By: Steve Patterson
Submitted: 2010-09-27 10:54:15 | Word Count: 735
How important is innovation for an open university like IGNOU?
As a national open university, IGNOU has been constantly exploring opportunities and facilities to provide education across the country. We have seen that there are a lot of infrastructural and intellectual capabilities available outside the formal university system in different regions of the country. Considering the same, IGNOU has been networking and making use of these resources to provide knowledge and skills which are required for improving quality of life of that region, thereby also contributing indirectly to the national economy. IGNOU focuses on networking, innovative ways of collaboration and then making use of the facilities available across the country.
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What are the focus areas of innovation in IGNOU?
IGNOU's innovation is aimed at unconventional ways of providing academic and technical infrastructure, followed by their optimum usage in education and training facilities. For this, we analyse the type of educational infrastructure needed for offering a course or capacity building. Then we contribute in augmenting the facilities if they are not sufficient, and use the facility in a collaborative way with the infrastructure provider. In conventional public education system and institutions, on an average, not even 20 percent of the time or facilities are utilised. So there are a lot of idling facilities available. In a flexitime with flexi-educational approach, we are trying to make use of these facilities. By forging innovative alliances and networking with institutions in both the private and government sectors, we attempt to optimally utilise the state-of-the-art facilities that are available with them. Such inter sector collaboration has also given us access to top-notch infrastructure that exists outside the education sector.
What are the unique innovations introduced by IGNOU in recent times?
A lot of research and innovation is continuously taking place in making audiovideo materials, telecasts, broadcasts and teleconferencing to make the programmes offered interactive. We also have Interactive Radio Conferencing (IRC) and inter personal interaction, training and internship for both the modes open distance learning as well as face-to-face. Adopting the concept, structure and services under Public-Private Partnership, IGNOU has launched an integrated skill development programme across many of its regional centres and study centres in India. The Community College can also be seen as an innovative educational alternative for providing skill based, livelihood enhancing education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged and under privileged. Another innovation that we have done is uploading all self learning text materials in open education resources (OER) of IGNOU website. Initially some faculty members were apprehensive that the move will cut down the sale of study material and thereby revenue. But we had a contrasting experience. Under this move, the entire course material is available on the website, but if someone wants to sit for an examination and get certified by IGNOU, we charge a nominal fee. Now people look at this material and then register for examination. With this move, our registration has gone up.
What are the areas yet to be achieved?
What is required today are innovations in making reply sessions effective, more innovations in networking and collaborations. We have to recreate better synergies between institutions across sectors. For example there is education not only in the Human Resource Development Department, it is also happening in Science and Technology Department, Department of Electronics, Department of Information and Technology. Even social and cultural sector has a lot of scope. We are trying to network with these institutions without compromising with their objectives.
How has the response to these innovations so far?
The response has been phenomenal. Because of our seamless approach, IGNOU's last three year growth profile shows increase in enrolment from 1.1 million to 3 million globally. From 1000 study centers, today IGNOU has 3000 study centers across India. In fact, we have a global presence in 66 countries and of late our programmes have been recognised by UNESCO.
Does IGNOU lay stress on practical knowledge and exposure for courses like their conventional/ regular counterparts?
That open universities have limited scope of interactive learning or less practical approach are absolute misconceptions. There are full-time programmes offered by IGNOU where the curriculum is set almost like a regular university curriculum. The dissimilarity may be in the hours of study; faculty members may not be permanent and can be from the industry. Distance learning is one feature of open universities. Correspondence and technology enabled education are other open university practices.
