After reading about the game changing initiative by M.I.T. in launching its free online learning initiative (the M.I.T.x), I was wondering if such a system of disruption can take shape in India or other developing countries wherein two important and common factors run in the DNA - expensive & low access to quality higher education, and growth of internet usage (high speed data connectivity)One look at the current scenario of higher education in India, and the kind of talent gap that really exists, one is forced to ponder upon disruptive ideas to break through the shackles and provide some genuine solutions to our problems. The initiative by MIT has a different ecology and probably a different set of people who would be using the same for their own developmental purposes, but it also gives us food for thought on how such a thing can be replicated in India by some organization that has already proven itself in the online domain.
The requirements for creating such a disruption are:
1. An established online community in education
2. Access to users who can contribute and design content for the new platform
3. Sponsored by companies/advertisers - so that the platform remains FREE for all students
I then focused on the online portals I know of that also have strong and established educational communities. The largest among all of them, and thankfully operating in the MBA domain is - Pagalguy.com. The portal gets over 600,000 unique visitors every month who contribute to over 300,000 pages of content that is Free for everyone to read and research on the portal. Even though the current usage of the portal is primarily focused in providing info about management education, preparations, experiences, alumni networking, etc.; the model can also be extended into providing MIT like initiatives that will add more value to the larger audience that uses Pagalguy resources.
So what have we got already working for Pagalguy.com?
Community - Already, the portal has a community of MBA applicants and b-school students who interact with each other and carry the feeling of being a member of this large community into their own networks, thereby allowing more people seeking info on MBA to use the portal. Since this factor is already taken care of, the first level of challenges that any product will face - like introduction to early adopters, etc - can be taken care of.
Profile of the users - Since the site is dedicated to MBA and related discussion, its evident that the users have a certain profile suited for such online course-ware to flourish. Some of the important factors are - (a) Usage of internet beyond basic levels, (b) Networking and knowledge of people's development systems and expertise, and (c) Ambition to get a better life.
Free Content - At present the portal is Free to all its users and it has worked (against all suspicion of credibility) very well for the users as well as its contributors. In the future, such a model can still exist and a revenue model to sustain such disruptive program can be designed without any hitch.
Customized design of content - The forum content on Pagalguy.com is the biggest draw for the website, wherein people find the type of content, that will suit their understanding/lingo/learning pattern, pretty easily. Imagine a similar situation for the new disruption, wherein content is still contributed without any fee by the users and they impregnate their own learning methods into those models or learning aids. The present theories of learning and intelligence bases state that people aren't getting their individual best ways to learn in standardized teaching, and therefore this model might also be taking care of that large problem and making life easy for thousands.
According to Prof. Clay Christensen's disruption models, the best way forward is to figure out the non-competition. In the case of this model, Pagalguy.com, and its users, this will be a brilliant canvas wherein no other new player or even existing players will have the success-factors, the user profiles, and the revenue model to sustain such innovation.
If this disruption comes into being, then a lot of so called distance learning programs, expensive yet inutile certifications, bridge courses, etc will thankfully stop functioning and spoiling the talent of this country.
Imagine a database of content contributed by some of the best in Corporate world, b-schools, NGOs, from Universities abroad, and all that being designed to suit your own developmental process - at the exact speed and learning ways that help you learn. This is definitely possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment