90% of Students Prefer Online Education Over the Offline Model For Better LearningA survey conducted by Gradeup indicated that the access to expert faculty & live classes are driving students to e-learning

Technology has made in-roads in all walks of life and taken over. The educational landscape is not immune to this shift. Sitting in classes, waiting for the teacher, listening to the lecture and making notes to remember has become passé now. No millennial roll like that anymore. They believe inconvenience and that's what the online medium provides them with.

In a survey conducted by Gradeup, an online preparatory platform for competitive exams conducted a research on the benefits and scope of live online learning over the course of 3 months through email, online surveys, telephonic and personal interactions, with over 10,000 students preparing for competitive exams and the results are astonishing. Online has again taken the cake.

The Rise of Edtech

The rise of emerging technologies has led to a significant increase in Ed-tech platforms across the globe with millions of students registering to use them. However, the usage and consumption of the content on these platforms still remain limited in India owing to gaps in existing learning mechanism & aspirant's needs.

There's a need for greater engagement to motivate students with continuous and mentored learning. Talking about the impact of Live Classes, Shobhit Bhatnagar, Co-founder, Gradeup said, "This has greatly enhanced the overall learning experience with more interactive learning, making quality education more widely accessible for students across the country."

Preference Over Offline

The findings suggest that, of the students who are currently using offline modes for exam preparation, 70 per cent are willing to shift to online learning if given access to live online classes. Over 90 per cent of the participating students would apparently choose online modes of learning over offline coaching. "Access to expert faculty' was cited as the primary reason for the shift.

Factors such as "convenience' of preparing from home, "access to live classes' and "cost-benefit' are the top 3 drivers for this choice. Further, 20 per cent of the total number of participants also said they would be willing to pay extra for access to live classes. The survey further established that 63 per cent of students that prefer live classes over recorded lectures for their exam preparation.

The Reach

Unlike offline mode of teachings which are bound to certain demographics and locations, e-learning empowers students from every nook and corner. Referring the reach of E-leaning, Bhatnagar stated, "This has had a significant impact on students in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities. While they may have limited access to coaching centres or find that the fees are out of reach, with online live classes, they now have access to the best teachers and courses wherever they are."

The foremost reasons students stated for choosing live classes are 'interactive classes for instant doubt resolution' and 'proper planning through a day-wise study plan'. These findings are clear indicators that students are increasingly realising the benefits and opening up to the idea of taking to live online classes. Take a deeper dive into the survey insights through the following infographic by Gradeup: