Virtual learning: An affordable education

It is theoretically possible to record lectures that do not require any personalisation or engagement so that students can watch them whenever and wherever they want. Examples of such commoditised curriculum components include teaching Pythagoras' theorem, which is the same everywhere in the globe and can be provided by a non-university instructor via Coursera.

Since there is hardly any social interaction in these introductory courses, technology platforms may provide the content to extremely wide audiences at minimal cost without surrendering one of the key advantages of the face-to-face (F2F) classroom.

Colleges would have more money to devote to research-based teaching, individualised problem solving, and mentoring if resources from commodifiable courses were released. Since they would not have to live on campuses and spend four full years there, the students would also have access to more resources.

They would enroll in commoditised courses online at lower prices and at their convenience. They can make the most of their limited on-campus time by participating in electives, group projects, faculty office hours, interactions, and career counseling—activities that cannot be carried out remotely. Campuses can also support activities like social networking, field-based initiatives, and international learning trips that call for face-to-face interactions. This hybrid approach to education has the potential to lower the cost of a college education for all students.

In addition to being efficient and familiar to traditional learning methods, online learning, often known as virtual learning or e-learning, is also substantially less expensive than traditional education. Modern technology allows online learning courses to instantly exchange essential information via their digital devices. As a result, Higher Education Institutions can reduce consumption of resources on things like transportation expenses, human resource costs, and course supplements.

Though the value of online courses varies from the other, on average, online private courses cost much less in comparison to their traditional counterparts. Not only that but virtual classes are known to be cost-effective also. They provide a wide range of smart online tools and resources that include the full-time support of online teachers.

There are pros and cons in visiting a virtual classroom and learning online, just as there are for attending a physical campus and taking classes in person. Among the many advantages of online learning, you will discover that you can have a more flexible schedule, your course fees may be lower, and you might be able to pursue both a profession and study.

Education is frequently expensive, but online learning can give students more opportunities to save money. The learner may nullify transport expenses by not having to commute to campus. The average student spends a significant amount of money each year on textbooks and course supplies. Virtual courses frequently make use of devices like cellophanes or computers, which saves money on textbooks and helps the environment.

Virtual learning not only reduces costs but also provides flexibility. The online courses offer significant financial savings over on-campus courses because tuition fees significantly vary between the two types of programmes. In a traditional classroom, the lectures of the course will be organised as per the academic calendar and the learners must attend the classes physically. Hence, the learner needs to plan and attend the classes as per the schedule offered by the institute. A person who is working needs to balance his work obligations while taking classes and is a biggest challenge.

Online learning gives learners more freedom to choose his/her own schedule when learners opt to learn through a virtual campus. i.e., he/she can study at their convenience. Fewer distractions also mean you have more control over your schedule. In addition, the learner can frequently watch the lectures as and when needed, whereas traditional lectures do not allow for repeat access. Moreover, the learners can use lecture videos as a supplemental tool to complete the academic assignments.

Students can employ quiet one method to cut down the costs of online education. Studying online from home means there are no excessive room and board fees. There is also no need to pay for services that the student does not use, like recreational centers. Studying from home also means no commuting costs.

Top private institutions have stronger IT infrastructure and a higher staff-to-faculty ratio than public colleges that are constrained for cash, enabling the use of virtual learning methods. However, with government assistance, public institutions can also modify virtual learning models to reduce learning expenses and increase learning comfort.

(The author is the Director, IFIM College, Bengaluru)