Jay Rathod is the Founder of Goal2Learn Institute, an agency styled institute where students are given optimal level of training to match up to the fast-paced agency life set up with practical live projects, industry experts and faculties with industry experience. Jay is a digital marketeer with a decade long experience in corporate business management and entrepreneurship. An engineer by education turned marketing entrepreneur with his digital agency Koffeetech communication turned marketing expert, Jay understood the void in the learning process with practical knowledge of this budding industry of Digital marketing which has now benefitted 1000+ students with its programs.
With over 1.36 billion students, India has one of the highest school-going population and the largest education systems worldwide. The nationwide lockdown posed as an emergency for all the schools, colleges, universities and coaching institutes compelling them to switch to the E-learning to ensure the completion of the academic year and continued learning and
In 2020, e-learning further gained popularity and has now become a primary mode for educating and connecting students with institutes in a safe yet convenient manner. E-learning is much more than just live classes; it offers a robust and interactive learning experience and has evolved from the format of a virtual lecture. Online learning is broadly extended to attending webinars and online conferences where industry leaders of different verticals discuss relevant topics imparting a deeper understanding of the subject rather than confined to a lecture. With a growing acceptance of online learning, we all have come to terms with the digital world taking over reality, and if used in the correct manner, there are benefits of online education that know no bounds.
When catering to primary or secondary grade students, the e-learning platforms must lookout for a student’s attention span and ensure in engaging content presented in a simplified manner; it not only motivates students to open up but also encourages them to participate with the use of fun visuals, diagrams, themes, quizzes aiding conceptual learning as opposed to content study. On the other hand, for professional courses, it is crucial to understand the industry functionality in the real world rather than just sticking to the theoretical concepts. For, e.g. working on case studies and practical projects, presenting video-content are ways that online platforms should adopt for teaching.
Today, due to new-age technology and e-learning tools, has enabled experts and professionals to take guest lectures sitting in any part of the world, allowing a global perspective and a robust learning curve. The cost reduction element is also a strong incentive for the e-learning set up. Apart from the enrollment fee, the expenditure stays to a bare minimal, eliminating the commute and books cost. In comparison to traditional learning, this method allows self-paced with students running their own learning trajectory with study material available at a click of a button.
The new normal has posed a challenge for teachers who had to shift their approach overnight from in-person teaching to virtual teaching having to adapt to the complex digital world and imbibing the technical expertise.
Technological prowess is still a challenge that can be solved, but, in my opinion, the biggest barrier that e-learning faces in India is access to e-learning. Without a uniform digital infrastructure, both students and teachers are facing unprecedented challenges. Electricity is crucial for virtual classrooms both for powering devices and internet connectivity. With 65% of our country’s population residing in rural areas, limited or absent access to the internet and power supply plays a major concern for remote learning. This is the challenge that the ed-tech sector, in collaboration with service providers, should address to reach the length and breadth of the country.
Covid-19 has created a long-lasting impact on the world and its outlook to almost everything. We used to consider e-learning to be a supplementary tool for school or college education which has now shifted to as a primary source of learning. If approached in the right manner, e-learning can redefine the education system of the country.
More About Jay Rathod
Innovation and result-driven approach are the two mantras Jay believes in and has acquired since the company and institute’s inception. Driven by dedication and hard work, Jay has won many prestigious awards such as Top 10 android developers in India by TCS in 2013, Top 10 Startups of the Year in 2019 by Silicon India Magazine, MSME 5000 Awards 2020, Career Guide Speaker in educational institutes for Digital Marketing. A keen reader and a travel junkie, Jay keeps up with the dynamic nature of the digital world striving to be an early adopter to new trends.