History:- In 1947 the
picture of Indian education was very pathetic. Education was denied to women
and lower castes. Social handicaps like Sati, Child marriages, ban on widow
remarriages and purdah prevented women
from being educated. The practice of untouchability and discrimination based on
caste prevented the spread of education on the lower caste. The remote areas
also faced discrimination on grounds of education and this led to educational
backwardness among the scheduled caste and tribes to add to that downward
filtration theory policy of the British period prevented the spread of
education. The main objective that guided the educational development during
the British period were to train personnel for administration to develop a
small class of educated persons and to teach the Indians the English languages
and through it to introduce them to the
literature, science and philosophy of the West. It was for this that after
independence the govt. of India took education as the most important instrument
for transforming the illiterate society to an educated society since the formal
system of education was unable to make the demand for higher education in
India, the govt. suggested the introduction of correspondence education at the
university level. Hence D.E. was adopted as an alternative mode at the
university stage in 1962. The period 1962 to early 1980’s was the corresponding
education phase. It was within these periods that teleconferencing, television
and Open University system started growing up adding up more facilities for
students doing education from Distance education mode. The first Open
University was established in 1982, followed by establishment of IGNOU in 1985.
Now in India we have different types of Institutions offering programmes
through distance mode such as, National Open Universities, State Open
Universities, Correspondence Education, Private Distance education
institutions. But out of all these institutions IGNOU has been given status of
3G for its technology applied to learning and also 4G for its flexibility. Some
of the examples of Distance education Institutes are B. R. Ambedkar D.E.
University, Allamalai University, Indira Gandhi National Open University,
Centre of Distance Education through NEHU and other Universities of the
country.
Meaning of the term Distance Education
Distance education provides
teaching to those students who missed the opportunity of getting the formal
education at normal age. It is a type of education in which teaching is given
from a distance. In this education there is always an absence of teachers as
the teacher and students are separated from each other. The term Distance
education is an European term, that is Ferrnenterich, Tele- ensignment and also
Education-a-Distancia, which means that the instruction in distance education is do arranged in which the student
and teacher are separated from time and place. It provides second chance for
providing higher education to those who missed the opportunity for problems
which may be social, personal and financial problems. It meets the need of the students
in the rural areas where there is no provision
for formal education . It fulfills the needs and requirements of higher
education post graduate education, Diploma courses, vocational courses,
professional courses, orientation courses, refresher courses etc. Distance
education uses both print and non- print medium to provide education to provide
education to the learners. The following diagram shows the use of both print
and non-print media:-
Merits of Distance
Education
Distance
Education has the following merits:-
1)
Higher Education is provided to
in-service personnel.
2)
Education is also made
available to women who could not complete their formal education.
3)
Education is made available to
people who live in remote areas.
4)
Education is made available to
those students who could not get admission in formal education.
5)
Education is given to drop-out
of the society.
6)
The cost of Distance education
is less than formal education.
7)
Admission system in Distance
education is flexible.
8)
Distance education provides
professional and general courses.
9)
The system of evaluation in
distance education is flexible because it takes into account the marks of the
assignment while declaring the results.
10)
Distance education has counselors
who provide counseling classes.
Demerits of Distance Education
1)
Distance education is not being
able to serve fully in the rural areas. It mostly concentrates in the urban
areas.
2)
There is always a lack of study
centers.
3)
Difficulty of getting trained
counselors who can guide the learners well.
4)
The duration or time for
completing a programme is very short.
5)
The feedback of the distance
system of education is not adequate or satisfactory.
6)
The performance of counselor is
not evaluated (checked) systematically.
7)
The self-instructional materials
do not reach the student in time.
8)
The lessons sent by the post
are found not to edited properly and also pointed inaccurately.
Need and Importance of Distance Education
The Need and Importance constitute
the following:-
1)
Population Explosion: Due to population
explosion, conventional system of education is unable to provide education is
unable to provide education to all students. Hence the need of Distance
Education was felt
2)
Explosion of knowledge: In the recent
years it is seen that new knowledge have come out in the society. The knowledge
acquired in schools and colleges becomes outdated, hence, the need of Distance
education was felt for updating new knowledge.
3) Earning while learning: Due to the increase in the cost of living many students prefer to
earn and at the same time learn. As this is impossible task with conventional
education so they go for distance learning.
4) Desire for independent learning:
The desire for studying at home without attending
school and colleges is independent learning. Also, independent learning means
to study taking their own time and completing their course. For this purpose
the need and importance of Distance education was felt.
5) Desire to improve qualification:
As new subjects have come out in the society, it
becomes a desire for an individual to improve their qualification. It is not
possible through conventional education for this the need and importance of
Distance education was felt.
6) Universalisation of Education:
India is a country which dreamt that every person
in the country should be literate. It is known that conventional education is
not being able and successful in providing education to all the people.
Henceforth, a different mode of education was necessary to help the people
receive education. For this the need and importance of Distance Education was
felt. Today, India has achieved universalisation of Education to a great extent
only due to the efforts and services of Distance education institutes.
Aims and Objective of Distance Education
1)
Distance education provides
opportunities for higher education e.g. undergraduate courses, post-graduate,
diploma, career oriented courses, vocational etc.
2)
Distance education allows students to learn
according to their own time and place because of its flexibility.
3)
Distance education aims to
provide freedom to the learner to carry on self directed learning.
4)
Distance education aims to help
the learner to actively involve himself/herself in the learning situation.
5)
Distance education aims and
objectives is to provide efficient and less expensive method of education.
6)
Distance education aims and
objective is to promote educational well-being of both urban and rural areas
students.
7)
Distance education aims and
objective is to promote educational well-being of the community.
8)
Distance education provides
flexible system of education.
9)
Distance education aims to
provide opportunity to all the willing person to join courses who on account of
personal, social and also economic reasons could not complete the education.
10)
Distance education aims to
provide opportunity of learning for qualified persons who is interested to
upgrade his/her knowledge.
11)
Distance education aims and
objective is universalisation of education.
12)
Distance education aims is to
eradicate mass illiteracy.
13)
Distance education provides
both in-service and pre-service education.
14)
Distance education aims to
provide opportunity to in-service personnel to update their knowledge and
skills
15)
Distance education uses
learning psychology in the teaching learning process.
16)
Distance education uses maximum
educational technology in the teaching learning process.
Nature and Characteristics of Distance Education
1)
Distance education is characterized
by self-dependent learning, that is, the student has to totally depend on
himself/ herself for studying and also completion of the courses.
2)
Distance education provides
self- instructional learning/material to the learner.
3)
Distance education is characterized
by the presence of a counselor. The counselor guides and solves the problem of
the learner throughout the course.
4)
Distance education is
characterized by counseling sessions. It is taken by University Professors and
college lecturers.
5)
Distance education is
characterized by assignments system.
6)
Distance education is
characterized by flexibility unlike the conventional system which is rigid.
7)
Distance education is
characterized by the physical absence of a teacher.
8)
Distance education is
characterized by individual learning, group learning is absent, that is, the
learner is separated from the group.
9)
Distance education is
characterized by privatization of learning, that is, the learner study alone in
private situation.
10)
Distance education is
characterized by use of print and non-print media.
11)
Distance education is
characterized by two way communications, that is, the learner communicates with
the counselor through learning, telephone, e-mail, counseling sessions.
12)
Distance education is
characterized by the presence of grading system, that is, A+, A, B+, B, C, D,
E.
13)
Distance education is
characterized by the presence of credit system of learning.
14)
Distance education is
characterized by the presence of study centre, that is, a centre which provides
facilities for counseling classes, library, submission of assignments, study
materials, counselors. The study centre has a programme co-ordinator who takes
and look after the affair of the study centre.
15)
Distance education is
characterized by the presence of Regional centre. The Regional Centre looks
after admission, issuing admit cards, examination ticket for hall entry. It is
taken care by a Regional Centre.
Role of IGNOU in promoting Distance Education
IGNOU
was established by an act of parliament in 1985 for the promotion of D.E. in
the country. This followed the establishment of five more universities namely
Kota open University in 1987, Nalanda Open University, Yashwant Rao Chavan Open
University in 1989, Rajabhoj Open University in Madhya Pradesh and one more in
Gujarat. IGNOU has been entrusted with responsibility of promoting D.E. system
in the country and determining the standard of teaching, evaluation and
research. IGNOU plays many more roles. They are:
1)
It offers diploma in distance
education, management, rural development, computer science, creative etc to
large no. of distance learners in and outside the country.
2)
It. Functions as a research
centre and help the distance teaching institute in maintaining high standards
of education.
3)
Ignou guides the state
government who either wishes to establish their own Open University and want to
take advantage of the faculties offered by the National Open University.
4)
Affiliation and recognition is
one of the important role of IGNOU like many conventional universities IGNOU
can affiliate any educational institute located both inside and outside India.
5)
It also allocates and disburses
grants to distance education institutes of the country for development
purposes.
6)
Specifically it works as a pace
setter for the promotion of distance education.
In the year 1969 a move was made for
establishing Open University in United Kingdom. This led to a movement for
opening an open university also here in India. It was then, the Ministry of Education,
in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and broadcasting and the UGC,
organized a seminar on the open university system in December 1970, to which
expert from the U.K. open university were invited.
Seminar on Open University, 1970:
In the seminar, Prof. V.K.R.V Rao, the Minister of Education then,
pointed out in his inaugural address stress on the importance to cover not only
the university students but also the drop-outs, to highly motivated adults
lacking the necessary formal qualification and at the same time, the Open
University was to be designed as a quality institution. It’s outstanding
feature was to be its openness to new ideas and schemes of operation. It was
also to have the choice of the best in curricula from all the existing
university in the country and abroad. The method employed in the Open
University was to be an approach including multi-media approach using postal
communications, the radio and television programme and also individual and guidance.
Parthasarathy Committee
Report, 1975.:
In 1975, a committee was formed
under the chairmanship of Prof. G. Parthasarathy , to start a national Open
University. The committee which submitted it’s report in 197 5 stated that
there was a great demand of higher education in the country. The committee
surveyed the scene of higher education in India and stated that due to the
functioning of new colleges there were lowering of standards and other
undesirable results. The committee suggested for an Open University and stated
that the Open University should raise the academic standards and provide
quality education.
Dr. Madhuri R. Shah
Committee:
In 1983, the proposal for national
university was revived again with Dr. Madhuri R. Shah as its chairperson. The committee
recommended that practical steps be taken towards the launching of a national
university of distance education without delay as a step towards encouraging
off-campus education and to reduce the pressure on admission to full-time
formal institution.
Other efforts was taken by Prof. S.
Nurul Hasan , during his tenure as Education Minister called for the
establishment of National Open University. He held that only such an
institution could reach the poorest and the most neglected section of the
society.
Establishment of
the first Open University in India:
With the proposal for establishing
an Open University in India was being discussed a t the National level, the
State Government of Andhra Pradesh went ahead and established the first Open
University in India. The Andhra Pradesh Open University (APOU) which was later
renamed Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU), was set up. It was soon
followed by state like Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Nalanda, Kota and many
other. Today we have distance education centres like Osmania University,
Allamalai University Madurai Kamaraj University Sikkim Manipal University,
Centre of distance learning by JNU and NEHU and also IGNOU.
Open University at
the National Level : IGNOU
On November 14th 1964, Smt. Indira
Gandhi, the then Prime Minister Stated: “ We must bring education to all parts
of our country and all sections of our people, especially the weaker sections
and those who have so far been underprivileged ”. On September 20th 1985, a University
(IGNOU) was founded in her name to fulfill her desire to provide education to
all those who for one reason or the other are not in a position to get the
benefits of the conventional system of education.
The Political
Context:
On his assumption of office as Prime
Minister of India in January 1985, Shri. Rajiv Gandhi established the IGNOU in the year
1985. Shri. Rajiv Gandhi emphasized on the programme which are relevant to the
life and work of the people.
Objectives of IGNOU:
The objective of IGNOU, as passed by
the IGNOU ACT, 1985 by Parliament consists of the following:-
1. To provide learning and knowledge by
a diversity of means, including communication technology.
2. To provide higher education to a large
segment of the population.
3. It promotes the education wellbeing
of the community.
4. It encourages the Open University
and distance education system in the educational pattern of the country.
5. It provides the degree, certificates and diploma
courses related to the need of the employment.
6. It provides education to those
people living in remote areas, working people, housewives and other adults.
7. It provides opportunities for
upgrading knowledge, training and skills.
8. It provides flexible and open,
combination of courses, age of entry, and conduct of examination with a view to
promote learning and encourage excellence in new fields of knowledge.
9. It contributes to the improvement of
the educational system in India by providing a non-formal education equivalent
to the formal system of education.
10. It acts as a leader for the rest of the
distance education center in India.
Academic programmes
and course structure.
1. Bachelor degree programmes in
different disciplines.
2. Master degree programmes in
different disciplines.
3. Diploma and Certificates programme
in general and vocational courses.
4. Advanced diploma programmes in
irrigation, management and also construction.
5. Post graduate diploma in journalism.
6. Post graduate diploma in Mass
Communication.
7. Bachelor degree in Nursing.
8. M. Phill and doctorate programmes.
9. Refreshers course and teacher
training programmes.
10. Provides courses in all Indian
Languages.
11. Offers Courses for in-service training
in various areas such as, teacher’s education, management engineering and technology,
women’s education, law and others.
12. Professional development programmes
in engineering and technology (Construction management, water resources and maintenance
management).
13. Health services (Community health,
nursing-child development, food and nutrition).
14. Computer application.
15. Master development courses in
library science and distance education.
Thus, it can be concluded
that IGNOU provides education to a large no. of people, especially women. It also
promotes a network of Open University and distance education institutions to extend
their reach to cover a large number of people. It designs, develops and delivers
a large number of courses which are useful to meet the employment needs of the
people. It with its various courses establishes close linkages with industry,
trade, commerce and other employing sectors in the design and production of
courses. It makes education a lifelong process. It upgrades knowledge and
brings education to the door steps of the learner. It helps the drop-outs to
come back to the education system. It also uses both print and non-print medium
and makes learning successful. It plays an important role in removing the
illiteracy problem of the country. It prepares the student through its various
methods like counseling, assignments and also multimedia approaches and results
in the development of personality of the students. It is a solution to the have-nots
and at the same time prepares the students to face the technological society.
It provides such amazing information the post is really helpful and very much thanks to you madhya pradesh bhoj open university distance education
ReplyDeleteWelcome ,your suggestion is always welcomed pls
ReplyDeleteThanks for providing such nice information to us. It provides such amazing information the post is really helpful and very much thanks to you Dr BR Ambedkar Open University Distance Education
ReplyDeleteReally I like the way your blogger information is amazing and wonderful knowledgeable article Thanks for sharing !!!
ReplyDelete"Online BBA In Data Science And Analytics"
Thank you so much for such an amazing blog.
ReplyDeletestudent loans New Zealand
Thank you for sharing this wonderful blog. Keep sharing such kinds of informative blogs.
ReplyDeletecomputer science course distance learning
It provides such amazing information the post is really helpful and very much thanks to you Sikkim Manipal University Distance Education
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this insightful article. It was very great to learn about this topic A list of the Top Distance BBA Colleges in India is provided below. In their distance BBA programs, the colleges on the list below are famous for providing a wide range of specialties and courses. The National Ranking Councils have also granted these colleges top-notch accreditation and authorization to offer distance BBA degrees.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I've always been curious about the application process for universities, and this article provided some valuable insights. It's reassuring to know that colleges are looking beyond just test scores and grades. It makes the whole process seem more holistic and fair. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteContact Admission India For Admission Updates In Colleges / Universities
Sikkim Manipal University's distance education programs have truly transformed the way we pursue higher education. The flexibility and quality they offer are remarkable. It's a fantastic option for those seeking to balance work, life, and learning. Highly recommendedVisit For more Information
ReplyDeleteLooking to pursue your MBA without breaking the bank? Look no further! Discover thecheapest online MBA program in India with our collegetour. We understand the importance of affordability, without compromising on quality education. Explore our comprehensive list of accredited universities offering online MBA courses tailored to fit your busy schedule.
ReplyDeleteBest And Cheapest Online Mba Programs!
ReplyDeleteThrilled to explore the possibilities of Distance Education, especially in the realm of Diploma in Mass Communication! This flexible learning approach opens doors for aspiring communicators to pursue their passions from anywhere. Dive into the world of media and communication with our comprehensive diploma program. Distance education brings your dreams within reach!
ReplyDeleteRead more: diploma in mass communication
Distance education offers flexible learning opportunities for various fields. For those pursuing a post graduate diploma, it provides a convenient way to advance your education and enhance career prospects.
ReplyDeleteRead more: post graduate diploma
Distance education provides the flexibility to learn at your own pace, fitting education into a busy lifestyle. Pursuing a diploma in education through distance learning equips you with essential skills and knowledge while accommodating your personal schedule.
ReplyDeleteRead more: diploma in education
Looking for Education consultants for postgraduate programs abroad in nagpur? We can help!
ReplyDelete#StudyAbroad #NagpurEducation #EducationConsultants #GlobalEducation
Unsure where to apply? Consult experienced study abroad advisors in Nagpur.
ReplyDelete