Web collaboration paving new path to education

BANGALORE, INDIA: Online distance education has evolved into an extremely convenient way for adults to further their education and skills training. This form of learning allows users to study at your own pace, which makes it ideal for people with jobs and other responsibilities. Education authorities and establishments are finding web collaboration efficient and cost effective, enabling their people to meet and collaborate on demand, wherever they may be.

Using web collaboration technology, educators at schools and colleges can reach students across the boundaries of the traditional brick-and-mortar campus. They can also collaborate and share research with colleagues and institutions scattered across the globe. Online distance learning has really evolved in recent years. More and more people are taking advantage of the convenience and greater flexibility online education affords. As long distance learning grows in popularity, it becomes a more respected and viable educational alternative.

Cost effective, convenient, and kind to the environment, web collaboration and communication tools are a smart option in today’s world. Web collaboration services, customizable to specific needs and goals, allows users to improve performance when it comes to important communication and collaboration processes. Distance learning has opened up opportunities for learning to a much broader range of students and is something that many institutions of higher learning are taking advantage of. Web collaboration offers customized solutions and services designed specifically with online learning in mind. Collaboration tools allow real time interaction for online classrooms, allowing participants the benefits of classroom time without any inconvenience. Online education programs allow for self-paced e-learning, the perfect option for older students with work and family responsibilities. Web collaboration can provide the tools that users need to increase enrollment via the most accessible learning options today’s technologies make possible.

Because web collaboration technology requires no additional hardware or software as it employs a SaaS delivery model that removes the burden of maintenance and support, it’s easy for academic institutions to extend traditional offerings to non-traditional students. Web collaboration also enables schools and colleges to maximize existing resources by using live and recorded online classes, online office hours, virtual study groups, and web-based resource libraries.

By facilitating real-time collaboration and removing barriers to communication, education institutions can not only enrich learning, but also strengthen relationships among faculty and administrators and extend relationships to colleagues, research partners and industry. As web collaboration becomes more prominent, it's easier to find solutions to integrate into distance education programs.

The author is Director - Operations (APAC), Cisco Systems Pvt Ltd and the views expressed in this article are his own.