E-learning essentially entails using online instructions and guidance to impart and receive an education. E-learning and E-teaching are two intermingled concepts that have enabled the field of education to transcend the barriers of conventional classrooms and span across a diverse set of student groups.
We live in the Information Age, and it would not make sense to discount the omnipresence of this medium to dissipate necessary information. Our current business and learning environment is endowed with the perks of the Internet, and it would be of consequence to harness the power of this medium to enhance the ambit of our work, learning, and services.
The COVID pandemic has taught us that it is imperative to figure out virtual ways to get the job done to keep the operations running and functional. No business has stayed aloof from the magical touch of technology. The post-pandemic era relies more on work and information dissipation modules that depend on technology and the Internet.
To enable the E-learning modules to bring forth a more inclusive approach to education, it is essential to take note of the interrelation between information distribution through the Internet and the extent of its permeability in our societal setup.
The past decade has seen exponential growth in terms of connectivity and information exposure by virtue of the Internet. This has facilitated a paradigm shift in the manner in which various business and service sectors operate and intersect with each other.
When we talk about education, it has got a much-needed boost in terms of its purview and inclusiveness through E-learning.
E-learning in the educational sectors imparts a more of an enki approach to learning because the learner can access the information material as per his discretion. In addition to that, one can also revise and replay the same content again to augment their understanding of the concept. This provides an edge over the traditional methods of learning because it is not incumbent upon the will of the teacher to recapitulate the concepts for the student but, in fact, on the choice of the student to revise the topics.
How does E-Learning facilitate inclusive education?
In terms of inclusion, there are a number of factors that prohibit people from various sections of society from accessing education like others. This is where e-learning steps in to smoothen the edges and make information available and accessible for anyone who wants to use it.
- We all know that learning is a perpetual process, and you cannot pin down a specific age that can be designated for learning. However, the convention or traditional school of thought has stipulated various stages of learning to respective age groups, and that is how our educational system operates with e-learning; people from any age group can pick up the threads from where they left off and begin their journey to educate themselves. When educational institutions incorporate the endowments of e-learning in their system, then their ambit of educating people increases manifold. Consequently, people who have crossed a certain age or are unwilling to be a part of a classroom can also enroll themselves and partake in the e-learning process to accomplish their educational goals, dreams, and aspirations.
- Although a lot of effort is being made to remove the menace of gender bias in our country, we still believe that there is a long way to go. More often than not, people are stripped of an opportunity to access education based on their gender. At times it could be marriage, home responsibilities, or an inability to access a school, college, or university. E-learning plays a significant role in mitigating these issues to a great degree by making it possible for women to access education and bridge the gap between their circumstances and dreams. E-learning in education is a blessing for all those who wish to become educated and qualified but are unable to do so because of circumstantial shackles.
- Many children or adults who suffer from any kind of disability find it hard to access the conventional modes of education due to several types of social, economic, mental and physical barriers. Education can play a significant role in upholding their self-respect by making them feel more confident about themselves. E-learning can help people from different walks of life relive their true potential in terms of academic success and subsequently harness that knowledge to soar high in their life.
- India is a vast country, and there are so many little towns and villages that are not aptly connected to the big cities or even to each other. In this scenario, it is challenging for people from such places to easily access educational institutions. Having said that, there is absolutely no denying the fact that, more than the roads, it is the Internet that has managed to make inroads into the deeper crevice of our nation’s geography. This has presented an excellent opportunity for educational institutions and students to come in contact with each other. Therefore, a greater chunk of our population has been able to dream about getting a good education and making a decent living for themselves and their families. This has given wings to so many dreams and improved the quality of life of numerous families.
The Right to education act in our country has made it possible for children between the age group of 6-14 to avail of free and compulsory education. Having said that, the effective execution of this act won’t be aptly possible without the use of E-learning technology because a large portion of children who belong to this age group is totally incapacitated to access the traditional model of education. In such a scenario, it would be of consequence to seamlessly integrate the offerings of the education sector with the modules of e-learning to create a more dynamic and evolving model of education that is far more encompassing and inclusive.
