Web portals are helping urban folk keep up with their hobbies and interests without compromising on their profession
In morning, by the time many of us get out of bed, Ashish Agarwal, a research associate, finishes his online guitar class. Enthusiastic to learn the instrument since college times, the only obstacle he faced was time. However, with several online hobby class offerings, many like him get enough time to pursue their hobbies and interests without compromising much on their work. Providing short online courses aligning to one’s needs, a number of web portals are changing the way leisure is pursuit. “I recently enrolled at a course to learn guitar through YouTube. I was taught the right nuances, from holding the instrument to distinguishing between several chords and tunes. It was easier and accessible. I could view the already uploaded lectures as many times and also interact with the instructor over Skype. The best part was that it all fitted in my schedule,” says Ashish.
Internet has not only changed the mode of communication but also opened new avenues in cultural arena. Pursuing courses online allows one to conveniently balance their hobbies with career and other familial responsibilities. “In current times, everybody is busy with their lives. People usually have no free time available for travelling to an institute on a regular basis. Keeping in account a person’s schedule, websites offer have 24-hour access to our online lectures,” says Sreekumar, the CEO of Hobitute Art and Media Services, a website providing online painting classes.
Authentic choice
Sourav Roy Barman, who completed a public policy course online shares, “It was excellent in terms of the interactivity. Study material was put on the website with weekly ‘webinars’. I feel that online courses can be of great value only if interspersed with news techniques, but people should be aware of dubious institutions offering such courses.” The question arises to how does one check the authenticity of these e-tutorialsIJ “Google has always been extremely kind. Anyone is free to run background checks on the class they are planning to enroll,” says Chandresh. He believes that a documented degree is not important to teach. Instead, what is important is that people must learn and the course must flow in a structure. “Apart from going through tutorial website, Facebook and Twitter pages can be extremely useful. Feedback obtained in the form of comments and likes on these platforms offer a fair chance of judgment to people who wish to enroll in such classes. YouTube is another platform which can help learners make decisions. Sample videos of the teachers both performing and teaching only validate their credibility more,” he adds.
Sreekumar Sukumaran of the Hobitude says his website provides sample videos corresponding to each course which can be downloaded free of cost, before they decide to enroll. “They can also opt for small courses at a nominal price of `2, after which, based on their experience, they can decide whether to enroll for a more expensive course or not. Also, we have the detailed profiles of all our teachers uploaded on our website. Most of them are art teachers from renowned colleges. They can be easily tracked on the Internet and checked for authenticity,” he shares.
Growth metrics
Recent studies have suggested that the market for online tutorials in India is on the rise and is likely to touch a staggering figure of `3500 crore by 2015. A major reason that can be cited is the increasing popularity of Internet and the idea of being able to pick up a course within the comfort of one’s home. According to ASSOCHAM, the e-tutorial industry in India generates an average revenue of `1200 crore per year. “With an annual growth of 40 per cent, the numbers are likely to cross the `3500 mark by 2015,” an Assocham official said. A large number of individuals are getting themselves enrolled for e-tutorials rather than going to the conventional tution centres. E-tutoring does not require any significant investment but a basic software and hardware set up to support multimedia and Internet connection to facilitate interactive study sessions. It can be done via e-mails and live discussions and video conferencing. “There are several websites which offer e-tutoring and the student can pay with his credit or debit card,” he added. As reported by the survey, nearly 55 per cent of the people who took the survey were aware of the e-tutorials. However, conventional tuition centres continue to be the more preferred choice. The online tutorial sector in India is yet to make the big leap in the market, but it is evidently on its way. In the present scenario, it is largely restricted to the urban India. “The shift has already started. It will catch up in next five years. Unlike online shopping, online tutorials would take some more time to capture the mindset of people. The positive is the trend is upward,” said Sukumaran.
Many digital marketing experts have argued that the physical space will soon be taken over by the virtual space. As Internet has drastically changed the way how we perceive our surroundings, everything from games to music and even shopping has found an online presence. Chandresh Kudwa, a successful guitarist, provides classes on Net. “There is never a competition between physically taking hobby classes and learning them online. Things have changed to suit different lifestyles for better. If someone specifically wants to learn guitar from me and stays four hour-drive away, then travelling makes no sense. It is then when Internet offers a better and feasible option. Whether I teach online or give one-to-one classes, what I teach will remain the same across both the media,” says Chandresh.
Pursuit of passion
After completing their education, majority of people spend time in relearning various skills that they might have left out after college. The Indian education system lays its emphasis on theoretical knowledge than practical application of many skills. Online courses have become a tool for young professionals to revisit and fulfill all the essentials required to succeed at a workplace. “When I started working I realised I had lost touch of web designing taught at college. But fortunately, free online tutorials helped me catch-up with the basics of the subject and refresh my knowledge of web designing. Nowadays, many portals alike offer free certified professional courses. These not only renew your knowledge but also give you an added skill on the CV,” says Sabhay Tandon, a professional working with Bajaj Capital. Many websites like Coursera and Stanford Online based outside India offer countless courses to help one become proficient in different subjects like public health, computer science, game theory, cryptography and economics. Offered through preloaded video lectures, the course duration varies from two weeks to more than three months. Depending upon the instructor and depth of subject taught, courses have a weekly assignment to help the learner assess their footing. Some of the courses offer certificates only after successful submission of all the assignments with a minimum set grade.
(Inputs from Darpan Mago and Trisha Mukherjee)