Virtual University

Essay Writing
Competition-2014

By:
AYMEN AHMAD
BS ECONOMICS- 2k12
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,
ISLAMABAD

aymen.mamoon@gmail.com

The Industrial Revolution is given credit for the worlds rapid transformation and
development. The only countries which get to be called 'developed' are the ones
with a strong industrial base. Then dawned the Digital Revolution characterized
by a radical shift from traditional industry which switched the paradigm of
development from industrial to knowledge based economies. In the emerging
economic system, national development relies on knowledge and intellectual
capital of a country, reducing the emphasis on physical capital. As established by
the likes of Singapore and Korea, lack of natural resources may not be as big a
hindrance in national development as shortage of intellectual capital. This makes
it crucial for a nation to enhance its knowledge base, education and skill-set by
investing in its human capital.
The World Bank lists Education as one of its core sustainable development
indicators among others namely Poverty Alleviation, Infrastructure, Governance
etc. The notion that Education and Learning be given topmost priority among
other concerns is highlighted by Rebecca Stromeyer, CEO of Integrated
Communications Worldwide1 in her interview,
Learning is the cornerstone of all development. Without the
underpinning of quality education, other systems upon which
development depends-governance, health, economic growth,
judiciary, commerce- can never reach maturity.
In other words, once we enhance a countrys education system and literacy rate,
other concerns of governance, health and infrastructure etc. follow suit and
require much less effort for their improvement.
Besides being a goal in itself, education is also a means to the other
N. Duncan & R: Stromeyer; Believe the hype: e-learning can revolutionise education in Africa;
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/may/26/elearningafrica-education-conference
Accessed: 28th August, 2014.
1

requirements for prosperity. By making people realize their roles and

responsibilities, education makes them aware of their individual and collective
state and instills in them a desire for improvement. This awareness and constant
desire to upgrade their lives keeps them from getting stagnant as a nation.
Learning and education enable them to search for solutions of existing and newly
emergent problems hence, climbing up in the hierarchy of nations. It is education
that brings forth nations from the shrouds of darkness to glory. A high correlation
between education and Human Development Index (HDI) can be proven
statistically. In fact, HDI was devised for the fact that economic growth solely
could not steer the development of a country; rather the people and their
capabilities should be the criteria for assessing national development. The glaring
transformation of resource-poor Singapore from a small struggling island to a
thriving metropolis stands to verify this very fact that education can transform a
nations destiny. Similar is the case with Taiwan-with scant natural resources, it
utilized the power of human and intellectual capital to break its cycle of poverty.
E-Learning also contributes in direct job creation along with better educated
workforce. A well-educated labour-force is on demand in a knowledge economy
and has proven to be an important determinant of economic progress.
Possessing greater awareness, educated people support gender equality, a
stable democratic government and are less likely to engage in unethical or
disruptive practices. Educated mothers raise healthier children. An educated
populace helps eliminate food insecurity2 and myriads of other issues which deter
a countrys development and progress. Hence, investment on intellectual capital
in particular and human resource development in general is bedrock for a
sustainable future and enhanced national productivity.
According to a UNICEF Report titled Global Initiative on Out-of-School

F. Burchi, R. De Muro. Education for Rural People: A Neglected Key To Food Security. Departmental
Working Papers of Economics - University 'Roma. 2007.
2

Children3, about 6.5 million children and adolescents are out of schools in
Pakistan with even more at a risk of dropping out. What is lamentable is that a
large number of enrolled primary school students are unable to solve basic math
problems or read a sentence, shedding light on the poor state of education and
teacher training. Pakistan is said to be among the 21 countries facing an
extensive learning crisis4. This calls for enterprising initiatives to improve the
state of education in Pakistan and creates an Adapt to technological revolution or
Perish situation. This is where E-Learning becomes relevant.
E-Learning encompasses all the digital and electronic media along with
information and communication technologies which provide and facilitate in the
learning process. Internet, computers, satellite TV, CD-ROM, smartphones and
other digital media have evolved the process of acquiring education, learning and
training into a far reaching, flexible and cost effective method. Sophisticated
software, websites and interactive videos render E-Learning as effective, if not
more, as conventional learning environments, making it a very attractive
educational tool for individuals and organizations alike. The advent of Web 2.0
has revolutionized the learning process making it interactive and engaging, both
for the learner and the instructor. It is imperative for a developing nation like ours
to adapt to the changing trends in education by making maximum use of the
technology available to enhance our learning and improve the overall literacy
rate.
With more than 20 million5 of the Pakistani population on internet and more than
a million Pakistanis possessing computers and laptops, the opportunity to reach
the masses and to educate them via Information and communication
Lieke van de Wiel. Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children-SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL STUDY.
Nepal: 2014 UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. Softcopy.
3

Lieke van de Wiel. Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children-SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL STUDY.
Nepal: 2014 UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. Softcopy.
4

S: Kelly, S.Cook. Freedom on the Net 2011- A Global Assessment of Internet

and Digital Media. UNDEF:
5

technologies (ICT) holds immense potential. This potential has been recognized
but yet to be exploited in Pakistan. The welcomed arrival of 3G in telecom
industry will also include the estimated 15 million6 mobile internet users in the
sphere of target students of the virtual schools. Making technology ubiquitous
would further expedite the process of educating masses through E-Learning. A
small web-enabled device transforms into a full-fledged educational institution
with E-Learning.
E-Learning aids and abets the national development process in different
capacities. For instance, by augmenting the knowledge and conceptual level of
students already enrolled in educational institutions. It makes students better
equipped to handle the challenging global and national issues once they enter
the professional world. The open courseware and Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs) of different world-renowned universities like MIT, Princeton and
Harvard, and projects like Khan Academy made available on the web help make
the Pakistani students competent on an international scale while improving their
concepts, without spending a penny. The students broaden their horizons and get
geared up for an increasingly competitive job market all over the world. These
elite brains of nation serve as a booster for national economy.
Secondly, the professionals who intend to improve their knowledge base and
skill-set but are limited by their schedules take help of E-Learning. This kind of
utility from E-Learning is gaining popularity as more and more organizations are
adopting E-Learning systems and software like Docebo, and training their
employees online as evidenced by the growth of commercial e-learning
packages. Any aspirant learner who has other engagements and is unable to
spare time for a course in a brick-and-mortar educational institution can harness
the power of technology particularly the web for his own education. The parents
who intend to home-school their children also utilize E-Learning to improve the
overall learning experience of their children. E-learning promotes an autodidactic
6

J: Haque. Pakistan's Internet Landscape-Bytes for All. 2013. Retrieved: 27th August, 2014.

culture where self-driven individuals teach themselves different skills and acquire
knowledge.
Thirdly, E-Learning has the potential to fulfill the dreams of the less privileged
students for higher education. Fortunately, this potential is being realized by
different credible virtual educational institutions e.g., Virtual University of Pakistan
and Udacity etc. which offer degree programs at extremely low costs and high
quality. The under privileged students thus earn respectable education and
degrees without the burden of hefty fees, travel or accommodation costs. This
opportunity to acquire knowledge at their own pace and preference ensures a
smooth learning experience. It also bridges the gap between the rich and the
poor segments of society by letting the poor receive quality education and
participate in the wheel of development.
Moreover, E-Learning for primary students in villages and other backward areas
can play its role in uplifting the primary school enrollment rate which is abysmally
low. Most of the children miss out on decent education owing to high costs or
lack of proper facilities for schools. Shortage or absence of teachers in rural
areas and the prevalent phenomenon of ghost schools also contributes to this
dismal situation in villages. This breeds inequality in the society, a barrier to the
developmental process. The uneducated youth, unable to get jobs, resorts to
criminal activities as an outlet, disturbing the economic and societal balance. A
systematic E-Learning program via web or CD software while battling the
problem of lack of quality teachers can help in the childrens learning process.
Education is what enabled Benjamin Franklin- son of a poor candle-maker,
become Americas founding father, author, diplomat and an inventor. It opens the
door to immense possibilities and E-Learning exactly facilitates in the provision of
education.
Shortage of properly trained teachers is a major ill in the education sector of
Pakistan. Online learning must be employed for teacher training to ensure the
quality of the so-called nation-builders. A myriad of online, credible teacher

training programs e.g., training courses of British Council are available which can
be made use of in order to inform our teachers of the latest technology and equip
them with skills that help them educate the students. Teachers should be
encouraged to integrate IMC with conventional learning tools. Software like
Learning Management System (LMS) can be employed by teachers to facilitate
them in the teaching and learning process.
Pakistan could take a leaf out of Englands book, where an organization namely
The E-Learning Foundation is working and campaigning to keep the role of ICT
in education at the forefront of public consciousness and encouraging the use of
learning technologies to help children achieve their full potential. 7. The ELearning Foundation is running projects like The Creative Classroom and Mobile
Device Scheme in various schools where primary students are encouraged to
use Tablets for EBook reading and Games-based learning which test their
linguistic and mathematical ability using games and Apps. This foundation boasts
of numerous success stories8 where it has successfully integrated ICT with
conventional learning with the aim to accelerate the students learning.
The establishment of Virtual University in Pakistan (VUP) in response to the
increasing demand for distance education and the shortage of qualified faculty in
conventional universities is Pakistans success story with E-Learning. The
government realized its immense potential and established the university which is
one of its kind in Pakistan i.e., using ICT to enable distance learning. Earlier,
Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) did cater to the need for distance education
but the methods employed were somewhat outdated. Moreover, there existed a
need for another state-of-the-art university that employed latest developments in
technology to facilitate in Distance Education. Encouragingly, together AIOU and

http://www.e-learningfoundation.com/what-we-do2 ; Retrieved: 30th August, 2014.

http://www.elearningfoundation.com/Websites/elearningfoundation/images/PDF%20Documents/
success_stories/cramlington_Case_Study-v2.pdf; Retreived: 30th August, 2014.

VUP serve 750,000 students (with an annual growth rate of 14%), which is three
times the student population of all other universities in Pakistan combined (Ansari
and Saleem, 2010)9. Incorporation of E-Learning programs in our National
Education Policy becomes a necessity owing to its huge success in the limited
capacity it has worked so far.
The future prospects of E-Learning look bright as the digital divide is gradually
diminishing. According to Pakistan Telecommunication Authoritys Telecom
Vision 2020 report, the mobile phone subscriber base is expected to cross 160
million mark and broadband subscribers to cross 19.5 million by 202010. The
divide shall further be reduced by improvement of ICT infrastructure in schools
and colleges at governmental level. The Laptop Scheme for students by Prime
Minister and Chief Minister Punjab did its job in minimizing the prevailing digital
divide by awarding laptops to students from public sector universities. Most of the
students from rural backgrounds thus get the opportunity to introduce ICT in their
villages and among family members.
The need of the hour is the integration of ICT and Education which can serve as
a launchpad of innovativeness and creativity in software solutions to prevailing
problems. Ministry of Information Technology and Ministry of Education or Higher
Education Commission should come together and design initiatives to promote ELearning culture in conventional universities as well as schools in urban and rural
areas. Bold young entrepreneurs as well as NGOs should be given opportunity to
establish E-Learning centers and programs and make further use of ICT for the
collective good of society and nation as a whole. Public private partnership must
also be encouraged to help increase ICT usage and awareness at educational
level. In the words of Benjamin Franklin,
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.

Ansari. S, Saleem. S (2010), .pk Pakistan, Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2009/2010, pg 299.

10

Telecom Vision 2020. Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.

Bibliography
N. Duncan & R: Stromeyer; Believe the hype: e-learning can revolutionise education in
Africa;
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionalsnetwork/2014/may/26/elearning-africa-education-conference
Accessed: 28th August, 2014.
F. Burchi, R. De Muro. Education for Rural People: A Neglected Key To Food Security.
Departmental Working Papers of Economics - University 'Roma. 2007.
Lieke van de Wiel. Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children-SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL
STUDY. Nepal: 2014 UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. Softcopy.
Lieke van de Wiel. Global Initiative on Out-of-School Children-SOUTH ASIA REGIONAL
STUDY. Nepal: 2014 UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. Softcopy.
S: Kelly, S.Cook. Freedom on the Net 2011- A Global Assessment of Internet
and Digital Media. UNDEF:
J: Haque. Pakistan's Internet Landscape-Bytes for All. 2013. Retrieved: 27th August,
2014.
http://www.e-learningfoundation.com/what-we-do2 ; Retrieved: 30th August, 2014.
http://www.elearningfoundation.com/Websites/elearningfoundation/images/PDF%
20Documents/success_stories/cramlington_Case_Study-v2.pdf;
Retrieved:
30th
August, 2014.
Ansari. S, Saleem. S (2010), .pk Pakistan, Digital Review of Asia Pacific 2009/2010, pg
299
Telecom Vision 2020.Pakistan Telecommunications Authority.