courses/item10402
2. https://www.easy-lms.com/knowledge-center/courses/what-is-an-online-course/item12708
3. https://www.educations.com/study-guides/study-online
4. https://www.slideshare.net/priyashah123/benefits-of-online-education-system
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