Gone are the days when education was limited only to classrooms. Technology has helped build a platform today where all kinds of information are readily available at a single click. This has given rise to an online knowledge sharing ecosystem which facilitates seamless interaction between students and teachers, thereby helping students expand their knowledge base while making full use of the limited time available at their disposal.

The e-learning market has been growing five times every year and is estimated to reach $255 billion by this year. According to an industry study done last year, 67 per cent of people now use mobile devices to access learning. This number clearly indicates the swelling number of people opting for online courses. The penetration of Internet in the smaller towns has also played a significant role in increasing this data.

It is no secret that India is rapidly climbing up the ranks in the global economic index. This naturally brings with it an elevated level of competition. The first thing that the nation needs to achieve is to catch up with its global peers in various fields that collectively impact the economy and growth. Building a strong and talented work force is one of the key pillars for this success. Allowing the work force to enhance their knowledge and compete with their peers is a must. Considering the diversity of our country, technology can play the role of an effective catalyst in making this a reality.

In the recent past, it has been observed that a large group of working professionals, mostly from the private sector, are gravitating towards the public sector, but everything comes with its own set of pros and cons. Most of the government jobs have a stringent selection process, based on competitive exams, and dedicated preparation is required to crack these exams. To balance work and study at the same time could be arduous and challenging for a working professional.

Online learning/coaching seems to be a saviour for such working professionals, providing the much-needed panacea for all problems faced by them when it comes to expanding their scope through learning. Smaller towns and cities of India have always seen a drive towards public sector jobs. For candidates from those places, online preparation not just provides the convenience of learning but also keeps them at par with the competition across cities.

A recent study states that an average employee can devote only one per cent of their work week to training/learning. In such a situation, online test preparation comes as a boon. Online test preparation platforms help working candidates attain a state where there is complete utilisation of their time and energy. Besides, most of today’s competitive exams are designed in the online format which makes it almost necessary for candidates to practice and opt for online prep tests.

The choice of scheduling a session according to a candidate’s convenience is something every working professional dreams of. Online coaching has this benefit of being flexible. One can take sessions anytime. This is easily accessible to everyone and requires no travel time. It helps save both time and money. Also, online coaching platforms help maintain notes and test papers intactand allow one to access it from any part of the world.

Availability of an instructor and training, round the clock, makes online platforms convenient to the working professionals. Such platforms also provide constant support in terms of study materials, notifications on dates related to the exam and strategies to crack it.

Online test preparation platforms conduct individual and group mock tests for self-assessment and declare the result at the very moment. This helps the candidates identify their flaws and improve them at the same time. Also, results are far accurate than an offline test and therefore, measure candidate’s performance better. An online platform allows a candidate to be exclusively focussed upon, acting as a personal coach to them.

This helps the candidates in identifying their strengths and weaknesses better, allowing them to capitalise on former and improving the latter. Students using this platform need to be extremely disciplined as the chances of them shirking on their duties are high when there is no face to face interaction. But new age preparation platforms have built in the necessary triggers and alerts to keep you engaged and motivated.

Big data and artificial intelligence is also playing their role in online education, by harnessing the vast amount of information available into manageable formats. It helps serve up content when a student requires it, pre-empting his/her requirements and need gaps. Technology and its implications are diverse and will go a long way in empowering our professionals into a formidable work force through education. Like the saying goes “it is only the tip of the iceberg” and we can witness seismic shifts in technology adoption and education in the coming years.

(The writer is chief executive officer and co-founder, Oliveboard)