Indira Gandhi National Open University
India
The major challenge faced in higher education in India is to increase the gross enrolment ration (GER). At present, the GER is 25.8%, which is much lower than in most developed nations. Open and distance learning (ODL) comprises merely 11% of the total enrolment in higher education, of which 50% is covered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) with 3.3 million students enrolled. The ODL system has great potential for increasing the GER, for which new strategies need to be considered. The present arrangement in ODL, which depends heavily on printed course material, is out of sync with the changed technology environment and learning behaviour of those who are digital natives. There is an urgent need to devise a viable solution to address the nation’s endeavour to increase the GER at a fast pace.
IGNOU already had an earlier experience of running online programmes, with 27 programmes on offer, until this was discontinued in 2013 on the directions of the University Grants Commission (UGC) due to the lack of a national level policy on online education. IGNOU is also one of the National Coordinators for the SWAYAM (India MOOCs) programme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, the Government of India, offering courses at the certificate and diploma level. To optimize its reach, IGNOU is in the process of setting up a Virtual University integrating the SWAYAM platform into the learning management system for a seamless experience. This paper covers the issues and challenges in integrating the MOOCs into the Virtual University framework and proposes a model for doing so.
The UGC regulations on online education clearly emphasizes the use of the SWAYAM (India MOOCs) platform for the delivery of online programmes. The unique feature of the SWAYAM is that it earns 20% credit transfer towards degrees and diplomas. However, this has not been able to make much impact as it does not lead towards a complete degree, diploma or certificate. The SWAYAM platform is basically designed for offering MOOCs, whereas online programmes require an integrated platform with a complete learner lifecycle embedded in the learning management system. Therefore, an integrated approach addressing the large number of learners through MOOCs and a personalized offering through a learning management system seems to be the most appropriate solution.
To abide by the UGC’s online regulations, one needs to integrate the SWAYAM platform into the institutional learning management system for seamless delivery of online programmes. A unique model is being developed which integrates the SWAYAM courses into IGNOU’s Virtual University platform. In the long run, this is expected to increase access to education for the masses and contribute considerably towards the GER.