Exploring Online Learning in India Prof. S.V.S. Chaudhary*
Abstract India is rich in traditional knowledge which requires to be transformed into electronic mode / version if it wants to benefit from both its own resources and those acquired from other sources (CSTD, 2003). The citizens, therefore, have to be technologically literate and acquire necessary skills to use these devices for storage, dissemination and retrieval of information. India believes that acquisition and sharing of knowledge, which as per UNESCO, are keys to economic and social development, have been dramatically changed and accelerated by ICTs which enhance productivity of the teaching-learning process and offer unique and unconventional solutions to problems confronted by the education sector. Among the various mode of education, online learning in India is becoming a need of the hour. The rapid growth of technology along with increased access to networked computers makes online learning possible in India. India is projected to have the third largest online population by 2013. As in many developing countries, internet access in India has largely been the preserve of the rich, urban and industrialized communities. Realizing its importance in improving the quality of life, India has initiated various schemes to connect remote areas so that digital isolation of rural communities can be addressed. As a result, substantial online growth rates would be higher in the coming years. With increased ICT connectivity, it has become mandatory for all the higher education institutions in the country to have internet connectivity. This facility has been scaled up and used for teaching, learning and tutorials / counseling purposes. Many institutions are gearing up their resources to exploit the potential of web-based teaching and learning in due course of time. The Government of India hopes that the ICT infrastructure would help in addressing the deficiency of quality teachers in institutions located in the rural area. India has now realized that in an information society, technological infrastructure / network is a must for its development. Though the entire country is not yet wired, ICT connectivity is gradually penetrating across the length and breadth of the country. India is poised to become the third largest country in terms of internet users across the globe. India has elaborate plans to expand broadband and internet access as part of its egovernance projects. The learners express diverse views about the credibility of online learning. On one hand many institutions and educationists see great hope in online learning and find it geared
to meet the demand of the new age learners while others put a question mark over the credibility and quality of this mode. The advantages of online learning are being viewed with caution. Online education is likely to co-exist with other communication technologies and modes of teaching and learning which will continue to be relevant for the heterogeneous group of learners. With easy availability and accessibility to computer hardware, the online mode would curve a niche for itself in both conventional and ODL systems. The need of the hour is to build sound infrastructure and provide basic amenities, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas, for the success of online learning.
Vice Chairperson, National Council for Teacher Education, Government of India, New Delhi 110 002 India
Chaudhary38@hotmail.com