"We designed the eVideo to aid those students who prefer to study on their own. It comes with 20 DVDs containing the whole of class X lectures for Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology (PCMB). There are also notes and test papers, and a separate section dealing with the frequently asked questions," Sudhanshu Sinhal, director, Sinhal's Classes, said.
The cost of an eVideo set is Rs21,000. A student taking classroom coaching for the same subjects has to shell out more than Rs40,000. "It is not a replacement for a classroom course. Instead, you may call it coaching classes home delivered," Sinhal added.
E-learning has not caught on well in India, but an ever increasing number of students are getting hooked to digital textbooks and animations. "Digital textbooks make reading very interesting. They make it easier to retain the information. Revision, too, becomes much simpler, Anand Pangam, a class X student, said.
Chinmay Pradhan, a student of Podar High, Santa Cruz, said that the virtual mode had its share of limitations. "I do not think it can ever replace classroom teaching. While taking a course, we often need to consult our teachers and figure out different solutions to a problem. I fear this will be absent in virtual studies," she said.
Mahesh Tutorials, another coaching class, too, has plans to go virtual. "We already have technology-based classroom teaching. Plans are on to set up virtual tutorials in rural areas. Every institute is trying to innovate to connect better with students and to seek a different approach to studies," said Milind Choksi, spokesperson, Mahesh Tutorials.
