E-learning is gaining popularity all throughout the world, particularly among
institutions of higher education (universities). Many highly regarded universities are
either during deploying e-learning systems that will coexist with non-e-learning
environments or have already deployed e-learning systems that are fully operational.
Additionally, a few virtual universities may be found. E-learning requires a significant
investment of time and resources. Many third-world nations are now referred to as
"Transitional Countries." Different people have used the term "transitional country" in
different ways at different times and in different circumstances. But in today's context, a
"transitional country" is a nation with a developing market economy that sits between a
developed and developing nation.
The access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) between the
haves (the privileged class) and the have-nots (the impoverished class) differs
significantly in emerging countries (Venkatesh and Sykes 2013). The complicated
socioeconomic structures and geographic distribution of this society mean that access
to ICTs is not given high priority because "the majority of the people does not have
access to essential capacities such as healthcare and education" (Srivastava and
Shainesh 2015, 246). Therefore, this disparity would have been more noticeable among
the less fortunate when students were suddenly required to pursue their education from
the comfort of their homes. And if we consider typical gender inequalities, such as the
fact that women often shoulder more of the household's caregiving, cooking, and
cleaning duties (Cutter 2017), this would have put female students lower on the scale of
the have-nots.
E-learning is the process of acquiring and applying knowledge that is primarily
transmitted and aided by electronic methods. Currently reliant on networks and
computers, this method of learning will probably expand into systems using a range of
channels (like wireless and satellite) and technology (like cellular phones and PDAs)
when they are created and adopted. E-learning is available as courses, modules, and
more compact learning products. E-learning can have synchronous or asynchronous
access, be geographically dispersed, and have a variety of time constraints. The ability
to change is perhaps the most important difficulty facing established universities. This
necessitates a significant reorganization, the elimination of pointless operations, and
streamlined administrative procedures. In today's unstable environment, it can be
difficult to find motivation to advance, change, and evolve. . . Utilizing commercial
interests' resources while keeping quality and standards of service as a top priority
presents a problem. A strong survival strategy will be the ability to strike the correct
balance between the opposing forces of cost and quality without lowering education to
the lowest common denominator (Bauza, et. Al. 2021).
In third world and developing nations' higher education, e-learning can be
extremely important. It will strengthen higher education, promoting sustainable growth in
the process. Curriculum, academic administration, industrial partnership, etc. can all be
improved with e-learning. However, it might not be feasible to implement it in third-world
nations in the same way that top-ranked universities in the US and Europe do. Prior to
looking into potential remedies, connected problems must first be addressed. Many
developing and transitional nations can experience success with e-learning if given
sufficient alternatives or preferred techniques.
References
Bauza, V., G. D. Sclar, A. Bisoyi, A. Owens, A. Ghugey, and T. Clasen. 2021.
“Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Odisha, India: Knowledge,
Preventative Actions, and Impacts on Daily Life.” International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health 18 (6): 2863. doi:10.3390/ijerph18062863.
Cutter, S. L. 2017. “The Forgotten Casualties Redux: Women, Children, and Disaster
Risk.” Global Environmental Change 42: 117–121.
doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2016.12.010.
Venkatesh, V., and T. A. Sykes. 2013. “Digital Divide Initiative Success in Developing
Countries: A Longitudinal Field Study in a Village in India.” Information Systems
Research 24 (2): 239–260. doi:10.1287/isre.1110.0409.
Srivastava, S. C., and G. Shainesh. 2015. “Bridging the Service Divide through Digitally
Enabled Service Innovations: Evidence from Indian Healthcare Service Providers.” MIS
Quarterly 39 (1): 245–267. doi:10.25300/MISQ/2015/39. 1.11.