Virtual education is a system
of educating masses through use of electronic media, information and
communication technologies .Virtual education is also synonymously taken as
e-learning and distance learning education. Form of education which includes
physical separation of teachers and students and the use of various technologies
to facilitate student-teacher communication.
In Pakistan virtual education was introduced when Asia's first Open University
named as Allama Iqbal Open University was founded in 1976. The university served
the purpose perfectly and the response was quite impressive. HEC after its
establishment put all its efforts to promote virtual education in Pakistan. For
this exquisite and admirable attempt of theirs, they established Virtual
University in 2002.The project proved to be a wonder and lifted up the standard
of education. With these successful stories universities established their
distance learning programs and played a vital role in making nation educated.
Living in Pakistan, a few questions may arise:
(1). Why is there need of distance learning although we got a dominant
institution based education system?
(2). To whom it may bring benefit? Etc.
As Pakistan is underdeveloped country, 65% of the total is residing in rural and
remote tribal areas, where a poorly managed education is costing much but
producing nothing. Most of the people have to quit their education in misfortune
to earn their livelihood to support families. Virtual Education is making it
helpful for those who cannot afford a regular university degree due to high cost
or lack of time if they are already employed as it’s cost effective. The
distance learning courses in Pakistan are increasingly becoming popular these
days. Distance learning facilitates the students according to their own pace and
convenience. Open system of learning accommodates younger to old age students
evenly. It greatly reduces the distance between a typical student from
office/home and university. Another long term benefit of Distance learning is
that it, without shaking the traditional values and norms of Pakistani culture,
gives women an opportunity to get them enlisted in lists of literate people.
Thus, through distance learning, women can manage their household
responsibilities as well as they manage time and resources for study. Through
this gender welfare approach of distance learning. Pakistan can progress towards
a positive and long term social change. Tribal areas can also be reached without
much hindrance.
However, the system of open and distance education is not all good, it must have
some loopholes as well. One thing to check here that the establishments of the
universities running virtual education courses should ensure that their
institutions of higher learning do not get reduced merely to degree distribution
shops. There is a chance of use of unfair means regarding projects and
assignments which mean some students are not getting the maximum out of course,
and they are just formally going through their time for mere a degree.
In a nut shell, the study concluded that distance education is playing an
important role in providing higher education through distance mode. But the need
of the hour is that more emphasis should be put on the quality of virtual
education, So that those who are unable to carry on their studies through
regular mode of education can get a chance of learning through distance mode of
education and become a part of leaned society. Virtual education can also devise
effective educational strategies for women that can bring about social changes
in Pakistan.