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In the knowledge economy of the 21st century, the power of e-learning is unfolding at a furious pace. IDC estimates the e-learning industry is about $10 billion in size. Education over the internet is big business, and IBM, Microsoft, NIIT, among others, are raking in the moolah. Large banks and other training-focussed institutions and universities worldwide are turning to web-based classrooms for disseminating knowledge. Technology has come a long way since the primitive days of computer-assisted instruction and videotapes. Today, the technology delivery systems have indeed become much more affordable, much easier to use and more amenable to meeting the needs of school districts around the country. Now you can stream video over the Internet, create course-based chat rooms where students can discuss ideas and thread conversations together over e-mail. Chat rooms and instant messaging can simulate classroom discussions. Computerised simulations can replace lab experiments, and homework assignments can be sent, graded and returned as e-mail attachments. Neither students nor teachers have to be in a designated location at any particular time, and they don't have to go through the material at the same pace. For the most part, these new online learning programmes are targetted at secondary school students, on the assumption that younger students may not have the study skills, reading abilities and self-discipline to fare well without a class to go to. Online learning also is looked to increasingly as a way to deliver professional development for teachers and other staff, which is no surprise given its origins in the corporate training and postsecondary education environments. Though e-learning as a concept is still in its nascent stages in India, the competition in this space is heating up as NIIT, Tata Interactive Systems, Mentorix compete for a larger chunk of the global e-learning pie. The major trends in the space include compliance training and accreditation, which is expected to be the major growth areas in the future. With the Sarbanes-Oxley norms becoming antiquated and Basel-II norms coming into force, market is estimated to grow even bigger. The difference between India and the United States is the pedagogy. What India needs in terms of instructional design is contextual clarity, which means that everything has to be in sync with global trends to keep up with the marketplace. There has to be a need-goal congruence to make sense to a global clientele, which in this case would mean primarily the US. According to the industry experts, global e-learning trends indicate that from a current revenue base of $5.2 billion with a 5 year CAGR of 35.6 per cent, the entire e-learning market would reach around $23.7 billion in a few years. The e-learning market in India would be approximately 2-25 million dollars with a growth rate of 17-18 per cent annually. E-learning is still a long way off from entering the mainstream. In our society, it is probably seen as an extension or a new 'tech avatar' of postal training or distance education. We all know the stigma attached to postal or distance education. Lack of expertise in terms of development and delivery of e-learning solutions and substandard course material, have been the other handicaps. Unreliable communication infrastructure, insufficient bandwidth, lack of standards and long gestation period for implementation are few other hindrances. However, all is not lost. Companies like IBM, Cisco, HECL and Educomp Datamatics are doing their bit to make a difference. An example is Cisco, which has made e-learning mandatory as part of its training programmes. As per an IDC report, the situation is expected to improve. There would be an increasing number of governmental intervention and confirmation of standards, increased Web security and emphasis on branding, and lastly a more flexible pricing by the vendors. Insurance, Banking, Pharmaceutical and the ITES sectors provide immense opportunity for the e-learning industry. Experts believe that changing attitude is expected to drive the growth of the e-learning market. The need is to invest on research into new modes of learning and in developing applications and products that leverage information technology and the Internet to deliver faster and better learning to more people. It should be able to create an optimum balance of content (India specific) and technology to deliver relevant and focused learning; drive learning solutions based on customer requirements, rather than generic training.
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