ICT & Online Education – Factors affecting Employees’ preference for Online Education

Abstract

The potential of ICTs in promoting the development and reach of educational avenues in India is unambiguously clear in the light of the challenges facing the country. Role of ICTs with enhanced focus on development of content and the applications to provide enhanced quality of education must be synchronized with the various initiatives for using ICT for education and should be guided by adequate guidelines and framework. Provisioning of ICT is limited by the Infrastructure especially in the rural areas, where Internet and electrification are major issues of concern. It is well known that higher penetration of mobile phone, radio and TV implies increased development and delivery of innovative content via these media. This paper is focussed on the necessity to incorporate ICT as a part of the curriculum and also use it to strengthen the teaching learning process. The paper explores the key factors that drive the growth in the E-Learning sector. The authors undertook a research for identifying the various factors that may affect the choice and preference of employees for opting for online education as a measure for career/knowledge enhancement. The study indicates that online education market in India is currently booming. The growth of the market is dependent on the field of study, the willingness to pay, the credibility of the offering organization and the acceptability of the learning in the Corporate sector.