What used to be a matter of choice, has become a matter of necessity over the years. E-learning has been in existence for more than 50 years, but this concept got its very definition only a decade ago.
Since this term went from representing a plain delivery of information to a completely interactive system as we know of today, it doesn’t come as a surprise that e-learning was building its popularity gradually, only to finally become widely accepted for its revolutionary goal and amazing benefits for both students and teachers. Thanks to the rise of the internet in the past decade, different education and communication tools have been significantly improved, geographical boundaries have been erased, and access to knowledge, skills, and programs has been easier than ever.
The beauty of this system is in the fact that it will never stop expanding, upgrading, and changing – following the technological innovations and changes in the IT industry. Having an opportunity to listen to podcasts, watch videos, read books, or play educational games on our phones might seem scary and was hard to understand in the past, but little by little, augmented reality became our reality, and virtual educational tools became a part of our daily life, no matter if we’re students, employees or we just love learning new things!
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That’s the beauty of e-learning
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Soon after, almost every country in the world recognized e-learning as a valuable source of information for its citizens, whether they are students or not. Today employers train their future employees by using this type of learning, students study using e-learning resources and tools, and all other people occasionally check out something they need online or talk to a mentor. Not only that, devices that have access to the internet are no longer limited to PCs. E-learning tools are available on all devices, including laptops, tablets, and finally – smartphones.
Why are e-learning tools useful?
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Last year was a year of challenges, a bit of fear, and a lot of improvisation. The pandemic has taught us how to take advantage of all the technology commodities available and as a result, they have helped the world and us, to continue functioning.
What are the major benefits of online learning platforms and tools? The answer is simple – it’s the flexibility, affordability, and easy access. Since e-learning became a versatile market, we can choose the option that will best fit our needs, and we can choose the learning environment in which we feel comfortable and motivated. Not only that, the opportunities for absorbing the knowledge and getting closer to your dream career are closer than ever, since geographical borders are no longer an issue. Online learning is also much more effective since it is visually designed to catch and hold your attention for longer periods of time, with a lot of illustrations, images, and other content that enriches the information and the plain text from textbooks that we used to learn from. There are audio and video lectures, you can learn in small and big groups of students, and more importantly – it’s easier than ever to finish your assignments with all the amazing extensions, apps, and tools that are designed to help you in the process of studying. If you want to learn a new language, you can simply download Duolingo and start building your language proficiency. If you need to edit a PDF document, book or lecture, you can do it in no time using online tools such as 2pdf.com. If you want to get motivated, simply watch one of the motivational speeches on TED or TEDx.
One of the countries that have successfully managed to transition from traditional educational systems to online learning was India. During 2024, a couple of millions of people have adopted online education and skills in this country, using several tools, portals and softwares in order to reach this goal. Social distancing, lockdowns and curfews have made the process of adaptation to new circumstances, faster than ever. This means that all the businesses that wanted to stay in the game, had to find a way to get digitized. That’s exactly what happened in India.
E-learning experience in India
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Since there are so many students in India, there had to be enough digital opportunities for them to continue studying normally, offering equal chances of learning and gaining knowledge. That’s why there are a plethora of affordable programs and courses in India that are available for even the poorest rural areas and their residents. With lower to no fees at all, this means equal opportunity to achieve their goal and eventually build a career of their choice. The Indian government has taken up a variety of e-learning projects in order to reach as many students as possible and motivate them to succeed in their academic journey.
Most popular e-learning tools for students in India
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- GuruQ.in
This platform emphasizes the importance of great tutors, so it offers a wide variety of reliable tutors with great teaching backgrounds that are quality-certified and ranked, but also affordable. It’s suitable for all educational levels.
- BYJUS
One of the most popular educational startups in India focuses on user engagement, helping students absorb theoretical knowledge while staying focused and motivated. This is being done through different videos, games, mediums and formats that are highly engaging.
- Khan Academy
What’s special about this app is that it is completely non-profit and it’s designed to help students in different academic subjects such as Math, Science or Arts. With thousands of lectures and its main goal – providing a better learning experience for students, this tool is great for everyone.
- Unacademy
This app has made a great impact on several hundred thousands of students who were struggling with all kinds of competitive exams. What’s great about this platform is that it prepares the students not only for specific subjects, but also some essential skills such as writing and public speaking. It’s been shown that students from the remotest places in India have benefited from using this particular tool.
- Udemy
This may not be an Indian-based app, but it is fantastic for all the people who seek knowledge of any kind. It’s great for students since it offers over 150,000 courses on various topics. One of the great features is that courses are affordable yet effective, and the tutors are reliable and reputable. This platform has been used by more than 50 million students.