| eLearning V/S Classroom Learning |
Sr. No.
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Parameter
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eLearning
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Classroom Learning |
1
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Learning from best faculties
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Since the classroom is conducted online, it is possible to organise good quality faculty from anywhere in the world. In addition, it is possible to provide recorded Video Based Training (VBT™) or Audio Based Training (ABT) to students, thus, students learn from the best faculties always.
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Today, faculty shortage is a primary problem faced by classroom learning. Even the elite institutions like IITs and IIMs are facing shortage of faculties, not to mention about other not so well known schools and colleges. |
2
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Range of courses and programs offered
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Vast choice of courses, students-centric education, choice of accredited courses by reputed national and international universities, organisations / institutes make this an ideal learning platform for students. Besides, availability of job-oriented courses after the 10+2 level, or after degree/ diploma courses, makes eLearning a good choice for students.
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Limited number of courses; the choice is limited due to the fact that for every course/ subject a faculty is required at a fixed location and generally faculties from only surrounding areas are available. Besides, the fact that there are more than 55million graduates unemployed, makes it is clear that the education provided is lacking in job-oriented, vocational and industry focused courses. Students opts for this model only because no better alternative was available till now. |
3
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Student centric v/s Administrator
centric
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Classroom learning assumes students to be 100% present, 100% alert in the classroom and all students to have equal grasping power. That unfortunately, does not give second chance to students. eLearning provides tools like Video Based Training (VBT™), Audio Based Training (ABT), archived classes which just not provide second chance, but many more chances. In addition, Live Virtual Classroom (LVC), Discussion Board and Chat facility enable students to solve their queries during the classroom and even afterwards. Thus, providing truly ‘student centric’ learning. Archived classes make missed classes a history. It is observed that students, irrespective of sex, religion, caste, raise questions in the LVC because there is no body to watch them around (physically with eye contact) and judge them.
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Classes are scheduled by the administrator or dictated by the convenience of teacher. Once a student misses a class, his progress may lag due to missing link. No second chance is available. Besides, for personal or personality reasons (fear of being judged by co-students), most students don’t raise questions in the class. |
4
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Tracking, Assessment, multimedia experience and resources
during self learning
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A typical Learning Management System (LMS) will deliver tracking and Assessment during self learning. This helps to spot at an early stage, bright students as well students who require additional help. In addition, with development in multimedia, it is possible to provide lively, enriching and easy to understand learning experience to students. Besides, it is possible to leverage internet, by providing huge repository of resources. |
Whilst studying books it is difficult to track what has been studied and what has been understood. In addition, providing additional resources is difficult. |
5
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Experience during Live Classroom
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eLearning provides Live Virtual Classroom (LVC) which mimics physical classroom, but provides much more. It is possible to provide hand raise, yes and no button , Labs, Assessment during Live Class, Virtual tour on a website, archived classes, etc.
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Although it is possible to provide Assessment (but not instant results) and virtual tour of a website (through projector), it is difficult and expensive and hence is generally not provided. Besides, providing archived classes is cumbersome and hence rarely provided. |
6
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Experience during
Live Classroom -
Efficient usage of faculty time
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In the virtual classroom with stored whiteboard, the teacher can draw on different white boards from time to time as result gets more time to interact with students. Besides, a video can be shown during live class easily (needs to be downloaded by students before the class begins), thus aiding learning and enhancing learning experience for the students
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Faculty tends to spend a lot time writing, drawing on the blackboard/white board as a result time available for interaction is less, Besides, it is not generally possible(or requires expensive equipments) to show videos to aid learning |
7
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Experience during Live Classroom- How free students are to raise questions in class
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It is observed that students raise questions easily even if being seen silly by others. Besides, a Live virtual classroom, helps buries difference in various social categories more easily. Tool's exists which convey anonymously to teachers as to the pace and complexity of lessons being taught.
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It is observed that most students feel shy of raising question in the class. Besides, physical presence, brings into sharp focus the social divide that exists between religions, sexes, castes and regions |
8
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Experience
during Live Classroom-Time to get feedback on how effective is teaching?
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It is easy to test knowledge of students on subject being taught whether during the lecture or immediately thereafter. This quick feedback helps either to organize repeat lectures or changes required in faculty/method of teaching.
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One of the biggest drawbacks in the Classroom based training is; there is no measure to test how much students have grasped at the end of the lecture. This is generally known only after significant time gap when results of tests/exams are out. |
9
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Experience during Live Classroom- Value
addition by teacher beyond
completion of normal syllabus
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Since, multimedia lessons/video lectures/recorded lectures generally can take care of syllabus completion, the teacher can offer customised learning to different students taking into account learning need of different students.
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In the physical class, the teacher is under compulsion to complete syllabus which generally stretches right up to end of the term. There is no time left for the teacher to give individual attention and offer customised learning path for different students. |
10
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Experience
during Live Classroom -
Additional
resources
for students
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It is easy via tools like web safari to take entire class to a particular website which may provide additional reference material with comments by the teacher which will certainly help students in further study.
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Students do look forward to resources for additional studies. Excepting giving book reference or giving website reference it is difficult to show the resources during live class. Or may require expensive equipments. |
11
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Time to introduce latest courses
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Since distribution of knowledge is instantaneous over the Web, new courses / technologies can be taught in shortest possible time, so that students enjoy the crucial early bird advantage in the job market.
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Need to set up faculty at various locations increases time to transfer knowledge. |
12
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Minimum batch size for class
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Since the class is conducted over the Web, the universe of students is much larger than that in a traditional classroom. This does away with the limitation of a minimum batch size requirement since students are physically based at diverse locations.
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There is severe limitation on minimum batch size. It is difficult to visualize a class of 2 or 3 students wanting to study out of a single place. |
13
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Quality of faculty- certainty
of timely completion of courseware
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Since a large number of faculties are not required, the selected faculty can be paid higher, thus ensuring that students enjoy the advantages of decidedly superior teachers. Besides, Video Based Training (VBT) allows capture and archive of classes for future use. This ensures that students can benefit from high quality teaching any time in the future, even if the individual faculty members are not on board.
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Attracting good faculties has always been the biggest problem. Besides, retaining them is another challenge. Faculties leaving midway is quite prevalent, thus creating uncertainity in timely completion of courses. The students also get unsettled due to discontinuity in teaching and/ or uncertainity in frequent change in faculties. |
14
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Pricing of courses - overall
cost of operation
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It is true that eLearning requires significant investment in developing content and initial set up. However, that can spread over large no of courses/students, thus deriving economies of scale. Besides, prices of computers, memories, storage devices, printers and bandwidth are falling, and their quality improving, thus ensuring stability in overall costs of operation. As a result, courses offered via eLearning are about 25-30% cheaper than courses offered under classroom learning.
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There is huge initial cost in terms of acquiring land, constructing building, library, and provision of facilities. There is no scalability or economies of scale. The fact is cost of all input in classroom learning are going up; be it land, building, rent, salaries of staff and faculties, utilities like power and water. As a result, operations costs providing classroom learning are also rising. It is shocking but true that some of the campuses costs anywhere between Rs. 50 Crores to Rs. 800 crores and they charge fees between Rs.2.5 lakhs to even Rs. 10 lakhs for 2-4 years course. Even then faculties are hard to find. In addition, after paying such fees, placement remains difficult. If this state of affairs continues, salaries expectations may go up and this may hurt country’s competitiveness. |
15
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Availability of quality education to all – inclusiveness of education
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eLearning makes provision of quality education to masses at affordable costs possible. Thus, eLearning makes inclusive education possible irrespective of caste, creed, religion, geography or sex.
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Due to the above stated factors, classroom learning becomes expensive and not scalable. Classroom learning provides islands of excellence which is only available to a few, for e.g. based on merit, leaving out a vast majority who are good, want to study but cannot get good quality education. At the same time, in many cases, quality education is available, but becomes expensive that only rich can afford. |
| 16 |
Viability in remote location
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Given the widespread availability of Internet connection and power back- ups in smallest towns, students in remote areas can access scores of degree, diplomas and certification courses.
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Due to lack of availability of teachers and small size of students opting for a particular type of courses, this model is unviable in remote locations. |
17
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Library facilities
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With online libraries, it is possible to provide large number of books to any number of students inexpensively. In addition, with development of multimedia books it is possible to provide, meanings, animation, hyperlink, additional examples in the books thus making learning interesting and enriching.
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Due to costs and space limitations, typically only a few copies are available. Many a time, this is cornered by a few students who renew it as many times as possible, leaving out a large number of students who cannot access these books or have to spend significant amount to buy such books. |
18
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Lab facilities and practical lessons
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It is possible to provide Lab experience via Simulation in the digital world. Simulation is the digital reproduction of a product or process or machine for the purpose of training or demo. Everyone is aware about aircraft simulation. These days even surgery training is provided through simulation. Simulation helps training in the following ways-
- Show me-how it is done
- Let me-do on my own
- Allow me to make mistake, because we learn from mistakes
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It is true that in certain cases like Science labs, public speaking, training on machines classroom learning may be required, in which case theoretical lessons can be taken online and practical lessons can be taken by classroom learning. Here again, Simulation, can play an important role in imparting high quality education. This blended learning will provide cost effective education to a large number of students not restricted by physical facilities. |
19
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Green learning
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eLearning does require electrical energy to run computers and servers. However, day by day hardware is becoming more powerful (and thereby can service more students) and also highly energy efficient. On balance, it requires much less energy, no travelling, and hence, it can be termed as ‘green learning’.
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On an average students have to travel at least 10 Kms to and fro to attend schools. This consumes huge amount of hydro carbons by millions of students and professionals who have to travel to colleges/schools regularly. In addition, buildings and facilities consume Substantial amount of energy again raising carbon level significantly. |
20
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Human emotions, like eye contact, handshake, clapping, a pat on the back
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Although, there is no eye contact, it is possible to provide human emotions like clapping, a pat- on- the- back, and handshake virtually through appropriate emoticons.
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Classroom learning provides eye contact and expression of emotions. |
21
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Networking
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The virtual world networking sites have achieved a huge critical mass. It is now common that people of all ages are logged onto Orkut, Face book, LinkedIn, etc. Virtual networking is convenient, flexible and avoids time required in travelling. They have already become a good alternative to developing friendship and bonding in a very short time. eLearning portals also help promote collaborative learning and friendship among students.
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Classroom learning is a good source of social networking and bonding. |
22
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Relevance of coaching classes and tuitions
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Since it is possible to provide best faculties to all the students at the same time (due to VBT™/ ABT), the need for coaching classes or tuitions will diminish significantly. Besides, students can go through the lectures as many times as necessary. In addition a, large number of solved examples with hints/explanatory notes can be provided. It is easy to provide mock test, solved question papers very easily. As for checking lessons/home work, it is possible to provide through compute keys or through digital slate and pen which can be uploaded and checked by the faculties. In addition, it is possible to provide attendance, Assessment and regular progress report of their wards instantaneously to parents, so that timely action can be taken. It is of interest to know that more than 500,000 students in USA in the primary and secondary education are not going to school and only study online. With the benefits of elearning as listed above and limitations faced by classroom learning, this figure will grow rapidly in times to come; not only in the USA, but in India and rest of the world.
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It is a fact that a majority of students who go to school or college also attend coaching classes or tuitions. The exact reason is hard to fathom, which may be due to herd mentality or lack of good faculties in schools/colleges. Either way, both parents and students are losers. Parents spend extra money in tuition and students are forced to repeat same or similar lessons in tuitions/coaching classes in other words. A large amount of time spent either in college/School or tuition/coaching classes is duplicated and hence wasted. Students can spend such extra time to pursue extracurricular activities like sports; cultural activities etc which will contribute to their psychological/emotional and physical development and make them complete individuals. |
23
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Use of ICT in Classroom
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With increasing use of ICT and online learning in colleges and schools and thus increased costs, parents and students will start wondering if they are going to learn online in colleges and pay hefty sums, then why not learn a online and save a tidy sum. Moreover, students can spend the extra time in pursuing sports and cultural activities and become complete individuals.
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This is a healthy practice. This will help classroom learning to counter faculty shortage and monitor students’ performance. However, unlike elearning, provision of more IT is seen at increasing costs in classroom learning as students have to buy laptops and college has to spend substantial sum towards hardware, networking, LCD monitors, projectors and other high tech equipments. |
