Offering courses in partnership with regional universities will help overcome issues faced by the SWAYAM portal, including the reach of rural students
Posted Date – Tuesday, 4/4/23 at 12:30pm
Dr. Kandagatla Sravan Kumar
The central government and the Universities Grants Commission (UGC) plan to open a first-ever National Digital University (NDU) at the national level from the 2023-24 academic year to provide “world-class quality education” and facilitate online learning in various Indian languages. With this, students will be able to select and complete their desired courses online.
Students also have the option to take online classes without physically traveling to an educational institution, through pre-recorded video lessons and online access to learning materials. The digital university aims to facilitate online learning and make education more accessible to young people. It can bring large numbers of students to higher education, creating a strong workforce of educated and skilled young people.
centralized system
Under the new National Education Policy, the UGC operates the university under the direction of the Ministry of Education with the aim of making world-class higher education accessible to all. The Digital University will offer a variety of certificate, diploma and graduate diploma programs in students’ homes, based on their individual interests and career choices. The Ministry of Higher Education, All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), public and private universities, and other higher education institutions in the country are involved in curriculum design. It will be a centralized system for providing online education, conducting exams and issuing certificates.
However, this will differ from the practice currently implemented by various educational institutions. For example, at the national level, some universities with NAAC “A”+ in different states offer a variety of online courses, but with Digital University, a centralized system will be available at the national level and students and candidates will have access to various courses Free or nominal fee for all categories, regardless of university affiliation. This will be a great opportunity for students, especially disadvantaged groups who cannot afford the high online course fees that many universities offer.
IITs, NITs, IIITs, Central Universities and all other educational institutions, with financial support from the government, will offer their programs to students under this initiative. IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and Banaras Hindu University are ready to offer courses through digital universities. IGNOU, the world’s largest open university, is also preparing to offer many courses.
Enrollment
Students can earn credits through these institutions. They can earn certificates, diplomas and degrees based on these credits. In this system, only 50% of the credits are considered eligible, and students are eligible for the degree if they earn 50% of the credits in any course. These credits may be awarded concurrently or at a time of their choice. They also have the option to transfer credit through the Academic Credit Bank (ABC). Currently, digital universities only offer theoretical courses that are not related to labs or practical work.
In a digital university, a lack of seats will not be an issue – it will provide students with the flexibility to choose courses that interest them, regardless of whether there are no seats or they are not eligible for entrance exams. The UGC is gearing up to offer PG courses and PhD degrees through digital universities in the future. Through this university, it is expected that the existing university will be relieved of the burden of creating additional seats, appointing suitable staff and building infrastructure.
The National Digital University will contribute to the growth of Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) and the availability of skills resources for future employment opportunities. It will open doors for students from remote villages as they will be able to attend various courses.
obstacle
Lack of student motivation, infrastructure issues, digital literacy, technology issues, lack of human interaction, course structure and course quality are factors that affect student enrollment. Therefore, to take full advantage of the services of the National Digital University, it is essential to provide Internet access to students in rural areas. Governments should provide Internet services and infrastructure such as computers and ICT tools.
At present, students in rural areas are less aware of the online courses on the SWAYAM portal of the Ministry of Education, so the online courses of the National Digital University need to be coordinated with regional colleges and universities.
In addition, there is a risk of reduced enrollment at the various national university distance education centers, which are regional, due to the impact of the National Digital University curriculum. However, if only a few elective courses are introduced and special courses are offered, there is no problem in registering with distance education centers of other national or central universities.
The government also needs to take appropriate measures to provide employment and job opportunities in various government and private institutions to those who successfully complete the National Digital University program. Only in this way can the online education system produce the same effect as the traditional learning system, and the National Digital University will be successful.
