The sudden shift away from the classrooms in most parts of the globe has made us all witness a new form of learning through online education. There have been significant disruptions in the education sector owing to the pandemic, affecting 1.2 billion children in more than 180 countries due to school closures.
On the brighter side, there are growth numbers that predicted the online education market in India to reach US$ 1.96 billion in 2021.
Amidst all these projections and discussions about how the education industry has changed, we often fail to dig deeper into the fundamentals of online education. Let’s cover various related aspects in detail.
What is online education?
Online education refers to the flexible education delivery system that covers different kinds of learning supported via the Internet. It also gives the educators the opportunity to reach and serve learners who are unable to enroll in a traditional classroom teaching program.
Even working professionals can benefit from enrolling in suitable online education programs and learning at their own pace. The availability of online education courses has grown over time, making more and more learners benefit from it.
Even before the occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic, significant growth and adoption of education technology have been witnessed, with overall market projections of $350 billion by 2025. However, the pandemic has led to a higher inclination towards online education modes.
Also Read: How to automate online fee payment collection?
Advantages of online education
Online education is beneficial for both learners and educators, as detailed below:
Flexibility to continue learning irrespective of location
The primary mutual benefit of online education is that both learners and teachers can continue being a part of the education process no matter where they are located. For example, teachers can continue taking subject-specific classes every day while working from home, while students learn from their places without meeting in person.
For education courses meant for working professionals, learners also get the flexibility to take classes whenever they want.
Cost-savings for learners
When students enrolled in schools switch to the online education mode, they need not visit the school premises in person, which saves on the transportation costs and hostel fees for those staying in hostels. This also leads to higher attendance in the classes delivered online to students at home.
For working professionals, online courses are available at an affordable cost.
Learning session recordings for later use
Students often fail to pay attention to the learning in the classroom and then later ask their teachers for a quick recap. Online education delivery comes with the option to record sessions for later use, thus benefiting both learners and teachers.
Online education vs. traditional education comparison
| Traditional Education | Online Education |
| Requires students to attend in-person classes | Does not require learners to attend the classes in person |
| Requires learners to have an Internet-connected device to accept online education | Does not require any smart device for education delivery |
| Involves fixed schedule of classes in school that cannot be changed | Involves both fixed and flexible class schedules for a better learning approach |
| Can cater only to a limited number of students available in person to attend the classes | Can connect students from various cities, states, or countries for the online classes |
Types of online education resources
You can provide online education via different resources, such as:
- Live lectures by teachers/industry professionals
- Recorded lectures
- Digital learning materials like e-books
- One-on-one teacher interaction for special attention
How has the Indian education sector responded to online education?
The statistical data above shows the brighter side of the online education market in India. Besides this, the educators and teachers have responded positively to the change. Most schools and colleges in India are now benefiting their student-base in the following ways:
- Online classes to enable students to continue learning in an efficient manner
- Hybrid model of education consisting of both traditional classroom sessions and online classes
- Online tests and assignments
- Interactive learning via presentations
- Online fee collection to avoid letting parents stand in long queues to make fee payments
Experience the benefits of streamlined payments with Paytm Payment Solutions
Fee collection is one of the undermined aspects related to online education adoption in the country. While educators can easily start delivering education in the online mode, most of them feel dubious about the right way to accept fee payments online. This is where Paytm for Business can help streamline payment acceptance. It not only makes it easier for the education provider to accept payments online but also allows the payers to send payments in a hassle-free manner.
Given below is a comprehensive list of Paytm Payment Solutions for educational institutions:
Recommended Read: Online Education 101: 5 Payments-related Problems You Face (and Our Solutions)
Switch to Paytm Payment Gateway for Education Industry
