Simply put Online Education is Internet or Web-enabled Education under which the University, College or Institution imparts education online. In other words, the concerned University uploads and in turn sends study materials, course materials, and all other related requirements for the completion of a course to the students through the Net.
Slowly but steadily Online Education is becoming the preferred medium of Education in India with not only regular universities and institution but several other private bodies such as publishers, IT companies, KPOs joining in the fray and contributing to the spread of education through cyberspace.
There is bound to be some overlap of Online Education with Distance Learning Programmes. While there are some similarities between the two, essentially, in DLPs (Distance Learning Programmes) the students can be called by the universities to visit there respective campus during the course of the programme. This is normally not the case with Online Education, where virtually the entire course content is taught, discussed, questions answered, all online.
In India, 1 our of every three net user is getting into Online Learning or Education. This is effectively 35% of the total net users in the country. And it is happening at all levels and what is more some of the big names are investing in this modern day education medium.
The UPA Government in February, 2009 launched the ‘National Mission on Education (NME) through Information and Communication Technology’.The scheme will cost a total of US$ 950,000. NME aims to enhance access, equity and quality of higher education in the country by leveraging on ICT and providing e-content and connectivity to all institutions of higher learning. It is expected to involve active participation of state governments.
Under this scheme, the central government will provide new generation knowledge modules and e-content and bear 75 per cent of internet connectivity cost while the rest will be borne by the state governments. The two major components of NME is content generation with learning material digitized to e-contents, and providing connectivity and access devices to institutions and learners.