The college course credit system is coming up in India now and students will be able to collect credits in an academic credit bank. Here’s how this will change the study abroad journey.
From the application processes to virtual classes, the last two years have witnessed a drastic transformation for students pursuing an education abroad. Undeniably, the pandemic turned the whole world into a classroom through digitisation and the advent of online learning.
Newer opportunities like twinning programmes, hybrid learning and transferable college course credits now help students in their study abroad journey, and eventually to be a part of their desired universities.
India’s Academic Bank of Credits
In July 2021, the UGC formed norms for the establishment of an Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) that would help students learn subjects of their choice from multiple colleges and varsities at the same time.
According to the UGC notification, the Academic Bank of Credits shall be a national-level facility to promote flexibility of curriculum framework and interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary academic mobility of students across Higher Education Institutions in the country.
This will be done with an appropriate credit transfer mechanism that shall facilitate students to choose their own learning path to attain a degree, a diploma, a postgraduate diploma or any other academic qualification.
College course credit system
The college course credit system is a standard used by universities to evaluate a students’ progress during one’s course of study.
Academic credits, often known as college course credits, are a crucial component of international education. It assists students in numerous ways as it enables multiple benefits for students:
- Reduces costs significantly: College course credits when pursued online can significantly reduce costs for students aspiring to study abroad as they are offered at less than 20% of the cost of pursuing them on a campus.
- Accommodate flexibility and time: To work at their own pace, enroll in extra courses, and customize their curriculum to their specific interests/needs
- Paves the way to dream universities: Earning credits help students immensely in strengthening their applications to top universities
Applying to study abroad with credits
It’s very important to transfer the right credits to apply for the desired programme and various other factors which students usually miss out on like:
- Don’t shy away from research: Research sets a strong foundation for any step students take up in their study abroad journey and hence it’s significant to be thorough with the research.
- Analyze and understand: Generally, each course is worth a particular amount of credit points, which is determined by a variety of factors such as the workload of the student, the learning outcome, and the number of hours spent on coursework.
- Stay updated: This process like every other evolves over time, with new innovations powered by digital learning and it’s important for students to keep track of changes.
How edtech is facilitating college course credits for students
Since the onset of the pandemic, digital learning has evolved multifold and has taken center stage. With the help of technology, there are new ways of earning credits through courses that are interactive, cinematic, engaging, and use cutting-edge evidence-based techniques to give students an experience like never before. Students get access to:
- Top universities: These online courses that help in earning credits also feature top instructors from schools like Yale, Cornell, NYU, MIT etc.
- Fast-paced growth: Aspiring high school students are able to jumpstart their higher education journey early as they will have successfully finished college-level courses while still in high school.
- Economical and easy accessibility: With digitally native programmes, the cost of earning the credits substantially decreases.
In the past couple of years, India has witnessed a boom in the edtech sector, particularly the study abroad segment. Educational institutes are switching to technology and innovation-led learning and that will change a student’s trajectory in pursuing higher education.
Today, the ambition of studying overseas is not only limited to Tier-1 cities. Instead, the flourishing edtech sector has given Tier-II students options ranging from the student college course credit system to digital guidance.
There’s a promising future ahead for students planning to move abroad for education with the union budget 2022 focussing on e-passports and digital learning.