National Conference on Green Entrepreneurship

19th October, 2012

Green Education :Indian Higher Education

Dr. S.K.Prasad MBA, Ph.D

Director- Management Studies, New Horizon College of Engineering

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

This paper deals with the issues and concerns pertaining to higher education in India in the contemporary times. The paper emphasizes the need for a strategic alignment between higher education and Information Technology so as to make the best use of technologies in education systems particularly teaching learning processes. In the second half the paper highlights several emerging trends in global elearning

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Higher education consists of two well-defined aspects

knowledge and know-how. The knowledge component enables one to understand what one learns in relation to what one already knows and provides the continuity in education while know-how is the ability to translate knowledge into action. In the higher education system, engineering education and management education occupies a very significant position. Engineering institutions in India currently account for intake of more than 5,00,000 students in Bachelors program, around 30,000 in Masters program and less than 1000 in PhD program.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

The challenge for Higher Education Institutes is

to work out a healthy balance between wholeness of knowledge and specialization that caters to current technological demand.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

E- learning is one of the strategic alternatives to

provide access to knowledge access to the students in higher education segment. In fact, many developed countries are using Elearning technologies more aggressively to expand their education markets. India will be at a very advantageous position in translating the opportunity to her advantage This is because of the very fact that abundance of availability of expertise both in IT sector and academics.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

However, the challenge is to establish a right

connect between academics and industry and transform industry as a strategic partner in all IT enabled and embedded higher education in the process of globalization which is characterized by increasing global economic interdependence and international competition, leads to the emergence of an international higher education market in which a growing number of traditional and new types of higher education providers compete

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

From a global perspective, the growing demand for

higher education can be seen from two major trends: On the one hand the rapidly growing need for the widening of initial access to higher education. Globally the numbers of degree students are estimated to rise from 97 million in 2010 to 159 million by 2025.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

India enjoys a tremendous advantage on this count by

emerging as a young country in the world. In the words of Mr. Nandan Nilekeni in his book titled Imagining India India is coming into its dividend as an unusually young country in an unusually ageing market- a young fresh faced nation in a graying world. Contrary to the ageing, shrinking population across the world Indias experience of demographic dividend that will last until 2050

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

In 2020, which is not very far away, India is projected

to have an additional 47 million workforce, almost equal to the total world shortfall. The average Indian will be only 29 years old, compared with average age of 37 years in China and the United States, 45 years in Western Europe and 48 years in Japan.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

The international scenario of demand for higher education

is significant by the fact that the growing and diversifying demand for higher education is not always being sufficiently met by the local players which include the government and private institutions and this is creating market opportunities for foreign players. Global Education Digest 2009 compiled by UNESCO has thrown up a noteworthy finding: after China, India is the No2 country in the world to send the highest number of students pursuing higher education away from home.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

IT plays a significant role in expanding education

opportunities by using appropriate internet enabled mass communication technologies. IT holds the key of expanding educational markets globally with best quality and in an environment of easy transmission, transparent administration and more over cost effective higher education.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Emerging Global E- Learning Trends

The New Age Students Enhancing Technical and Information

Literacy Integrating Common Facilities using IT Collaboration Edu-tech-tainment Go-Green Spirit

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

The New Age Students

The new age students are typically the first to adopt new

technologies. Many of these early adopters are new age students who bring these technologies onto college campuses Some of the biggest trends include the emergence of Web 2.0 and social net-working phenomena such as blogs and wikis, as well as new online video repository and delivery websites such as YouTube, iTunes. The influx of smart phones, such as the iPhone, and other intelligent devices also enhanced mobile learning (commonly referred to as m-learning), creating new channels for content delivery, video expansion online, and podcasting.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Enhancing Technical and Information Literacy

Information literacy is another topical area. While

many students may be device-savvy, they may not necessarily be information-savvy. Students today, having for the most part grown up with technology, possess more technical abilities with computers and software, yet many have not learned how to use technology for academic purposes. HEIs are required to address this through a variety of methods, such as value added training programs seminars, workshops and instructional services.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Integrating Common Facilities using IT IT plays a major role in campus integration. The

AICTE is encouraging to create integrated campus facilities at campuses where different AICTE approved programs, like Engineering college, General College offering MBA and MCA programs, with multiple infrastructure facilities like separate libraries, computer laboratories and other amenities are can now create common facilities. High-traffic areas such as the campus library or computer lab typically are the starting points for developing integrated campuses.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Collaboration
Collaboration is a distinguishing attribute of higher

education. Virtual meeting-place and applicationsharing tools such as Cisco WebEx are efficient webbased collaboration solutions that help improve productivity and decrease communication and travel.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Ultra-high-definition systems such as Cisco

TelePresence take productivity, collaboration, and costs savings further. TelePresence enables participants to conduct virtual meetings from nearly any location worldwide, creating a sense of being there in-person. TelePresence can be used in higher education to facilitate administration and board meetings, dissertations, interviews and recruiting, student-professor meetings, overseas campus connections, and distance learning. Emerging technologies are paving the way to integrate, or blend, virtual and physical realities.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Edu-tech-tainment Higher-education content and entertainment

(edutainment) are becoming more intertwined. The first indications of this took place on iTunes and YouTube, sites commonly used for entertainment content only. Professors are now combining the two, using various videos that contain both educational and entertainment value in podcasts and posting course content on education channels to create a more engaging learning environment. Computer gaming is emerging in teaching and learning as well.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

The Go Green Spirit

Universities and higher education institutes are continually identifying ways to conserve energy efficiently, provide energy using alternative methods and resources, and recycle discarded technology hardware components known as e-waste. Common conservation practices include implementing cloud computing through server virtualization; providing resource sharing; collocating equipment to reduce energy consumption, costs, power, and space; buying energy-efficient equipment; and supporting tele-working.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Conclusion the 21st century, technology will play an

increasing role in higher education. Institutions will adopt innovative solutions that will change the way students learn, communicate, produce, collaborate, and study both on and off campussolutions that will also improve interactions among faculty, staff, and students.

Indian Higher Education and Emerging Global E-Learning Trends

Thank You