Assessing SDG 4 indicators in online and blended higher education within conflict zones: A case study of northern India's higher education institutions

Abstract

Resilient higher education is fostered, and further assessed, by the United Nations through the metrics provided by Sustainable Development Goal 4, called indicators. These indicators serve as a yardstick to evaluate a country's success in sustainability. Concerningly, the recent scholarly work highlights the limitations associated with Sustainable Development Goal 4 indicators, including the associated political connotations and fuzziness. However, we note a dearth of attempts to unwrap the merit of Sustainable Development Goal 4 indicators in online and blended learning in higher education, specifically in conflict zones. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring the challenges and opportunities presented by the current Sustainable Development Goal 4 indicators in evaluating online and blended learning in higher educational institutions in India's conflict-affected northern areas. Employing a needs assessment methodology, the research draws on data from two distinct sources: primary data from 3,353 learners obtained through a self-constructed questionnaire for higher education institutions in northern India and secondary data gleaned from international and national policy documents. The thematic analysis of results, underpinned by the barriers model, underscores significant concerns regarding the comprehensiveness, validity, and relevance of the prevailing SDG 4 indicators, particularly the Gross Enrolment Ratio and Gender Parity Index, in northern India. It is argued that these indicators fall short of accurately capturing the nuances of online and blended learning within the local contexts, thereby questioning their utility for such purposes. The study reveals that the Gross Enrolment Ratio is not successful in giving a complete picture of its variations by failing to reveal the political reasons behind its drop during emergency remote teaching in the northern conflict zones of India. Moreover, the Gender Parity Index is endowed with interpretative challenges, where despite an increased value being deemed affirmative for gender equity, its increase ironically highlights a new gender divide because of an increased dropout rate among male learners from tribal communities. Through the case of higher education institutions in J&K and Ladakh, the study further provides keywords which could bolster the effectiveness of the SDG 4 indicator framework by making it more responsive to the changing educational landscape, thus making it an indispensable tool in the hands of researchers and policy-makers. Consequently, this study positions itself at the forefront of scholarly efforts to critically re-evaluate and propose revisions to the SDG 4 indicators in light of the shifting teaching and learning paradigms.