| |9 December 2017HIGHERReviewroomed across cities over the years, even Tier II and Tier III towns and cities. In fact, coaching has become much more crucial than the school for many. Rural students, unlike their ur-ban counterparts, having no access to additional coaching, and thus lag in the race. But, at the same time, one can now witness a gradual shift, with the access to e-learning platforms in the education space.The age of e-learning!Digital learning is revolutionizing the way things are taught and learnt. The presence of online platforms has been aiding in achieving a uniform educa-tion model ubiquitously. E-learning is proving to be a phenomenal oppor-tunity, mainly for the rural children and it comes with many perks!· Quality contentThe online platform can offer quali-ty sessions from the best instructors to everyone. It's a boon for the rural population who do not have quali-fied-enough instructors to teach the complex curriculum. A visual of a top instructor taking class is available for the students who reside in remote areas too. Further, the student can learn at his/her own pace with flexi-ble timings. In fact, this is the biggest icebreaker for dismantling the barri-er between rural and urban students.· 24/7 accessibilityIn today's Flat World, as coined by Nobel Prize Winner in Economics Thomas L Friedman, there are no time constraints. Just as work can happen 24/7, so does learning. The minimal access to basic infrastruc-ture like a tablet or smartphone with even a low bandwidth Internet con-nection is all that you need. Many online education platforms are suc-cessfully being utilised by many stu-dents from the rural areas, and are being used by them to ask questions and get their doubts cleared. These are responded to within a very short span of time. · Interaction for aidNow, with advanced features, many online platforms offer interactions with the tutor and even peer for a better understanding of the concepts. Furthermore, online mock tests are proving to be a saviour all the time for aspiring students. These self-as-sessments help to keep track ones progress during the learning process and also helps students to strive for better scores. With the availability of a huge repository of study mate-rials on the cloud, it allows students to cut down on their expenses while acquiring physical study material.The changing scenarioThe constant upgrade of technology has automated the whole process of learning. A slow, yet steady adop-tion of the online method of learning is happening even among the rural population which has taken to the digital method of learning with gus-to and they are benefiting immense-ly. It is estimated that more than 50 percent of the students appearing for the IIT Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) in 2018 today hail from rural areas.Digital learning has definitely boosted the spirits and hopes of rural students. Now that the IIT joint en-trance examination is going online, making it mandatory for everyone to have a basic knowledge of using a computer. The online platform plays a pivotal role among rural students to have a taste of new-age learning methods with gadgets.No doubt, online learning plat-forms have been instrumental in bringing about a revolution in the old school way of doing things. Many IIT aspirants who cannot come to the big cities for coaching and also those who cannot afford to take up coaching have now have been given a chance to chase their dreams. Col. Rajendra Prasad NadellaHe drives overall business direction and leads the management team. A dedicated educationist and die hard proponent of "quality education for all" he has been, over the past decade, involved with a number of education initiatives. A decorated army officer, he served with distinction with the National Security Guard.
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