IIM Indore Research Views E-Learning as the Future of Education

A recent study conducted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore, has indicated that e-learning, which was initially essential due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is not just a transient replacement but could act as a transformative asset for education. The study, released in the International Journal of Educational Management, highlighted students' plans to keep utilizing e-learning platforms in the post-Covid period.

The research conducted by Prof Sabita Mahapatra and her collaborator examined the importance of e-learning in meeting essential academic responsibilities during the pandemic and evaluated students' views on its ongoing application beyond educational activities. The researchers examined the application of e-learning for essential school activities during the Covid-19 pandemic through the e-extended technology adoption model (eTAM) and the students' perceptions of using e-learning for tasks beyond school.

“In this research, eTAM was employed to examine students’ involvement with e-learning during and post-pandemic, aiding in the identification of primary factors and obstacles to its sustained application in higher education.” "This study holds significant importance in the post-Covid period, as educational institutions globally strive to blend conventional teaching approaches with technological innovations, fostering sustained adaptability and resilience within the education sector," stated Mahapatra. The findings indicated that perceived ease of use and usefulness were significant factors in e-learning.

"This value ought to be utilized to promote inclusive education and enhance e-learning initiatives beyond essential subjects." "Accreditation agencies, both national and international, ought to require educational institutions to create opportunities and grant certificates of merit to students opting for accessible, affordable international collaborative research, summer projects, and exchange and immersion programs via online platforms," she stated. Significantly, the results indicated that emotional cost had a more substantial impact on students’ perceived switching value than other costs associated with switching, such as learning and decreased performance costs.