The Era of Online Education
Kateri White asked:
The Internet has broken down language barriers, country boundaries, and learning methods. Today, learning at home is not only possible but highly advisable because the World Wide Web gives students resources that otherwise are not available as fast as the time it takes when a student turns on his or her personal computer.
The era of education online means that your ability to obtain higher education is just a mouse click away. Online education is one of the best options for those who want to get a degree and work at the same time. Within the past ten years, online education and internet training has provided many people with a new incentive to learn.
Online education includes a full spectrum of possibilities starting with early childhood education and including college preparation, or complete learning programs for obtaining a college degree. Online courses open a world of possibilities to people who for any given reason were unable to attend regular school programs, or those whose actual activities and limited time, made it hard to stick to a full-time learning schedule.
Online education is spreading across the globe like a wildfire fueled by textbooks and periodic tables. Millions who previously thought that a college degree was firmly out of their reach have discovered that all it takes to attend college in today’s world are the combination of a few free hours each day and access to the Internet.
Online Education Equals Big Business
Originally conceived as a way for adults to earn a college degree later in life than usual, online education or “distance learning” has spread to the point that people of all ages are now involved. Children as young as the fourth grade level now have access to online education in many areas, using it as a supplement to or in place of traditional classes.
With Online Education Everybody Wins
Part of the appeal to online education is that it is literally good for everyone. Educators can enter a new job market in writing and implementing an online curriculum and can use this income to supplement the earnings that receive from classroom education. Students of all ages have an alternative to traditional classes in which they can learn without the interference of other students’ behavioral interruptions. Adults who may have missed out on their high school diplomas or college degrees now have the opportunity, through online education, to complete or further their studies without the scheduling problems that may have made this impossible in the past. Finally, online education offers businesses the chance to educate their workforce at a lower cost and the benefit of a generation of computer literate and more highly educated prospective employees entering the job market.
However, online education is not limited to school subjects. Demand for adult education and online courses are some of the most widely available educational resources on the Internet, intended for developing specific skills. Cooking and baking courses, mechanical reparations, interior decoration, are just a few of those quick courses available online.
Another motivation encouraging online education includes foreign languages learning, or just for broadening your culture. Online options are as many as everyone’s need; degree programs, online education courses, training certificates and more, including accredited formal education.
Online education saves time, money, and offers opportunity to those who may have never had it in the past. It may truly be the wave of the future. Helping students to succeed in both education and career aspirations, online education is fast becoming a convenient, but credible educational tool of the modern era.
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The Internet has broken down language barriers, country boundaries, and learning methods. Today, learning at home is not only possible but highly advisable because the World Wide Web gives students resources that otherwise are not available as fast as the time it takes when a student turns on his or her personal computer.
The era of education online means that your ability to obtain higher education is just a mouse click away. Online education is one of the best options for those who want to get a degree and work at the same time. Within the past ten years, online education and internet training has provided many people with a new incentive to learn.
Online education includes a full spectrum of possibilities starting with early childhood education and including college preparation, or complete learning programs for obtaining a college degree. Online courses open a world of possibilities to people who for any given reason were unable to attend regular school programs, or those whose actual activities and limited time, made it hard to stick to a full-time learning schedule.
Online education is spreading across the globe like a wildfire fueled by textbooks and periodic tables. Millions who previously thought that a college degree was firmly out of their reach have discovered that all it takes to attend college in today’s world are the combination of a few free hours each day and access to the Internet.
Online Education Equals Big Business
Originally conceived as a way for adults to earn a college degree later in life than usual, online education or “distance learning” has spread to the point that people of all ages are now involved. Children as young as the fourth grade level now have access to online education in many areas, using it as a supplement to or in place of traditional classes.
With Online Education Everybody Wins
Part of the appeal to online education is that it is literally good for everyone. Educators can enter a new job market in writing and implementing an online curriculum and can use this income to supplement the earnings that receive from classroom education. Students of all ages have an alternative to traditional classes in which they can learn without the interference of other students’ behavioral interruptions. Adults who may have missed out on their high school diplomas or college degrees now have the opportunity, through online education, to complete or further their studies without the scheduling problems that may have made this impossible in the past. Finally, online education offers businesses the chance to educate their workforce at a lower cost and the benefit of a generation of computer literate and more highly educated prospective employees entering the job market.
However, online education is not limited to school subjects. Demand for adult education and online courses are some of the most widely available educational resources on the Internet, intended for developing specific skills. Cooking and baking courses, mechanical reparations, interior decoration, are just a few of those quick courses available online.
Another motivation encouraging online education includes foreign languages learning, or just for broadening your culture. Online options are as many as everyone’s need; degree programs, online education courses, training certificates and more, including accredited formal education.
Online education saves time, money, and offers opportunity to those who may have never had it in the past. It may truly be the wave of the future. Helping students to succeed in both education and career aspirations, online education is fast becoming a convenient, but credible educational tool of the modern era.
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Continuing Education College Becomes a Requirement
Importance of a good college education is inestimable; its profit is incalculable. Although college tuition can cost you a few thousand dollars, not going can cost much more in your lifetime. In fact, there are plenty of available financial aid options to help you face the cost of your college tuition. From federal to private organization, if you are interested in finding financial aid to continue your education, you will surely find an institution to help you. This article explains the importance of a college education and steps to take to find financial aid.
Education aims to provide every individual the physical, intellectual and moral development they need. It allows you to manage your lives and face the demands of the society in which you live. Education has always been essential in human life. From the beginning of time, humankind has sought to invent new technologies to better meet their needs. However, with the advancement of science, higher education is becoming increasingly more important. In developed countries like the United States and Canada, a degree in college is “necessary” to live a life more or less modest.
Not long ago while I was in hospital, I met a pretty woman who was working in the hospital as a Registered Nurse. She seems so happy that I asked questions about the job she was doing and why she is so happy. She started telling me the reason of her joy. Before becoming a RN, she used to work in a restaurant as a dishwasher. When she realized that she was going to lose her fingers by water/sanitizer solution, she decided to get a part time job and went to college. Now, being a RN, she works less, and makes much more money. She told me, “That’s the greatest decision I ever made in my life.”
I am not telling you there is no success in life without a college education, but the chances are slim. Even those who are, because of their talents, succeed without an education are often full of social gap; although money seems to talk in this society. Truly, if he were not educated, Obama would never break the barrier of racism to become the first black president in the US, which for many remains unbelievable. You are not Obama and you will never be; however, you can be a professional in a branch. Nothing is more rewarding than a good professional education.
According to a study published by U.S. Department of Labor, nearly 90 percent of the fastest growing job (mostly in computer and medical fields) require a college education or technical school training. In addition, there is a big difference between college and high school graduates salaries. A college graduate employee in the U.S. earns nearly twice as much as an employee with just a high school diploma. It is estimated that college graduates will earn $ 1 million dollars more than those with only a high school diploma, according to University of Wisconsin-River Falls. If life becomes harder day by day, college education becomes more necessary to cope with the exigencies of the society.
As jobs continue to decline, it becomes more difficult for high school graduates to obtain a “medium-paying job” that was once available. The benefits of a good education are unlimited; having it is as precious as gold and silver. The question is how to pay for that education? If you do not want to take student loans, it may be difficult for you to go college. Find grant is difficult but not impossible. You can find a list of top colleges in the US and all information you need to find financial aid to pursue your education. For details, Visit continuingeducationcollege.com, or visit the link in the resource box below.
Higher Education in Wto Regime
Dr. Ranjit Singh asked:
1. Introduction
When there was no university elsewhere in the Europe; Takshasila, Vikramshila, Pallavi, and Nalanda were the centers of Global Education and attracting learners from all around the globe. The development of modern education in India started with the establishment of Hindu College in Calcutta in 1817. During British reign, Calcutta University was the first to confer the bachelor degree on women in 1883.
After independence various universities have been opened both by the government as well as private sector. The main motive behind opening these universities were not to earn profit but to serve the society by imparting higher education and conducting researches related to pure and social sciences. The fees charged from the students were minimum, hence these institutions were generating deficit so there was a need to go for the donations and aids to cover its fixed and running expenses. But gradually there was a drastic change in the scene .The education sector emerges as one of the most profitable business opportunity. The increase in the number of private schools and institutions supports the fact. Higher education is not an exception to this. Gradually most of the corporate entities have also entered into the picture.
2. Corporatisation of Higher Education
Now a days education sector is a trillion dollar industry. It is a service sector industry in the area of education as service with a huge global market in which students, teachers and non- teaching employee constitute resources for profit generation. So the concepts of marketing are also applicable. The organizations have to market their product and themselves in order to survive. In this industry the students are the customers, the teachers are the service providers and the institutions are organizers or marketers and teaching-learning process is no longer for the building of a nation but a business for profit making. Education at all levels, will continue to grow, because it cultivates the human mind and makes people important and useful in the all round development of a country, however for the corporate sector it will grow as a big service industry. Predatory and powerful MNCs are targeting public education, particularly higher education, for profit- making. Though predominantly a government supported service most governments are as consequences of neo-liberal economic reforms, withdrawing from it. The government of India through extensive privatization, commercialization and deregulation is encouraging this process.
3. Education under GATS umbrella
In 1996, the United States provided exports of education and training services had reached 8.2 billion dollars, and its trade surplus in education amounted to 7 billion dollars. Higher education was the fifth largest service exported by the US. Therefore, the pressure of the United States on WTO member countries in relation to trade in education service is clearly understandable.
The US, the European Union (EU), Japan and Canada are the main powers behind the GATS. Though WTO membership consists of nation states, the transnational corporations of these countries that sit on all the important “advisory” committees and determine detailed policy shape its agenda. While denying access to decent healthcare, education housing and long term care to millions of workers and their families the world over, the agreement will confer ever greater political power on these corporations as they control and dictate public policy.
GATS have two components: (i) the framework agreement containing 29 articles, and (ii) a number of Annexes, Ministerial decisions etc. as well as the schedules of commitments by each member government, which bind them to allow market access, and /or remove existing restrictions to market access. This agreement covers all services, including education
When the services are entirely provided by the government, they do not fall within the GATS rule. For a service to be out of the purview of the GATS rule it has to be entirely free. However, when the service have been provided either by the government partially or some prices are charged (as happens in education where some fees is charged) , or provided by the private providers , they shall fall under the GATS rule.
The informal WTO classification List (W/120) divides educational services into five parts: (a) Primary education (b) secondary education (c) higher education (d) adult education (e) other education.
The idea behind this is the creation of an open, global marketplace where services like education can be traded to the highest bidder. GATS cover the educational services of all the countries whose educational system are not exclusively provided by the public sector, or those educational systems that have commercial purposes. In India, we cannot get exemption in education from the application of GATS because education at all levels, particularly at higher education level is not entirely free (i.e. some fees has to be paid)
Corporate because of their huge financial resources are able to attract the best talent available in the country and hence they are providing the quality service to their customers (students). They have the access to the new sources of finances .In India also the issuing of shares by the schools and educational institution and its trading in the stock exchange will be a reality. Then the quality of the institute may be judged by looking at the share prices in the stock market and like any other business enterprises the wealth maximization will be the main goal of the institute and their entire effort will be to increase their market share and ultimately to increase the market capitalization. The government is reducing the grants given to the universities and colleges and these institutes are asked to arrange their own sources of finance .In that scenario those educational institution who will not be earning surplus will die like any other seek industrial unit. So it is the high time for those institutes to think for earning surplus and make themselves competitive for survival.
But when these institutions will be running on absolutely business principles for earning profit obviously the fees charged from the students will be higher. The application of some unethical and unfair practices for attracting the students and earning higher profit cannot be overlooked in that scenario.
4. Indian reality
In a country like India where a large section of our population is living below the poverty line, almost 35% of the population is still illiterate and we are talking about removing poverty and illiteracy, in that situation they will be the most mistreated people. So it is the government and its institutions, which will have to look at this aspect. Hence imparting higher education by charging high fees by the government run universities and college will not be desirable and the government has to look at the welfare aspect of its people. But before coming to any conclusion we have to consider the following two ground and hard realities in this respect: -
1. India being the member country of WTO, must abide by the decisions and regulations of WTO. So it cannot stop the foreign universities and institutes to operate in India, which are having ample financial, physical and intellectual resources and are running on absolutely business principles for earning profit.
2. The government of India is reducing the grants and aids given to the government universities and colleges and these institutes are called to mobilize resources from their internal sources as well as external sources. They are also asked by the UGC and NAAC to become more competitive.
So it is the time as well as the opportunity for our Government funded institutions/universities/colleges to make themselves competitive and to go for globalization. This can be only possible when they will stand on their own feet by earning surplus and are effectively and efficiently run. But at the same time we have to think for the weaker sections of the society who could not afford a high expenditure on the study.
Therefore it is very high time for educational institutes to build a business model, which will be able to compete with the foreign universities and also the weaker sections of the society will also be taken care of.
5. The model of Arvindo Eye Hospital, Madurai
The Arvindo Eye Hospital of Madurai has set an outstanding business model showing how an organisation can serve the society at large on one hand and can also earn profitable surplus on the other hand. At Arvindo Eye Hospital, economically poor people are provided treatment at free of cost and the patients who can afford are charged the requisite treatment charges. More than two-third of the patients treated in the hospital fall under the former economically unprivileged category and yet he hospital earns substantial profits. But a remarkable policy to be noticed is that the service provided to both categories of rich and poor patients are exactly same and no compromise of any sort is done with regard to the quality of treatment and service provided. The secret behind the success of the hospital is the volume of patients giving business and fact that hospital does not spend money on conspicuous consumptions. Promotion is through word of mouth and mass print media.
Similar model can be adopted by our government run and universities, whereby the required fees can be charged from students whose parents can afford the same, and concessions to be provided to the economically deprived students. With the globalization, liberation, privatization and economic growth more and more people are finding occupations in private sector leading to an increase in the purchasing power at the hands of the middle and upper class of the society who has become conscious of and can afford quality education at higher prices. This is a positive factor which the universities can cash upon and which further supports the above model.
Notes and References
1. Www.education. nic.in/htmlweb/iperposch.htm
3. Caffeinated Content for WordPress
1. Introduction
When there was no university elsewhere in the Europe; Takshasila, Vikramshila, Pallavi, and Nalanda were the centers of Global Education and attracting learners from all around the globe. The development of modern education in India started with the establishment of Hindu College in Calcutta in 1817. During British reign, Calcutta University was the first to confer the bachelor degree on women in 1883.
After independence various universities have been opened both by the government as well as private sector. The main motive behind opening these universities were not to earn profit but to serve the society by imparting higher education and conducting researches related to pure and social sciences. The fees charged from the students were minimum, hence these institutions were generating deficit so there was a need to go for the donations and aids to cover its fixed and running expenses. But gradually there was a drastic change in the scene .The education sector emerges as one of the most profitable business opportunity. The increase in the number of private schools and institutions supports the fact. Higher education is not an exception to this. Gradually most of the corporate entities have also entered into the picture.
2. Corporatisation of Higher Education
Now a days education sector is a trillion dollar industry. It is a service sector industry in the area of education as service with a huge global market in which students, teachers and non- teaching employee constitute resources for profit generation. So the concepts of marketing are also applicable. The organizations have to market their product and themselves in order to survive. In this industry the students are the customers, the teachers are the service providers and the institutions are organizers or marketers and teaching-learning process is no longer for the building of a nation but a business for profit making. Education at all levels, will continue to grow, because it cultivates the human mind and makes people important and useful in the all round development of a country, however for the corporate sector it will grow as a big service industry. Predatory and powerful MNCs are targeting public education, particularly higher education, for profit- making. Though predominantly a government supported service most governments are as consequences of neo-liberal economic reforms, withdrawing from it. The government of India through extensive privatization, commercialization and deregulation is encouraging this process.
3. Education under GATS umbrella
In 1996, the United States provided exports of education and training services had reached 8.2 billion dollars, and its trade surplus in education amounted to 7 billion dollars. Higher education was the fifth largest service exported by the US. Therefore, the pressure of the United States on WTO member countries in relation to trade in education service is clearly understandable.
The US, the European Union (EU), Japan and Canada are the main powers behind the GATS. Though WTO membership consists of nation states, the transnational corporations of these countries that sit on all the important “advisory” committees and determine detailed policy shape its agenda. While denying access to decent healthcare, education housing and long term care to millions of workers and their families the world over, the agreement will confer ever greater political power on these corporations as they control and dictate public policy.
GATS have two components: (i) the framework agreement containing 29 articles, and (ii) a number of Annexes, Ministerial decisions etc. as well as the schedules of commitments by each member government, which bind them to allow market access, and /or remove existing restrictions to market access. This agreement covers all services, including education
When the services are entirely provided by the government, they do not fall within the GATS rule. For a service to be out of the purview of the GATS rule it has to be entirely free. However, when the service have been provided either by the government partially or some prices are charged (as happens in education where some fees is charged) , or provided by the private providers , they shall fall under the GATS rule.
The informal WTO classification List (W/120) divides educational services into five parts: (a) Primary education (b) secondary education (c) higher education (d) adult education (e) other education.
The idea behind this is the creation of an open, global marketplace where services like education can be traded to the highest bidder. GATS cover the educational services of all the countries whose educational system are not exclusively provided by the public sector, or those educational systems that have commercial purposes. In India, we cannot get exemption in education from the application of GATS because education at all levels, particularly at higher education level is not entirely free (i.e. some fees has to be paid)
Corporate because of their huge financial resources are able to attract the best talent available in the country and hence they are providing the quality service to their customers (students). They have the access to the new sources of finances .In India also the issuing of shares by the schools and educational institution and its trading in the stock exchange will be a reality. Then the quality of the institute may be judged by looking at the share prices in the stock market and like any other business enterprises the wealth maximization will be the main goal of the institute and their entire effort will be to increase their market share and ultimately to increase the market capitalization. The government is reducing the grants given to the universities and colleges and these institutes are asked to arrange their own sources of finance .In that scenario those educational institution who will not be earning surplus will die like any other seek industrial unit. So it is the high time for those institutes to think for earning surplus and make themselves competitive for survival.
But when these institutions will be running on absolutely business principles for earning profit obviously the fees charged from the students will be higher. The application of some unethical and unfair practices for attracting the students and earning higher profit cannot be overlooked in that scenario.
4. Indian reality
In a country like India where a large section of our population is living below the poverty line, almost 35% of the population is still illiterate and we are talking about removing poverty and illiteracy, in that situation they will be the most mistreated people. So it is the government and its institutions, which will have to look at this aspect. Hence imparting higher education by charging high fees by the government run universities and college will not be desirable and the government has to look at the welfare aspect of its people. But before coming to any conclusion we have to consider the following two ground and hard realities in this respect: -
1. India being the member country of WTO, must abide by the decisions and regulations of WTO. So it cannot stop the foreign universities and institutes to operate in India, which are having ample financial, physical and intellectual resources and are running on absolutely business principles for earning profit.
2. The government of India is reducing the grants and aids given to the government universities and colleges and these institutes are called to mobilize resources from their internal sources as well as external sources. They are also asked by the UGC and NAAC to become more competitive.
So it is the time as well as the opportunity for our Government funded institutions/universities/colleges to make themselves competitive and to go for globalization. This can be only possible when they will stand on their own feet by earning surplus and are effectively and efficiently run. But at the same time we have to think for the weaker sections of the society who could not afford a high expenditure on the study.
Therefore it is very high time for educational institutes to build a business model, which will be able to compete with the foreign universities and also the weaker sections of the society will also be taken care of.
5. The model of Arvindo Eye Hospital, Madurai
The Arvindo Eye Hospital of Madurai has set an outstanding business model showing how an organisation can serve the society at large on one hand and can also earn profitable surplus on the other hand. At Arvindo Eye Hospital, economically poor people are provided treatment at free of cost and the patients who can afford are charged the requisite treatment charges. More than two-third of the patients treated in the hospital fall under the former economically unprivileged category and yet he hospital earns substantial profits. But a remarkable policy to be noticed is that the service provided to both categories of rich and poor patients are exactly same and no compromise of any sort is done with regard to the quality of treatment and service provided. The secret behind the success of the hospital is the volume of patients giving business and fact that hospital does not spend money on conspicuous consumptions. Promotion is through word of mouth and mass print media.
Similar model can be adopted by our government run and universities, whereby the required fees can be charged from students whose parents can afford the same, and concessions to be provided to the economically deprived students. With the globalization, liberation, privatization and economic growth more and more people are finding occupations in private sector leading to an increase in the purchasing power at the hands of the middle and upper class of the society who has become conscious of and can afford quality education at higher prices. This is a positive factor which the universities can cash upon and which further supports the above model.
Notes and References
1. Www.education. nic.in/htmlweb/iperposch.htm
3. Caffeinated Content for WordPress
