Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
of Thailand has launched a program to address
provincial home market and enabled people in the
rural areas to have home computers. In addition,
low-cost software has been introduced to support
the hardware program and in turn Thailand can
now see quite a low cost of Microsoft licenses and
freeware such as Linux and Pladao being deployed.
Ministry sponsored low cost software's and cheap
computers as a result of high competitions and
reduced production cost have for the first time al-
lowed Thai people to be able to afford reasonable
computers at home in larger and growing quanti-
ties. However, people still perceive that Internet
access cost is still too high. This is the barrier
to the use of Internet for education. Broadband
access fees are also still relatively high and are
considered as a premium. Affordability is still an
important consideration as far as broadband was
concerned (Sirinaruemitr, 2004).
tion in India is actually much wider. Apart from
proper course works, some E-Learning portals
in India are also conducting mock tests for vari-
ous competitive examinations like engineering,
medical, management etc.
In India, the engineering education has got
both government and private players in the mar-
ket. It consists of arts, science, and management,
technical and professional education. Since the
Indian knowledge industry is entering into the
take off stage, the strategy of survival is high.
The foreign players are also trying to join the
competition. And hence the less effective edu-
cational institutions for engineers are forced to
merge themselves with others or they are forced
to go out of market. However there is a paradox
in e-Learning among various institutes in India.
Few institutions join the race, while the rest suffer
from lack of knowledge or from lack of realiza-
tion of the importance of e-Learning. Institutes
like IITs are adopting all latest technologies and
are keeping their engineering students enlightened
from various parts of the world. E-Learning has
vast potential in India.
The IT service sector export of India has grown
up from US $ 754 million in 1995-95 to US $
12,000 million in 2004-05. The annual growth
based on the trend analysis is US $ 573 in India
and US $ 1038 in Tamil Nadu. The Indian IT
sector especially Tamilnadu IT sector is growing
at a faster rate. This same speed of growth is not
replicated in e-Learning application. If all these
efforts, are directed properly the ups and downs
in knowledge growth can be removed.
In engineering education, virtual classroom or
a teacher free classroom has got bright future in
India. A virtual classroom is one where the vir-
tual reality is enhanced. It is a totally technology
enabled class room environment. Virtual Reality
(V.R.) is a 3D learning environment where the
learner can explore the learning concept. Learning
is experienced through games or simulated situa-
tion. It brings a real environment while wearing
a headset and data glove in an immersive virtual
E-Learning Progress for Engineers
in India: “A Brief Review”
E-Learning or electronic learning in India is gain-
ing prominence slowly, but indeed steadily. This is
due to the fact that more than half the population
of India today is below 25 years of age and the
number of Internet users is growing continuously.
According to UNESCO reports at 2006, 65.2% of
adults and 81.3% of youth are literate (UNESCO,
2006). The tremendous growth of the economy in
the recent past has also helped in the growth of
online education in India. E-Learning in India is
especially popular with the young professionals
who have joined the work force quite early but
still would like to continue their education that
may help them move up their career ladder quickly
and safely. They find online education in India
very convenient, as the nature of the course work
does not require them to attend regular classes.
Moreover reputed institutes like Indian Institute
of Management, Indian Institute of Technology,
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade are today offering
e-Learning courses. The scope of online educa-
Search WWH ::
Custom Search