Knowledge is power. Education sector is going through a revolution right now. Centuries old formal education system is seeing its best alternative, that is online learning. Quick learning online has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Whether it's about learning Spanish online or joining a course on digital marketing and SEO, such platforms have changed the way people used to look at learning.
YouTube is one of the best online learning platforms we have. The best thing about YouTube is, it's free. Now you can learn anything just by sitting in your room. Everything is just some clicks away from you.
Imagine the learning scene in the pre internet era, the golden days of the formal education system. Education was a luxury then, still a luxury in many places. But the Internet has changed the way people looked at education. Thanks to the dot.com revolution. Today, a high number of unicorn startups are from the edtech sector. These online learning websites have revolutionised the whole education scene worldwide. From skill learning, competitive exam preparation apps to virtual university platforms, these platforms have shown the flexibility of opportunities in the education sector.
Which online learning app is best?
This is one of the most searched queries on google India regarding education. This indeed indicates towards the change in mindset of the general public. If you are expecting a name of an edtech platform as an answer to this, you are at the wrong place. Nobody can declare a platform to be the best in the education scene. In terms of interface, product quality, service and faculties, you can definitely judge a platform. But philosophically, every other platform is following more or less the same idea, that is to uplift the society by making education easy for all. As per Indian context, we have got a number of unicorns in the edtech space. That's definitely not a scale to judge. But looking at the feedback, we can definitely say that these platforms are adding value to the lives of Indian students. Cost is a big factor here. Most of these platforms are highly limited to tier 1 and tier 2 cities. Tier 3 cities and villages are yet to be covered effectively. The day these platforms will reach the most needy students at the most remote location of the country, we will be able to name one of them as the best learning app.
Will online learning replace the classroom?
These online learning platforms were not introduced to completely replace the traditional formal education format. These platforms are presently being used as a secondary tool of learning. But, how is the future going to be?
The 21st century is going to be the century of the AI revolution. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyborg and genetic engineering are going to be the hot topics in the next coming years. Most of the present lucrative jobs are going to vanish in the near future. For example, the introduction of self-driving cars are going to end the jobs of Uber drivers. Data entry operators, panel operators and other many present day important jobs are going to be taken over by AI robots. Education sector will also see a great impact. Jobs of teachers, school staff and other school related jobs are going to be irrelevant in the coming years. Quick learning online will surely be overpowered by AI bots. Some companies have even started using such tech in customer support and other areas of their websites.
But, as per the present education scenario, schools are still very relevant. Online platforms have a very long way to go to deliver something that can completely replace the classroom education. It may overpower the home tutoring scene in many areas. Schools are still safe until the AI and bots overpower humans working in these jobs. But, in the next coming years, online learning websites will see great success both in the number of students enrolling and pulling investments.
Conclusion:
The 21st century will be all about AI revolutions, bots, genetic engineering and cyborgs. A big revolution is underway. Education sector will see tremendous changes. Quick online learning is going to be the determining factor. How these online learning websites will react to all these changes will shape the future.