by A person looking to complete their graduation typically gets a degree from attending offline lectures in a university. Online lessons and classes now replace face-to-face talks since the outbreak of covid 19 pandemic. Online universities have taken over the market of distance education since 2015. The area of educational services offered by them has been extended since the 2020 lockdown.
History
With the introduction and expansion of the world wide web, virtual learning has replaced offline physical lectures. This concept was first introduced to people who could not travel long distances. The culture and distance barriers have been eliminated by online learning. Initially, part-time courses were taught online. But with the recent hit of covid-19, the concept has been extended to full-time learning. Many assessments and necessary examinations have been conducted online due to the covid outbreak. Online colleges are not just limited to education but also extend to music, dance, and even indoor sports courses.
Why choose an online university
There is no discrimination in virtual learning. It offers many advantages.
i) Flexibility of time- The courses offered by online universitiescan be done anytime at the student’s convenience. The lectures’ timings, duration, and mode can be chosen while enrolling. There are primarily two types of classes, live lessons, which the students can attend live from their homes or offices and clarify doubts on the spot, and asynchronous courses, where the lecturers and teachers upload the videos of lectures and give access to the students. This benefits working people as they can learn whenever they want.
ii) Vast study material- Such universities are not just restricted to videos. Various books, links, journals, articles, pdf, and PowerPoint presentations are uploaded from which students can refer and broaden their knowledge. Moreover, the previous year’s question papers, scanned notes of the last batch, questions, their solutions, and solved examples can be uploaded to make learning even more enjoyable.
iii) Benefit of Dual degree- People already working or enrolled in a full-time college do not have to worry about getting an additional degree. Online colleges make it easier for them. There are many part-time universities online that offer various courses, both educational and vocational. This helps a student or a working professional to expand their existing knowledge. The benefit of asynchronous lectures and advanced study material greatly helps people in solving questions at their convenience. Moreover, the courses provided by these universities can be done leisurely without any restrictive deadlines.
iv) It makes evaluation easier- The examinations conducted online in the form of multiple choice questions can be evaluated quickly by the computer. The results can be delivered in seconds. This eliminates the chance of human error and bias. This is why many essential government examinations are conducted online in various centres for faster and unbiased examination. It is now followed by many top universities and colleges worldwide.
Method of delivering the content
The method of teaching ranges from live lectures to MOOC and SPOC courses. The universities use learning management systems to deliver information to students. The computers in the colleges are embedded with software that is only accessible to the students and the teachers. The access is shared with the students so they can use the resources and learning material provided by the university. 85% of the universities reported having installed LMS software in their systems. An LMS software keeps records of the attendance, marks, and remarks of the students. It also prepares question papers and evaluates the answers of the students. Many such advantages are provided by online courses
