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Scope of Computer Science in India: Benefits, Job Roles & Best Courses

Scope of Computer Science in India: Benefits, Job Roles & Best Courses

Updated on 19 March, 2024

14.86K+ views

• 14 min read

Rohan Vats

Table of Contents

Why Computer Science?
Abilities Required for a Vocation in Computer Science
The Scope of Computer Science in the Future
Some of the Roles Offered
How Does a Good Computer Science Degree Help with Your Entry into the Tech World?

Technology has taken over the world. The recent advancements have uplifted the status of technology and science related to it. The computer and the internet both are one of the most powerful inventions of humankind. Working together, they work like a beast.

Today’s advancement can make almost every task done using the combination of these two. The whole world is on the internet. Every business is connected to its customer. Every teacher is connected to their student. Every doctor is connected to their patient. It is a global intervention.

Computers, along with the internet, eradicate all boundaries. This heightens the scope of computer science. Computer science has uplifted the world in all domains and transformed our lives. Smart technology revolves around us and has made almost every task digital. Isn’t this amazing? This evergreen scope of computer science in India has made it irresistible to pursue the field.

There is a lot of scope in computer science in India, the employment is projected to grow 13 percent from 2020 to 2030 (Source).

Computer engineering in India is also seeing good growth “The Global Computer Engineering market size is projected to reach USD 2220450 million by 2028” (Source). Computer science is important to every business and domain in today’s time, with the world getting connected with the advent of technology, computer science is seeing more growth with that.

It solves problems with technical skills and critical thinking and helps organizations to focus on growth and revenue. There are various advantages to learning computer science such as it is faster, accurate, help in problem-solving, etc. It is applicable in almost every industry today which makes it a relevant field, such as healthcare, transport, entertainment, education, government, etc.

Why Computer Science?

Every now and then, we come across an application that contributes to the world in some or the other way. Newer technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Robotics, and IOT raise the bar higher day by day.

We are living in an information age, the mechanically progressed period. Software engineering- the name itself says everything; it’s the study of PCs- regardless of whether it be equipment, programming, systems administration, or whatever else you consider.
From maintaining a business to learning a course, CS is engaged with the type of sites or portable applications.
From framing an organization to playing a game, CS is there, like social media or gaming applications.
From flying to driving a vehicle, CS is available as Artificial Intelligence, ML, Robotics, or IoT.
From planning craftsmanship to decorating a home (inside plan), CS is there as Multimedia, Design, Graphics, Animations, etc.

The rundown goes on! So, whatever you see around you today, software engineering is associated with it, some or the other way. As a software engineer, you have plenty of choices. Each and every field in itself is a sea. You can choose to be a Software Designer, a Database Administrator, or a Network Engineer, or you can likewise hop into some serious fields like creating robots with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning; be an information researcher, moral programmer, or Research Scientist.

Computer Science focuses on solving problems that improve the quality of business, scientific and regular tasks. Students of computer science focus their time and energy on learning to design, develop and analyze the software that helps in catering to the problem area.

Computer engineering is also emerging as a hot career in today’s times, because the professionals design, develop and test the software that provides a quality experience to the end users. Computer engineering course in India is seeing an increase in its demand due to their popularity. With the rise of online and digital platforms, it has become imperative for organizations to keep their software ecosystem robust.

Abilities Required for a Vocation in Computer Science

As a software engineering engineer, whatever stream you select requires certain abilities to dominate your vocation in IT.

Critical thinking: As a specialist, you will be encircled with huge amounts of issues; if you have great essential abilities of thinking, you will stand out from your group, and you will have incredible odds of development.
Inclination: Having a knack for computers is, without a doubt, one of the most significant abilities any IT specialist ought to have.
Thinking: Whether you become a product engineer or an organization engineer, having a thinking aptitude is a must. You need to go over endless errands, which is impossible without strong thinking aptitudes.
Cooperative person: You must know how to cooperate with a team. Teamwork is essential and helps in developing leadership skills.
Investigative: These are additionally one of the key aptitudes for IT engineers.

Computer science and design scope would definitely come in computer scientist’s way if they hone the relevant skills required. As they work in an environment where their knowledge is expected to solve the bigger problems. They need to be someone having a keen eye for details and should be good with experimentation and coding along with technical writing skills. Having the knowledge of programming languages is a must along with that they should also be a good communicator.

The Scope of Computer Science in the Future

Source

The IT sector is a never-ending blooming sector. It has millions of opportunities. Candidates from top-notch colleges receive great packages from big MNCs. Communication skills and rigorous basic knowledge are required to crack a good company, irrespective of any college. Since it’s a large pool, the need to have more engineers never stops.

The major reason for the scope of computer science in India is its huge employment scale.

1. Other benefits are Foreign Direct Investments and import, and export.

3. The chain of employment is large and secure.

4. A large number of means are available to pursue an education in this field.

5. The popularization of deemed universities like IITs, NITs

Metropolitan cities are IT hubs. They inhabit a large population of India that works in the IT sector. Moreover, computer science’s anticipated growth and jobs related to it are expected to increase in the coming years. It is obvious that the digital world will expand and will need off-stage people. Thus, thescope of computer science in Indiawill be exponential.

The IT business in India is a key aspect of the nation’s economy. In 2017, data innovation and its different sub-sectors spoke to right around eight percent of the country’s general GDP. In the budgetary year 2019, this industry in India produced a yearly income near 180 billion U.S. dollars, a huge increment from the created income ten years prior.

A dominant part of this income was created in trades, while homegrown income added up to more than 50 billion U.S. dollars for the referenced period. The sector also contributed a share of around eight percent to the GDP of the country in 2017.

Computer Science has a promising future in coming times, it is demanded as well as there is no limit to its relevancy, industry-wise. The computer science field opens door to employability opportunities in various industries such as entertainment, transportation, government, security, gaming, etc.

Also, computer science is a bigger umbrella, under it, there are various job titles that are guided by preferences, such as IT consultant, games developer, technical writer, database administrator, systems analyst, multimedia programmer, computer engineer, etc. And the scope of computer engineering after 4 years would still be relevant and demanded. The professionals could make their career in any part of the world as it is neither country specific nor an industry-specific profession.

The top IT associations in India that offer openings for work in this field are:

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS),
Wipro Technologie,
Cognizant
Yahoo!
Google
Tech Mahindra
Infosys Technologies
HP, Capgemini, iGATE Patni, Accenture
L&T, EY, Convergys, MphasiS, Genpact
HCL Technologies, Godrej Infotech

Metropolitan people groups like Bengaluru, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bombay, and Cochin are a part of the spots which have shaped into potential IT habitats of the country because of the presence of these top IT associations. These cities see traction from qualified professionals and companies.

The companies want to absorb these qualified candidates and provide a good competitive salary to them. Along with this, the companies also focus on retaining good talent and providing them with good benefits and scope of growth.

Like all other structural purposes for living, Computer Engineering additionally requires sensible data to be employable. There is not a suitable swap for authentic applications; the data secured must be put to the test, to have the choice to adequately crush impediments and stipulations by technique for endeavors and experiential learning.

Candidates who need to take a job in the IT industry should have the most outrageous introduction to helpful data so they can perform gainfully from the earliest starting point of their calling by uprightness of the valuable data.

Experiential data is mandatorily expected to have the choice of pro subjects associated with programming building planning. Furthermore, you ought to be strong in the dynamic and keep alert to date about the latest progressions and enhancements in the field of programming designing structure.

This will promise you to grow expertly in an exceptional manner. Scouts search for specialists capable of all the related progressions, so it is reasonable to expertise a wide extent of creating advancements to ensure positions.

The scope of computer science in India and the degree of programming designing structure is boundless; you essentially need to stay arranged to pick up by the opportunity.

Source

Looking to boost your job prospects in the tech industry? Discover the best online computer courses for job readiness and elevate your skills to meet the demands of today’s digital workforce.

Some of the Roles Offered

1. Web developer and designer

The front end, back end, or full-stack developer builds and enhances your website. The website is a digital market and defines your ROI. It is needed by all organizations.

Web developers and designers are constantly working to improve the website and the user experience it provides. The web developers work either for the front-end, back-end, or both depending on their preferences. They conceive, design, deploy, test, and analyse web applications and are highly compensated for their effort.

2. Analyst

Data needs to be analyzed, just like problems. Thus we need a computer analyst. The data scientist also falls under this category. Based on the functional spec, issues a technical specification that deals with the design of the project. This role might overlap or work with the software engineer’s assistance (or, if unavailable, the dev lead, or senior software developers).

Computer Analysts create data mapping and focus on incorporating new technologies into the existing system. They diagnose the system and advise on the system updates. They are also responsible for maintaining the data processing systems.

3. DBMS

A database management system engineer computes data. Data handling is a very broad aspect and needs accuracy.

A database administrator is given the responsibility to maintain the database for the organisation. They focus on security and maintaining safety procedures.

4. QA engineer (tester)

They test plans and run tests for the software. Some may be bridging the gap with development roles and handling automated testing – those would often have a shiner job title.

A quality engineer performs tests for the software before they are launched, they also keep track of testing and quality assurance to maintain the quality of the software. They work closely within the team where articulate the results so the teams can take the report forward and rectify the issues.

5. QA/test lead

Manages and assigns testing tasks, deals with resourcing and scheduling, and reviews test plans. Works closely with the dev lead and project/product manager for scheduling and resourcing considerations.

Since software engineering depends on arithmetic essentials, software engineering understudies create basic thinking and complex critical thinking capacities to help them in varying backgrounds. A portion of the suborders of software engineering is hypothetical software engineering, the hypothesis of calculation, data and coding hypothesis, calculations and information structures, programming language hypothesis, formal strategies, applied software engineering, and so forth.

Understudies can spend significant time in any (at least one) of these regions during their undergrad or graduate examinations. Directly, openings for work are incredible for software engineering and understudies everywhere over the world. During troublesome occasions, for example, a downturn, a profoundly talented and splendid software engineering proficient will consistently be popular.

Also Read: 11 Top Career Options After Engineering: What to do after Engineering?

How Does a Good Computer Science Degree Help with Your Entry into the Tech World?

A degree in software engineering designing opens understudies to hypothetical just as down-to-earth software engineering parts. When undergrad contemplates are finished, you would have scarcely started to expose this immense and blossoming field.

In recent decades, software engineering has developed quickly and has delivered noteworthy increasing speed and advancement, not simply in the realm of web and computerized reasoning yet additionally in assorted fields, for example, banking, gadgets, science, science, medication, and medical care, to give some examples. To put it plainly, software engineering has attacked each other’s field, and great programming and coding abilities have bloomed as fundamental.

The scope of computer programming in India is also on the rise, Computer programmers write, develop, and test codes for mobile or web applications. They are also responsible for maintaining the applications and debugging or troubleshooting the errors or problems. Computer programmers should be well versed in mathematics, programming languages, and problem-solving skills.

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Combining the most recent innovation, instructional methods, and administrations, upGrad is making an inundation of tech courses. Select upGrad’s online courses to pick up accreditation in information science, advanced advertising, executives, AI, and programming improvement. Gain from the best and develop in the most needed area, the software engineering world.

We provide the finest courses from top universities like Liverpool John Moores University, Master in Computer Science, PG Diploma in Full-Stack Software Development, PG Diploma in Software Development – Blockchain, and PG Diploma in Software Development – Blockchain with assured job opportunities. Placement Track in Full Stack Development, Duke CE with 15+ Case Studies, and 1500+ students enrolled.

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The scope of Computer science in Indiais huge, indeed. Dig out and research all the relevant fields of your interest. Explore them, and filter your choices. You can take upGrad’s courses to learn more about the fields. All the absolute best.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What jobs can computer science get you?

Some of the many job roles are mentioned below- Full stack developer Systems Architect Computer Engineer Data Engineer Mobile Application Developer Systems Engineer.

2. Why should I choose computer science?

Computer Science is a growing field, where its applications are not limited to one industry. The job provides good growth and a flexible working environment for the professionals.

3. What math is needed for computer science?

The computer science professionals should be equipped with maths along with other skills. In maths calculus, algebra, statistics, etc are required.

4. How many hours do computer science students study?

A computer science student spends around 17-18 hours per week in studying.

5. Which field is best in computer science?

Some of the below-mentioned fields in computer science are known widely- Computer Hardware Engineer Web Developer Computer Systems Architect IT project manager Computer Networks Architect Information Security Analyst.

6. Is computer science a happy job?

Yes, professionals in the computer science field consider themselves satisfied and happy at their job. They enjoy flexible working hours along with good recognition and scope.

7. Which computer science degree is best?

Some of the below-mentioned computer science degrees are known widely- Computer Science Software Engineering Computer Engineering IT and Information Systems Cybersecurity.

8. How many years is computer science course?

The duration for B.Sc. Computer Science is 3 years. And the other cetrtificate courses has different duration according to the curriculum and rigour.

9. What is a Database Management System?

A database management system (DBMS) is a database system that software professionals use to store, organise, and access data in a systematic manner. A DBMS is specifically designed to store and efficiently access large amounts of data, typically on behalf of a single database management system application. A database is a collection of data stored on a computer system. This data is collectively organised into a collection of tables that can be queried, joined, and evaluated.

10. What is the role of a web developer?

Web developers design, build, and maintain websites and web applications. They design and build websites, apps, and other digital experiences for users to access or interact with, often using programming languages and tools such as PHP, JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. They often use the Internet and the web to build their applications and websites, and they can work with a wide range of technologies, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python. Web developers build and improve the user experience on the web. They work with other developers and the web experts who design and build the web to design, develop, and test web-based software and services.

11. Who is a full stack developer?

A full stack developer is a software programmer who specialises in building and scaling applications on a variety of platforms, including web, mobile, and the cloud. Full stack developers are responsible for building and maintaining the entire web application and its associated services, from the backend code, through the frontend, and on to the database and other services. They also work closely with other teams, such as designers and marketers, to build, launch, and iterate on their products. Full stack developers build the entire application, from the backend to the frontend. They design and build the architecture, writing code that powers the entire application. They’re also responsible for building the front end of the application, which includes the user interface and the code that the user interacts with.

Did you find this article helpful?

Rohan Vats

Software Engineering Manager @ upGrad. Passionate about building large scale web apps with delightful experiences. In pursuit of transforming engineers into leaders.

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Only 25% Of Indian Graduates Are Employable, And The Solution Is Obvious

Co-authored by: Apoorva Shankar, Business Development Associate, UpGrad The world today has enhanced productivity requirements. Due to this, the demand for highly skilled labour is growing. China and India are set to drive this demand. Globally, the share of low-skill jobs is likely to decline from 74% of employment in 2010 to 62% by 2020. On the other hand, the shortage of highly skilled workers with a tertiary level of education is expected to reach 18 million by 2020, globally. But due to its demographic dividend, India will have a labour surplus of 47 million by 2020. However, this surplus may only be of low-skilled labour. And while the demand for highly skilled labour is increasing, the supply isn’t quite keeping up. The challenge, as well as opportunity, that India faces is how to train such a large reserve of labour and convert low skills to high skills. One solution that immediately comes to mind is providing higher education for all. But at present only 24% of those meant to be participating in higher education, are actually enrolled. Plus, traditional college or university pedagogy has been increasingly criticized for being outdated and irrelevant to the jobs market. If you attended school or college in India, you will have first-hand experience of the ills that plague the system. Some of the reasons for this are: Absence of a customized or personalized approach to education (necessary as different students have different needs and learning capabilities). Restricted resources due to not-for-profit nature of educational institutes and over-regulation. Lack of technology infrastructure. Poor teaching quality. Lack of skills-based learning. Low focus on research and development. Minimal partnerships with industry/foreign academia. Outdated curricula not reflecting requirements of a dynamic market environment. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. Only about 25% of Indian graduates are considered employable by the organized sector. Further, 48% of Indian employers said they were having difficulty in filling jobs, in 2012. Despite employers expressing difficulty in finding employable candidates, in 2009-10 the unemployment rates in India were higher for those who were more educated (graduates had more difficulty finding jobs than secondary or primary level graduates). [b_color background=”#EDFF3D”] Also Read – Technology will surely kill some jobs, but not all of them [/b_color] So Indian education, in its current form, hasn’t proved to be enough training for the incoming workforce. The numbers also prove that just completing higher education in any field is not all it takes anymore. This pinch is being increasingly felt as the world of jobs is turning upside down; which is why we need skill training. Skill-intensive industries are expected to contribute more than 90% of India’s GDP by 2030. The opportunity is staring at us in the face. It’s not just about the potential but also the responsibility we are tasked with — restoring balance to the global supply of labour. The country needs to invest in skill development and training for a large chunk of its population. Exploiting sheer numbers is therefore one major reason to skill our workers. Secondly, the demand for advanced skill-sets in emerging areas is growing. Knowledge-intensive roles such as finance, business, etc, and those related to information technology and entrepreneurship are gaining momentum. The reality that these skills must be acquired will take root for more and more individuals, including drop-outs from the mainstream education system and those who have completed such education. Currently, the actual supply of these workers falls drastically short of matching growing demand. Hence, the gaps in domain knowledge are another reason to scale up the skilling. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea… In China about 47% of the workforce has received some kind of skill training, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Comparatively, only about 10% of the Indian workforce received such training in 2008. India is seventh in the category of countries facing maximum difficulty in filling jobs, i.e., 58% difficulty, where the global average is 38%. These figures reflect that just belonging to the young Indian demographic is not enough. You are likely to be at a disadvantage, in terms of skill training and thereby employability, when compared to someone your age in China, USA, South Korea etc. To address these imbalances, India needs unprecedented increase in both education and job creation. At this point, there is no guaranteed advantage for India in the contest for high-skill talent. It will be dependent on skilling. Considering the state of higher education and the skill upgrade required to be carried out in the future, the process will not just be about learning for professionals, but rather unlearning and re-learning.

by Mayank Kumar

13 Jul'16

5.2K+

7 reasons to watch UpGrad Talks today

There is really no secret sauce for success. Provided you have had the opportunity to view the exclusive online tete-e-tete sessions brought to you by UpGrad Talks. With an amazing roster of world-class speakers, some from the top 1000 companies of India such as Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Sky, Coca Cola, JP Morgan, JWT to start-up poster children such as RedBus, Snadeal, Ola & Zivame and many more, Upgrad Talks provides insights into their formulae for success. The talks also share deep learning from situations that didn’t work out and many valuable nuggets of honest, down-to-earth and practical advice from successful entrepreneurs, experts and industry leaders. While some lip service has been paid to new-age technologies and skill sets, and the evolution of industries because of these, a deeper understanding of what this signifies is missing. Upgrad Talks intends to fill this gap by bringing together thought-leaders from different walks of life and raising the level of discourse in this area, as they share their experiences. Here are the top reasons why you must visit talks.upgrad.com today and make it your daily source of insights and motivation: Get Inspired Inspiration can come from many different sources. You may get inspired when you see a problem that needs a solution, which you are able to ideate, or get inspired when you hear stories of adversity being overcome by sheer willpower. Rarely does the simple existence of wealth inspire us. It may motivate us to work harder, but inspiration stems from a deeper place that needs real stories. Upgrad Talks are stories from the folks who have lived these stories, first hand. Not only does hearing someone’s complete story of challenges, thought process and subsequent outcome inspire, it also gives birth to new ideas and provides impetus to grow in your own space. Moreover, inspiration also stems from well-put statements such as, ‘attitude will sail you through,’ by Harit Nagpal, CEO of Tata Sky. A key benefit of listening to industry leaders is that it also inspires us to think. ‘What we think, we become,’ is a quote by Buddha that sums up this well. Go ahead, face challenges It does not matter if you are a startup or an established financial organization; challenges, big or small, exist in every level of most businesses. Challenges faced, strategized and overcome is the rite of passage for almost everyone. Not only do Upgrad Talks cover challenges faced by leading industry veterans, it also covers it from various stages of businesses along with discussion of the solutions that helped overcome them. Upgrad Talks speakers’ discuss challenges faced by businesses in different spaces, which makes these talks an interesting listen. Furthermore, is quite motivating to hear the candid conversations of business leaders. So what is the common thought on challenges in the Upgrad Talks? No challenge is too big. It also strengthens the belief that challenges help you grow and become stronger and develops a sense of confidence to take on the next big challenge. Learn from influencers People who can motivate are great influencers. To hear success stories at Upgrad Talks, which have been driven by deep-rooted passion as well as courage of conviction can be a great influence on most people. It is likely to help you push yourself to greater heights and also follow your dreams a bit more diligently. To quote Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl, ‘ there is a fine line between stubbornness and persistence.’ Upgrad Talks is likely to help you define the lines as an excellent selection of influencers talk also about the key soft skills required to make it a significant mark on the industry that you belong to. Mentoring As you listen to entrepreneurs, business leaders and experts on models that have worked, one can also start drawing parallels to one’s one business or profession. Mentoring of this kind is both subtle and effective as it helps you choose some key takeaways from the shared experiences that are most relevant to you. Follow the series to get premium access to the best mentors in the country as they talk about education, the emerging digital age and its impact on businesses, talent shortages and advice to youngsters. A bit of crystal gazing In the series of Upgrad Talks, one is likely to come across a vast amount of business knowledge which has been converted into digestible insights that can also help you choose the next steps in your career. Speakers’ at Upgrad Talks share their business mantras and what the future is likely to be. This is crystal gazing of the finest variety and yet another reason to tune into the talks. A healthy dash of optimism One of the unique selling points of the Upgrad Talks is that they also brings out the combined optimism in business from key industry leaders. Apart from that one can learn what is next in the industry, and explore potential future opportunities in the workspace. The upbeat and positive nature of these talks makes them a must-listen. Easily available online Just in case you were wondering how far you would need to travel to listen to such a wide range of speakers, you can breath easy. Upgrad Talks are delivered online and you can listen to them at your own convenience. All you need to do is to long onto talks.upgrad.com and you can access high quality, pre-recorded sessions online. Upgrad is making content richer, bigger and better as it kicks off with 15+ talks delivered by entrepreneurs, experts & business leaders. You definitely do not want to miss out on the educational transformation that UpGrad is fuelling in partnership with some of the greatest minds. Remember, one can never stop learning. So, if you always aspired to hear great advice and insights from the top Indian business leaders on how you can grow your business, choose a career goal or get inspired, do take a look at Upgrad Talks. They are truly the voices that impact. Join us today and be a part of it at talks.upgrad.com.

by Omkar Pradhan

06 Aug'16

5.37K+

Evolving online education: Learning Together

Technologies in online learning have been making promises since early 20th century. From radio to present day MOOCs, multiple new technologies were seen as silver bullet in revolutionising education. These promises were indeed laudable, to make education accessible to everyone, affordable for everyone and more effective. Yet, the same history of unmet expectations has been repeated every time*. Although a lot has happened over the past decade in terms of growth and expansion of online education, there are many challenges yet to be solved before we can say online learning has truly arrived. We, at UpGrad, believe the following three challenges are the biggest hurdles to the success of online education. Isolation: Online learning is solitary experience Acceptability: Online learning’s validity in the Job Market Not Engaging: Interplay of distractions and motivations in learning online The dismally low completion rates and high failure rates are reflection of these challenges [1]. Our goal at UpGrad is to fight these challenges and provide an unmatched learning experience for the working professionals. We believe, with the flexibility of online learning, every working professional can “UpGrade” himself without going back to full-time formal education. Hence, we need to to make online learning mainstream. In this article we would be sharing how are setting the online learning as a ‘Social Experience’ for our students, ie the first of the three mentioned challenges. In 2000s, internet surfing was mainly an individual experience and on the other hand, in 2016 almost all of internet time is a social experience. We do not feel alone in 2016 version of internet. We believe online education will have much higher engagement and completion rates once it becomes a social experience. An average student’s e-learning journey is an individual experience making him/her feel isolated. Learners move through the course with limited interactions with both their instructor and classmates. We at UpGrad, are building a new learning platform specifically designed keeping our students and their needs in mind. We believe this would be key to provide the kind of engagement levels the students deserve. The perception of social presence (or lack of) is a big concern among students and teachers in online learning. Teachers develop courses in isolation and the students take the courses in isolation. Researchers have found strong correlation between the sense of social presence facilitated by the course and student’s perceived learning [3,4,5]. Also there is good re correlation between withdrawal in the course and student’s perceived lack of social interaction and instructor presence [3]. Lack of social interaction in e-learning increases the distraction, since a learner would look for social interaction elsewhere which is usually Twitter, Whatsapp or Facebook. If there is another learner doing the same course in my apartment building, there are limited chances that I would know about him. As learners of online courses, we are oblivious of everyone else’s presence except few replies on the discussion forum. They do form Facebook groups or Whatsapp groups organically, yet the whole online learning format ends up being mostly a solo experience. Here are the steps we are taking at UpGrad in making our online programs a social experience.: Profiles : The first step in ‘social’ e-learning is knowing your classmates. We have learner profiles with education and work history along with other details. Almost everyone is encouraged to fill in their full profile along with a descriptive ‘bio’ section. There are multiple points where learners are nudged to click on the profiles. To improve discoverability of relevant profiles we not only leverage cohort social graph but also use interest graph, performance graph, complementary skills graphs. Combined with other semi random** algorithms like who was recently online, learners bump into each other in interesting ways. In the first month of Data Analytics Program, an average engaged learner viewed peer profiles 110 times. Discussions: We have a discussion forum which is contextual and relevant to the course content. We designed it from the ground up to involve learners during the course. They help each other, solve doubts, ask questions, have healthy debates on the forum. Only when there is no consensus a Teaching Assistant gets involved in clearing the doubts. Last 3 months data shows that on a daily basis 50% of the students who are engaged on the platform, also engaged actively on the discussion forum. As most professionals have different backgrounds, sharing of experiences on the forum is much valuable to everyone in the cohort. We have seen learners fall into three buckets on the forum. First is the majority producers, the top 30% of forum content producers are responsible for around 70% of the discussions. The next 50% do the rest of 30% of the content but continue to voice their opinions through upvotes. Rest of the 20% are mere observers. These numbers are highly encouraging and we will be investing more time in finding out how student-student social interactions can help in overall engagement. Figure 1: Forum topic distribution in one of our programs. Share in the pie is (questions * votes) for each topic. Bigger share of the pie is a proxy for doubts. This lead us to start live sessions on those topics. Thought Leader AMAs: Initiating and maintaining engagement on the forum is hard. To set the ball rolling, we started the discussion forum for a new cohort with getting a thought leader to do an AMA on the platform. This way not only the students got a product onboarding experience but also the social expectation was set amongst the peers. In some months, the total content creation during AMAs ended up around 20% of the total cumulative content. We also observed a side benefit of starting the program with thought leader – that learners are more helpful, behave with more civility and show much more respect for each other. This is not very unusual because it is known that a group’s eventual social dynamics are very much impacted by behaviour in initial few days. In a way, it sets the trend which follows upto the end of the course. We also explored bringing in external motivations to see how does it impact on engagement levels. At times, there were small gifts for top forum contributors and at times we included forum participation in the grading. Our primary observations show that this is to be used cautiously. We are working on establishing a balance between extrinsic and intrinsic motivations for social involvement. Facebook Groups: For all cohorts we have Facebook groups for students apart from the platform discussion forum. We were not very confident how much our forum will be used for non academic discussions and generic social sharing. However, we found more and more discussions of generic nature and sharing of articles & blogs also started happening on the forum. Hence facebook group ended up becoming redundant. We are thinking of doing away with a cohort’s facebook group with this expanded use of discussion forum In summary, having a strong sense of community within the students is a big predictor of learning outcomes. This has been researched multiple times [7, 8]. Our platform’s usage data of course progress and social interaction activity strongly confirms this research. At a time, a learner who is socially engaged on our platform has usually completed 4 times (Figure 2) course materials than a learner who does not participate in social discussions. This high correlation has been repeated across multiple cohorts. Figure 2: At a snapshot of time course completion rates for learners active on forum vs non active. Apart from the student isolation e-learning content creators and facilitators tend to work in isolation, reflecting and sharing of best practices is minimal[6]. We at UpGrad are aware of this problem, and making sure different program teams collaborate and share solutions to common problems. We do not have complete solution to isolation in learning yet. We as a company are focussed on solving this problem, we are testing out few ideas and are willing to share the results with the community. With these changes we are expecting online learning experience to be more engaging, more involving and eventually pushing up the low completion rates of online learning. These are early days of online education and we have miles to go. Bibliography [1] http://collegequarterly.ca/2007-vol10-num03-summer/rolfe.html [2] Online Social Networks as Formal Learning Environments: Learner Experiences and Activities, The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, Vol 13, No 1 (2012) [3] Tello SF (2007). An analysis of student persistence in online education. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education [4] Herbert, M. (2006). Staying the course: A study in online student satisfaction and retention. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 9(4). [5] Morris, T. A. (2009). Anytime/anywhere online learning: Does it remove barriers for adult learners. In T.Kidd (Ed.), Online education and adult learning: New frontiers for teaching practices. Hershey, PA:IGI Global. [6] Duncan, H & Barnett J (2009) Learning to teach online. [7] Kaulback, B (2015). Learning Together : Community and Network from the perspective of designers of online learning. (Doctoral dissertation) [8] Bernard, R. M., Abrami, P. C., Borokhovski, E., Wade, C. A., Tamim, R. M., Surkes, M. A., & Bethel, E. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of three types of interaction treatments in distance education. Review of Educational Research, 79(3), 1243–1289.

by Ankit Mittal

08 Aug'16

898.95K+

Skill deprivation: Education alone won’t guarantee a job, in-demand skills need of hour

If you are 25 years old, hold a degree in a traditional arts discipline from a well-regarded institute and are looking for a job, you may not be handed one on a platter any time soon. You may be cushioned within the famous Indian demographic that is supposed to yield a ‘dividend,’ but unlike what you’ve been reading everywhere, this does not guarantee you employment. Between 1980 to 2010, 90% of world labour force growth occurred in developing countries and about 500 million new workers emerged in India and China alone (workers went from 260 million to 470 million in India, between this period). India is all set to power most of global growth in labour in the coming years. Enrolment in Indian higher education is 24% right now. With India attaining almost universal elementary education, and increased retention in secondary schools, the projected demand for higher education and jobs will only escalate. India has finally been placed on the world map with a solid advantage where labour supply is concerned. Impacting Education: My Journey and UpGrad It’s not all good news though. Indian millennials are being touted as the future of jobs and the saviours of the working world. But this won’t hold true if in-demand skills are not imparted to the youth entering the workforce. The world of work is changing and industries are transforming. It’s a fact that we are moving towards a massive labour pool, but we are possibly riding a low-skill, low-wage cycle to get there. The country is on a trajectory that involves a surplus of millions of low-skill workers, whereas most nations, including India, will be demanding high-skill workers more and more. Most industries are replacing low-skill jobs with high-skill ones. Skills relating to upcoming technologies in advanced areas – think AI, robotics, data science and mining – are gaining immense relevance. Unfortunately, our education system is not preparing students well enough to enter the workforce as high-skill workers nor equipping them with skills in emerging domains. Curricula is outdated and pedagogy poorly-developed. Gone are the days when just holding a graduate degree was enough to get employers to clamour to hire you. Education is not enough. The new-age job-seeker must strive to acquire specific skill sets to be considered employable (currently only 43% of Indian youth are considered fully employable). This applies to all sectors of the economy, as most industries and businesses are adopting new-age technologies and going digital within most functions. There’ll Be A Billion-Plus Job-Seekers By 2050! The positive connotation associated with our demographic shift has been taken for granted and assigned the term ‘dividend.’ But if we don’t strategically harness this change, we could easily be faced with a demographic disaster. We don’t want to be stuck in a situation where we have too many job-seekers with inadequate skills, and therefore not enough jobs for them. India is moving workers out of farm jobs at a very fast rate, and this will only add to the burden of providing jobs in other sectors. Realising this, even the government has begun focusing on skill development and training. Creating an entirely new Ministry and launching the Skill India Mission are clear indications of this. Another sign that skill training is gaining momentum is reflected in the growth of the Indian education and skills industry at an average rate of 13% over four years. From Rs 1.21 trillion in 2008 to Rs 2.35 trillion in 2012. However, these measures have not been enough to successfully skill India’s young. Only 2% of the Indian workforce has received some kind of formal skills training so far, and 8% have received informal training. Comparatively, 47% of China’s workforce is skill trained, 52% in USA, 68% in UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. Almost half of Indian employers find it difficult to fill jobs and a similar proportion of employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. By 2050, India will be home to more than a billion jobseekers. This means providing jobs for over 12 million new entrants annually. There is also the challenge of finding jobs for the backlog, which reached 60 million by 2014. The pace of accretion to the labour market will keep increasing, given our demographic profile and declining age-dependency ratio. Our working age population (15-64 years) will peak in 2050 and till then pressures for jobs will only become worse. We need a wake-up call and more concerted efforts towards large-scale skill development and training. We may have a situation of too few high-skill workers and not enough jobs for medium or low-skill workers. This needs to be rectified by adjusting the education and skilling system to ready ourselves for the jobs of tomorrow. Article Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/skill-deprivation-education-alone-wont-guarantee-a-job-in-demand-skills-need-of-hour-3020568.html

by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16

5.13K+

Why The Growth Of Higher Education In India Hinges On The Private Sector

For the sake of simplicity, let’s say that the public sector’s role in education can be identified as a three-fold one. Firstly, it is tasked with universalizing access to education. Its next responsibility would be to regulate the sector and finally, to ensure quality education for all. In the context of the access provider role, estimates show that just in terms of physical infrastructure, more than a US $100 billion spends would be required in higher education alone, to double enrollment, from where it stands today (24%). Where regulation is concerned, bodies such as the University Grants Commission (UGC) and other higher education regulators are in-charge but leave much to be desired in terms of quality checks and monitoring, accreditation, etc. In fact, the UGC merely acts as a grants disbursing body now for universities and colleges, rather than a regulator. This is despite the fact that about 16% of the Ministry’s budget (2016-17) was allocated to UGC. Regarding quality, the government struggles to set standards and measure outcomes. Accreditation in the country is irregular and sub-optimal. In addition, unlike school education, where a certain level of learning outcomes may be gauged, this is difficult to do in higher education – especially assessing employability of a student post completing such education. So is there a role the government should prioritise? Further, because the government is entrusted with these roles, does it necessarily mean that they are its exclusive mandate? Or should the government act as an enabler and allow external participation if it means better execution and a higher success rate? The education and training industry is extremely large today and has strong further growth potential. With total educational spending of $2.7 trillion, the industry accounted for about 4.25% of the world’s GDP in 2010. In India alone, the spending on education and skilling has touched approximately Rs 74,000 crore. This may seem like a daunting figure but is still not sufficient. India spends about 4% of its GDP on all of education (about 1% on higher education), whereas globally the minimum recommended expenditure on education is 6% of GDP. Most of the public expenditure on higher education is used upon salaries and maintaining existing institutions, leaving very little to be spent on curriculum, research, and technology. However, spending on education still has enormous scaling to do and this is where the private sector comes in. Private players will have opportunities from rising demand in segments not well covered by the public education system (like adult education and vocational training). They bring in additional capital and are able to make huge investments, especially when government spending is insufficient and results in substantial infrastructure and investment deficit. For instance, the government had set a target of achieving a 30% enrolment ratio in higher education by 2020. The enrolment ratio currently is 24%. Judging by historical trends, and the current pace of rising enrolments, this target seems difficult to achieve. We may need a better, plan to succeed. Plus, the demand for higher education is only set to accelerate with growing population, higher enrolment as well as retention of students in schools. The private sector could play a crucial role in plugging these gaps and matching demand. In fact, it is already capturing the market in a big way, as can be seen in the adjacent graph. Enrolment in, and share of, private higher education institutions has surpassed that of government institutions (data as on 2013). Even the online education market in India expected to grow to US $40 billion by as soon as 2017. Unlike the education sector, which is legally mandated to operate on a not-for-profit basis, for-profit skill training institutes can be set up. This, coupled with initiatives of the National Skill Development Corporation, has encouraged the private sector to set up vocational training institutes. Corporate interest has also increased in the skill development space because of the benefits that accrue to businesses themselves, in the form of adequately trained manpower as a ready pool for future hiring. Majority of institutions offering professional disciplines are now in the private sector. There is a tendency of the public sector to view the private sector’s involvement in the education space with scepticism. But the private sector is necessary because of its ability to match industry demand for superior skilled manpower. It supplements infrastructure, facilities, technology and pedagogy and has an added advantage of escaping bureaucratic control and retaining autonomy to a large extent. Private players often collaborate with reputed international universities for faculty and other benefits which can be attractive to prospective students. They are also heavily investing in research-based education. As consumers of skilled manpower as well, the private sector is in a position to understand what type of skill training is to be imparted, and eventually benefit from it. This makes skill-training more efficient and effective. All three education-related roles of the government are equally important. However, while regulation should remain outside the purview of the private sector, nothing should stop them from assisting the public sector in maximising enrolments and improving quality of education. Public needs to work with private and create a level-playing field, in order to uplift the overall quality of education. Article Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.in/mayank-kumar/why-the-growth-of-higher-education-in-india-hinges-on-the-privat/

by Apoorva Shankar

08 Nov'16