How Is E-learning Changing the Trend of the Modern-day Study Pattern?

We hear a lot about how information technology is penetrating our day-to-day lives and making a significant impact. Like all other fields, education also stands positively affected by the confluence of new technologies and increased accessibility and availability of the Internet. The pandemic, COVID-19, has only added to the demand of e-learning and its reach. As per a recent survey, the worldwide e-learning market is projected to be worth $325 Billion in 2025.

E-learning is not a very new concept but has rather evolved positively over the years. With almost all the universities and schools taking the e-route, e-learning is on its way towards being the new normal. With the creativity and innovation that it offers, e-learning is gradually changing the study patterns of students and learners all over the world, be it at the elementary school level, research work or for competitive exam preparation. 

For school students, the traditional one-on-one tuition format of classroom learning is gradually disappearing and being replaced by online applications and websites that offer gamified and self-paced modules. Children get to see a lot of interactive content in audiovisual and textual formats, which make their learning more interesting and fun. Such applications are often empowered with artificial intelligence (AI), which helps in adapting to the needs of the student as per their cognitive capacity and speed. According to a 2019 survey, around 63 percent of high school students in the United States use e-learning tools at school to learn every day.

A lot of studies have pointed out that each student is unique in terms of learning patterns. E-learning today customizes the learning experience of a child to match their learning style. They are also given small tests or assessments based on which AI helps to pace up or slow down the learning process as per the child’s needs, making the learning process more adaptive. The systems in the e-learning platforms gather the interests and inclinations of a student and recommend other advanced or bridge courses.

Many top universities across the world including Harward, Stanford, Massachsstes are also offering online degrees and professional certificate courses online, thus breaking the geographical barriers in learning. A person sitting in any part of the world can learn any skill from the World’s top educators, at the comfort of their home, at the hostel or even while traveling! Yes, because most of these e-learning courses are available in the format of mobile applications also, which offer a facility to download or save a lecture and watch it as per convenience. As per reports, 43% Of US College Students Find Digital Learning Technologies "Extremely Helpful".

For competitive exam preparation for securing jobs or for the purpose of higher studies, the conventional coaching centers are being replaced by e-learning platforms. These platforms are often equipped with concept-based lectures, mock tests, e-learning material and even exam strategy planning assistance. All a student needs is a desktop or a laptop and internet connection to avail all the resources to crack the exam. They offer exam preparation resources for national as well as regional examinations in the form of video lectures, mock tests and analysis, blogs, e-books, current affairs updates, exam updates and what not! The best part is that such platforms are also available in the form of a mobile application, thus, encapsulating an entire coaching center and its benefits in a palm-size device!

Testbook, an India based ed-tech startup, recently came up with a new concept of ‘live coaching’ in both web and mobile application formats. This concept ensures that an aspirant gets a personal coach to interact with, gain conceptual clarity, solve doubts and also to help in planning better strategies to attempt the exam to score maximum. Many more such concepts are trending all over the world and benefitting the candidates at all levels. 

Another big advantage that most of these platforms offer is that of low cost. Their price is drastically lesser than the conventional coaching costs. 

Binge-watching lectures while traveling or learning a new skill without stepping out of the house, with the lessons available on a lesser price or sometimes even free, is definitely the new normal.

However, students do miss out on the actual experience of being present in a classroom along with fellow students and the teacher, which brings out a whole new level of interaction. But, that is just one side of the coin.

E-learning is a boon for higher education, skill upgrade and competitive exam preparation. It cannot be a full-time substitute or a replacement for the physical classroom setup of schools and colleges, but e-learning can reach thousands of students where the classrooms cannot.