Introduction

Inspirational and gifted teachers play a critical role in helping students master new skills. These educators design and deliver courses, create assessments, provide timely feedback, and clarify doubts, ensuring that students fully grasp the material. Unfortunately, such teachers are rare and often accessible only to students at elite institutions or those who can afford premium education.

To address this gap, EdTech companies like Coursera and Udacity have introduced MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). These platforms offer recorded lectures from top universities such as Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, as well as instructor-led courses taught by full-time faculty. MOOCs have made world-class education affordable and accessible to millions of students worldwide. For example, Coursera, valued at over 500million,andUdacity,valuedatover

500million,andUdacity,valuedatover1 billion, have attracted significant investment due to the value they provide.

Despite their success, MOOCs face challenges when it comes to student engagement and completion rates. With tens of thousands of students enrolling in a single course, it becomes difficult to provide personalized attention, tailored feedback, and meaningful interaction with instructors. As a result, many students struggle to stay engaged and fail to complete the courses, limiting their ability to master key skills.

Technology-Enabled Learning Environments

Modern virtual learning environments have made significant strides in facilitating content delivery, enabling discussion forums, and allowing students to submit quizzes and assignments online. Some platforms also offer webinars and one-on-one sessions with instructors, providing additional opportunities for interaction.

Adaptive learning technologies, such as Knewton, have further enhanced the learning experience by personalizing content based on individual student needs. These platforms use data analytics to identify areas where students are struggling and adjust the curriculum accordingly. While these advancements provide significant value, they still fall short of replicating the dynamic and interactive experience of a traditional classroom led by a skilled teacher.

Blended Learning: The Best of Both Worlds

The ideal learning environment features a low teacher-to-student ratio, personalized attention, and collaborative projects that simulate real-world work scenarios. While this is challenging to achieve in a fully online setting, blended learning offers a solution by combining the flexibility of online education with the engagement of in-person instruction.

In a blended learning model, students access content, participate in discussions, and complete assessments online. They also meet in small groups at physical locations to learn directly from an instructor. This approach ensures that students benefit from both the convenience of online learning and the personalized attention of face-to-face instruction.

General Assembly, a leading provider of blended learning programs, has successfully implemented this model. With locations in 20 cities and over 25,000 students trained, General Assembly has proven the effectiveness of this approach. The company recently secured $115 million in funding to expand its offerings, further validating the potential of blended learning.

Great Learning’s Approach

At Great Learning, we believe that a technology-enabled blended learning model delivers superior learning outcomes. We leverage state-of-the-art technology for content delivery, video production, and student engagement, while keeping faculty interaction at the core of the learning process.

Our programs are designed for working professionals and are offered in partnership with the Great Lakes Institute of Management. They include courses in Business Analytics (PGBABI), Management (EPGPM), and popular competencies such as Product Management, Digital Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. Over the past two years, we have delivered over 150,000 learning hours and established a presence in cities like Gurgaon, Chennai, Bangalore, and Pune.