"If we are talking about the quality of
education offered, then open education is as good as main stream courses,"
Dr. Arundhati Chauhan, I/C Director, Center for Distance Education, SNDT
Women's University, tells Beulah Pereira
Many of you, may confuse open education with
distance education. Put simply, whilst, open education according to UNESCO, is
an umbrella term, which seeks to provide education by overcoming barriers like
age, time constraints and distance; distance education (also known as
correpondence education) is merely a form of open education, in which
institutes, professors and students
are separated, geographically. It caters largely to those who want to pursue
their education along with their jobs for professional development, housewives
who are yet to graduate and dropouts.
According to Dr. Arundhati, I/C
Director, Center for Distance Education, SNDT Women's
University "the internet boom has brought education and students
closer, with a degree being just a click away". Preferences for
open-education courses over mainstream ones are increasing."Students
prefer to pursue their jobs as well as their education," she reasons.
According to
Maps of India's online portal, the top open universities are:
- Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU),
- University of Mumbai (MU)
- Shreemati Nathibai Daodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women's University
- Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik
- Sikkim Manipal University, Gangtok
- Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad
- Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune
- Delhi University, Delhi
- Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak
- Andhra University, Vishakhapatnam
- University of Madras, Chennai
"The establishment of open
universities for imparting distance education is a recent phenomenon",
says Dr. Arundhati Chauhan, Director, Center for Distance Education, SNDT
Women's University. Open education has come a long way, since the Delhi
University started a correspondence course in 1962.
The
Admission Process
You can apply for admission to open universities online. After filling in the
application form online, students can pay their fees at the closest centre for
the university they have applied to.
Eligibility
and documents
The criteria to gain admission to a open university is the same as any other
regular university. "There are university entrance tests, which students
need to appear for in the university of their choice. The documents that need
to be submitted are the same as those required for regular universities,"
says Dr. Arundhati.
Methods of
teaching
The curriculum of a particular course is displayed online. Classes are
conducted online via audio lectures, blogs and a software called
"Noodle", which enables video conferencing on information
communication technology basis. Printed notes are posted to the residences of
those who do not have internet access,
As open education is primarily a
self-learning process, you may be wondering who delas with the queries that
students may have. It turns out that 'contact lectures' are conducted by
professionals in the field in various centers, on a weekily basis, where
students go to clear doubts on an interpersonal platform.
The Pros
No need to
migrate
Moving to another city to pursue a course can be a hassel. Not only do you have
to relocate and adapt to a new lifestyle, but the costs involved can also be
high. To modernize teaching patterns, open universities now have most of their
courses online. Open universities let you pursue a course of your choice from
the comfort of your home.
No student
left behind
While Education Minister of Maharashtra, Vinod Tawde recently spoke of the
government's plans to eliminate the concept of "Failed" from our
education system by introducing the "Passed for Skill Development"
and introducing more vocational courses. In the meantime, Dr. Arundhati believes,
"the open-university system is the key to enhance national productivity,
since it inculcates skills needed to strengthen the quality of the workforce.
It is helps draw drop-outs back into the main stream".
Can be done
at leisure
"It is not taxing," says Preethi Sridharan, who lives in
Tiruchirappalli, is currently doing a M.A. in English Literature from the
University of Madras."The hassle to keep up with crazy deadlines, isn't
there," she adds.
The
drawbacks
Communication Gap
Preethi tells us, "The biggest issue I have faced is that the University
fails to notify us about important events. I have to continuously call for
updates. There is a big communication lapse". Agreeing with Preethi,
Ashwin Castellino, who did a Masters in Sociology from Mumbai University
adds, "Though all details are available on the website, students get no
intimation whatsoever of any last-minute changes. To add to it, the Mumbai
University website is clustered, making it difficult to find what you're
looking for".
Lesser
Interaction
"A subject like sociology has a lot of subjective concepts. Unlike regular
universities where you can directly contact professors in case of
discrepancies, in an open university, most doubts go unanswered. Also, most of
the information is out-dated and the notes are not proof-read," Ashwin
says.
Employability
Lastly, "no matter how good the university/college is, chances are, some
employers prefer a candidate who has pursued a regular program over an
open-education one," ends Dr. Arundhati.
Source
| Daily News Analysis | 23 June 2015
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