Time to Shift for University of Cloud

Abstract

Distance education and the notion of ‘university of the cloud’ have been gaining traction across the globe. This study aimed to read and report Indian students’ perception of their distance courses - satisfaction level, problems, and prospects. It followed a mixed-method approach. Data were collected through an online survey among 500 students enrolled in several distance courses following the stratified random sampling technique. Findings revealed students were all set for a shift towards the university of cloud, and the time has come where the country can have an ambitious take-off for well-organized distance education system. Students’ key motivation behind enrolling in a distance course was to prepare themselves for a better career. Correspondence courses were the most preferred mode for distance education among students, the second being the MOOCs. Overall, students were satisfied with their courses although, their perceptions smeared with a few glitches that need appropriate attention. Finally, all these findings were students’ age group neutral.