Transformation in Higher Education through E-Learning: A Shifting Paradigm

World is witnessing the 4th industrial and educational revolution which is a time of complete transformation from the earlier practices. Everyone was going with the flow until COVID 19 knocked at the door bringing everything to a standstill. However, education sector made the most out of it by enforcing the E-teaching platform in place of traditional brick and mortar classrooms. There are many challenges including lack of infrastructure and training at both the ends teachers as well as learners, mass education system that seems to fail in leveraging the socio cultural diversity and recognition by the industry to adapt a pool of learners which might be more independent and demanding more autonomy in operations. It is a challenge for the teachers as it demands a shift in pedagogical tools from conventional to virtual and more learner centric. Hence, this study has been carried out to know the perception of teachers and students pertaining to E-learning by collecting primary data through structured questionnaire drafted in two sets along with utilizing secondary sources wherever necessary. The data analysis and interpretation has been carried out with the help of percentages, mean, standard deviation, tables, graphs and figures. It has been found that teachers as well as students positively reacts to E-learning due to its feasibility, rich content, affordability, mobility and improved concentration. Also, they take it as learning opportunity in the current times. However, it suffers from the various challenges like poor internet connectivity, low accessibility to low cost and high speed internet in rural areas, language hindrance and understanding the practical subjects online and cyber security issues. It has been recommended for the measures to be taken to provide hassle-free internet connectivity, more accessibility of internet in rural areas and sustaining teacher-student relationship like conventional teaching.