Virtual Classes: Changing Face of Education

When Saumya Tandon (name changed), a software developer, was eagerly waiting for her annual appraisal in July this year, her manager called her into his cubicle and silently passed the appraisal letter and urged her to go through and express her concerns, she anxiously sneaked into the bottom line, and the immediate expressions on her face were laced with sadness. The thoughts that she carried out with her before entering into the cubicle vanished into the thin air and she was crest fallen. The reason: the appraisal was far below her expectations. The manager soon broke the ice and tried to keep her enthused by citing few other appraisals as how they have fared equally badly. When she mustered courage to question why this has happened to her and her peers as well, the manager in his sangfroid mood got down to brass tacks – the company has steered a policy to encourage continuous learning and earn necessary diplomas and certifications which would help improve their performance, and that was the reason why she and others were deprived of a certain percentage of benefits in their annual appraisal. This is not just the story of Saumya and her colleagues who fared badly in their annual appraisals, rather it's a ground reality that has affected many employees who forgot to brace up them with the latest degrees or diplomas required to excel in their professional journey.

Being employed and getting diplomas and degrees are not hard nuts to crack these days. The virtual education system of late has transformed the landscape of learning methods. Virtual education is now an integral part of both corporates and educational institutes those are vying for democratising education, training, and professional skills across the board. The emerging trends in the evolution of Internet have brought about significant changes in the way people think about the concepts of education, campus, curriculum, courses, learning processes, credentials, and diplomas.

With a growing number of people opting out for both continuation of education and simultaneous employment, it has become imperative for institutes and universities to tread the path of innovation and fulfill the needs of virtual students. Online education has certainly changed the way people think about education today. What's more encouraging for students that the flexibility of virtual classes has attracted people from all walks of life. Whether they are housewives, working professionals or students engaged in part-time employment, the 24x7 accessibility to the virtual class rooms allows all to complete their study with a greater flexibility. As technology enables virtual students to access pre-recorded lectures, assignments, online forums, whiteboards, and online tests, the learning process has become hugely interactive and engaging for students.

What's more rational for people to opt for online education largely depends upon the low cost of program along with myriads of opportunities to participate in virtual classes. With powerful pedagogy backed by virtual community learning, virtual classrooms have eventually harnessed technology for nurturing social simulations, helping students to interact with fellow learners and exchange views, and finally engaging them in an environment that they can feel the presence of real classrooms. The technology that once thought to be a prerogative of elitists has finally broken down that myth and the universalisation of education through virtual classrooms is a pointer that signifies the importance of thinking beyond the obvious.