Distance learning has always been popular with those who constantly want to enhance their knowledge while still in a job, says Vani Bajaj
As the world becomes smaller and boundaries vanish with constant innovations in technology, the benefits penetrate in every industry. Education in the distance mode has always been popular for those who wanted to enhance their knowledge while pursuing their career. The attraction of getting an added tag of an MBA has been the driving force behind people wanting to pursue higher education however the question always remained that to what level did the candidate really benefit. With minimal face-to-face sessions the student has relied on the material provided by the institutes and their own commitment towards gaining the maximum out of the programme, the outcome being partial knowledge gain, average productivity and hardly any practical application of what was learnt.
Having said that, there is a huge scope for distance education in the future. Reason being that in the current economic scenario students are keen on opting for a job as soon as they graduate. Once in a job it becomes increasingly difficult to take a sabbatical from work to pursue higher education. Without enhanced knowledge growth becomes very slow so lack of education becomes a stumbling block for many when they are looking for higher positions which have a minimum requirement of post graduation. The corporates and individuals are realising this very quickly. The solution comes from corporates sponsoring their selected staff members for higher education. This two-pronged method adopted by the organisation not only meets the need of both employer and employee but also ensures that the employee continues to work on for a longer period of time through a signed contract giving stability to both.
As far as distance education is concerned the demand shall only increase exponentially with passage of time. learning while one continues to earn is a boon to an ambitious person who may not have the economic backing to give up the job for a year or two.
The question arises how to make the right choice in terms of selecting a programme and institute which gives the desired output in terms of academic delivery, quality of content and a great learning experience to the candidate The options are many but clarity of what one is looking for must be always kept in mind.
Technological advancement has and will play a major role in distance education
Face-to-face sessions can be taken online, recorded sessions of the faculties can be aired at a stipulated day and time giving a huge advantage to the student. Whatever said, what an experienced faculty can teach to a student a 100 books can’t do. The student wherever in the world he may be, at the comfort of his house, with the privilege of choosing the time can sit and understand the lectures
Going a step further the student can post or ask questions to the faculty through an interactive chat
All material, questions, projects can be viewed, completed and submitted online
All this and much more is being imparted through the highly specialised distance learning programme’s at international college of financial planning and international college of fashion. According to the Higher Education in India report by Ernst & Young, around 4.2 million students were enrolled in distance learning programmes in 2011-2012 compared to only 1.38 million students in 2000-01. Student enrollment in distance education has grown at an annual rate of 11 per cent in the last three decades (1981-2012). Even the number of distance education institutes has grown at a healthy pace in India. During the last three decades (1981-2012), number of distance education institutes has grown at an annual rate of 7.6 per cent.
To sum up, in a country like India where the respect of an individual comes from the number of degrees he has attained and the knowledge that person has gained, why should one restrict themselves due to financial constraints (distance education can be done at reasonable prices as compared to full time programme’s) or household constraints incase of women who may have small children. Whatever the constraints may be do not limit yourself. Distance education is here to stay so make use of it, apply and enroll.
(The writer is mentor, International College of Financial Planning and International Collegeof Fashion)