Many people who start working early in life – because of necessity or choice – tend to lose out on formal education. Some join correspondence courses and acquire knowledge or degrees, but miss out on the classroom experience.
Online study offers an advantage over correspondence courses and a way to overcome many of the problems that employed people face. One can, sitting at home, acquire degrees that one always wanted to have. It is an interactive mode where teachers are available online to guide and to counsel. The classroom experience is replicated through real time interaction with teachers and co-students. Today, courses in computer technology, management, arts and even coaching in competitive examinations are available on the Internet. Foreign degrees can also be acquired without having to leave home.
Boon for students: For employed students this is a boon, because they cannot give up their jobs to acquire education. Online education offers a way of getting an education while working full-time, in one’s spare time. For people living in remote areas without access to a college or university, online learning is the solution, without the discomfort of traveling large distances to reach an institute.
Employed students will find online study quite useful, as they do not have to give up their jobs and forego income to get an education.
Costs: All that one needs to study online is a computer and Internet access. The cost to be incurred consists of fees to be paid to the institute and the charges of the Internet Service Provider. The latter can be reduced somewhat as many service providers offer a discounted rate for night usage. This can be exploited by employed people, who will in any case be using their spare time to attend virtual classes
If one lacks the means to invest in a computer and a telephone line, the neighborhood cyber café can be used. Surfing rates have been coming down and one can get a good deal from the café for regular usage. Online study thus has the advantage of reaching out to the poor and the disadvantaged.
Precautions: There are some precautions to be taken before taking up an online study course. First, be clear in your mind why you want to take up online study. Is it to acquire skills or to earn a degree? This clarity will help you choose the most appropriate course.
Second, check the credibility of the institute and of the degree. Sometimes students may invest in an online degree that is not recognized, or get a degree from a questionable university. It is advisable to check up from the University Grants Commission (UGC) site about the accredited universities.
Third, look for the additional facilities provided by the institute. An important question to ask is: does it help the student in placement? For instance, many students get a degree for better jobs. It would be a great help if the institutes help their graduates in placement services as well.
Premier Institutes: The decision of the government to allow premier institutes including IITs and IIMs to offer online courses is also a boon for employed students who always wanted a premier degree but were not able to. The scheme offers hope not only to desirous students but also to those living in remote areas who have been unable to pursue these degrees for any reasons. Students can now do a degree while studying from their homes and interacting with the faculty online.
According to the Distance Education Council (DEC), all premier institutes in the country would be allowed to offer online courses. “There’s no reason to stop IIMs and IITs from offering their courses online or in distance mode,’’ said V N Rajasekharan Pillai, vice chancellor, Indira Gandhi National Open University, who chaired the meeting. DEC is the governing body for distance education in the country. Premier institutes are already offering online courses, giving hope to thousands of students who could not attend these premier institutes.
As online learning expands, many universities and institutes will start offering more courses, which will help the employed person. A good education or degree can now be availed if you missed it for whatever reason.
Resources:
A fake university alert is available on the UGC site: www.ugc.ac.inCourses by IIM, Calcutta and IMT, Ghaziabad are offered for working professionals by NIIT on: www.niitimperia.comFor a variety of online courses, entrance examination preparation and simulation game visit www.simt-ind.orgCoaching for civil services, engineering and other exams are available on a number of sites.
A variety of courses on Fine Arts, Web design, Graphics/Multimedia, Other arts and design are available on different sites. |
