The internet is a nook of endless possibilities. Today, the COVID-19 crisis has impacted us in more ways than one; and one such crucial, but rough transition has been from the Indian education system’s end. From students sitting in a lecture of hundreds, they are now sitting in their bedrooms and studying solo. Although, this may seem like a curse: inefficient, however online learning is soon to become the next big thing in India.
The internet has been home to many free and paid courses over the years. From simple certificate courses to universities that provide legit degrees: online learning has come a long way. While there are drawbacks to every thing in the world: online learning comes with its own set of drawbacks and strengths. The need of internet to take an online class is the biggest challenge, with areas in the country that have minimal to no network, even bigger cities face network fluctuation issues at times. Some students also find it inefficient to have a class online, as there is no direct contact with the teacher or fellow classmates. However, this is an issue dependent of personal preference.
Online learning is flexible, it can be adjusted throughout your day: this is especially advantageous for people who are pursuing an education degree while studying. It also allows a student to pace his education according to his ability and availability. The internet also has an unsurmountable amount of information that is frequently updated—access to this information becomes more useful when learning online.
While there are sudents who despise this change, many are welcoming it with open arms. Moreover, after realizing the advantages of online school, universities and colleges are coming up with a wider variety of subjects available for online learning, and continually working on dimnishing the drawbacks that come along with it. Some big names in the field of online learning are:
1. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU): Also called the People’s University, IGNOU is one of India’s top institutions. Apart from providing offline courses, IGNOU also has BA, BCom, BCA, MCom, MCA and other online undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
2. Maharishi Dayanand University: MDU provides a plethora of online courses, they also include online therapy or learning programs, self-growth soft skills etc. They also provide courses in BE, BTech, BPharma, MA, MSc and LLB.
3. Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy: SASTRA is deemed to be University, and has been ranked as a top-tier educational institution by Times Higher Education and QS. They provide BA, BBA, BCom, MA, MCA, MCom, MSc in various subjects.
4. Amity University: Amity University is one of the most renowned private universities of India, the offer multiple online diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in BBA, BA, BCom, BCA, and postgraduate diplomas in HR and International Business amongst others.
5. Aligarh Muslim University: AMU was established in 1920, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities of the country. They offer multiple online courses in BCom, BA, MA.
These are some of the best online colleges of the country. Apart from these, several IITs and IIMs have also begun to provide online education, building the path for a better, cheaper, more flexible and accessible education system in the future.