Use of Open Education Resources in Distance Education and Training

Institutes in India

Sujata Santosh

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Overview of the presentation

Introduction OERs in Context Purpose of this research Objectives of the Research Research questions Methodology Tools References

Introduction

OERs are a global phenomenon and have become significantly important in education systems across the world.

(Venkaiah, 2008; Geith and Vignare, 2008; Rolfe, 2012; Abeywardena, Tham and Raviraja, 2012)

Higher Education in India

46,906 Institutions 642 Universities 34,908 Colleges 11,356 Stand Alone Institutions

(Source: MHRD, 2013)

Higher Education in India

GER in Higher Education in India is 20.4 percent (MHRD, 2013) 79 percent are in under graduate level

12 percent are in post graduate level

Total enrolment in higher education estimated at 28.56 million.

Distance enrolment constitutes 12.5% of the total enrolment in higher education

(Source: MHRD, 2013)

Focus of Higher Education in India

Access Equity Excellence

Challenges faced by the Higher Education System in India

Paucity of good teachers Inadequate infrastructure Lack of well-equipped libraries Lack of good quality instructional materials

Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in India

enhancing the gross enrolment ratio democratization of higher education to large

segments of the Indian population reaching out to the unreached providing opportunities for up-gradation of skills and

qualifications meeting the demands of lifelong learning

Distance Education scenario in India

14 open universities – 1 National University and 13 State Open Universities

150 Dual Mode providers of higher education

12 Open Schools

National Policy Initiatives for use of OERs in India

National Knowledge Commission

National Mission on Education through ICTs (NMEICT), launched by the MHRD in 2009.

Twelfth Five Year Plan

India Vision 2020

OER Initiatives in India Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) National Council of Educational Research and

Training (NCERT) – online textbooks National Science Digital Library (NSDL) VASAT- learning materials on agricultural practices

Project Ekalavya - content development in Indian languages.

Project OSCAR (Open Source Courseware Animations Repository)

OER Initiatives in India National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning

(NPTEL)

NME-ICT Web portal — Sakshat National Repository of Open Educational Resources

(NROER) Rai OpenCourseware - an initiative of Rai Foundation. Agropedia - information related to agriculture in India.

Crucial to the Use of OERs

Institutions

Educators

Learners

Purpose of this research

the present study focuses on various issues related to the awareness and use of various available OERs in open and distance learning.

The study will analyze the existing policies and guidelines for the use of OERs in India, as well as the preparedness of faculty and students of distance education and training institutions in using OERs for distance teaching-learning.

Objectives of the Research

To explore the policy and developments in the field of OERs in India.

To study the status and use of OERs in various distance education and training institutes in India.

To identify and study the faculty attitude towards OERs.

To identify and study the attitude of the students towards OERs.

Research Questions

What is the status of the use of Open Educational Resources in various distance education and training institutes in India?

Sub Questions

What is the attitude of the faculty towards the use of OERs?

What are the perceived barriers and motivators?

What is the attitude of learners towards the use of OERs?

Methodology

The methodology includes the following:

Comprehensive documentary analysis

Status survey (online/offline) to study the status and use of OERs

Survey to study the attitude towards the use of OERs by educators and students.

In-depth interviews

Tools

The research tools will include:

Questionnaires

Interview guides

References

Abeywardena, I.S., Tham, C.Y. and Raviraja, R (2012). Conceptual Framework for Parametrically Measuring the Desirability of Open Educational Resources using D-index. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(2), 104-121. Available at: www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1177

Geith, C. and Vignare, K. (2008). Access to education with online learning and Open Educational Resources: Can they close the gap? Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks. 12(1). Available at: http://www.oerafrica.org/ResourceDownload.aspx?assetid=140

Rolfe, V. (2012). Open Educational Resources: Staff Attitudes and Awareness. Research in Learning Technology, 2012, 20. Available at: http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/14395/pdf

Venkaiah, V. (2008). Open Educational Resources in India: A Study of Attitudes and Perceptions of Distance Teachers. Available at: http://wikieducator.org/images/d/d7/PID_386.pdf

MHRD (2013). All India Survey on Higher Education. New Delhi: Government of India

University Grants Commission, (2013), Higher Education in India at a Glance. New Delhi: UGC.

Available at: http://www.ugc.ac.in/ugcpdf/208844_HEglance2012.pdf

Thank You