Abstract
The undergraduate science programme was launched at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1991-92 with an enrolment of 1,210 students. The programme was well received, and enrolments increased over the years. However, the success rates have not kept pace with enrolment. 
 
 In this paper, the authors report the results of an evaluation of the undergraduate Physics programme at IGNOU. The evaluation, the first of its type for this programme, adapted the major tenets of the CIPP model. The findings are based on the responses from a randomly chosen sample of 509 learners across India. The methods employed for the study include records, document, and database analysis, surveys, and case studies. 
 
 Although the University has enhanced access to higher science education, the attrition rate is high (73%), and the success rate is low. The authors recommend that the University review and reorient its strategies for providing good quality, learner-centred higher education in science subjects. The programme should address the concerns of the learners about the effectiveness of the student support systems, the difficulty level, and the learner-friendliness of study materials with the goal of achieving long-term sustainability while maintaining parity with the conventional system. The need for improving the presentation of the courses and simplifying the mathematical details is emphasised.
Highlights
In this paper, the authors report the results of an evaluation of the undergraduate physics programme at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)
The undergraduate science programme aimed at providing higher science education through the distance mode at the national level was launched by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in December 1991 with an enrolment of 1,210 students
The programme is flexible and open as far as the course options, the place, and the pace of learning are concerned. It is offered in five science disciplines, and students must opt for a minimum of 25% of total elective credits earned in disciplines with experimental components from laboratory courses
Summary
The undergraduate science programme aimed at providing higher science education through the distance mode at the national level was launched by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in December 1991 with an enrolment of 1,210 students. The programme is flexible and open as far as the course options, the place, and the pace of learning are concerned It is offered in five science disciplines (physics, chemistry, mathematics, life sciences or botany, and zoology), and students must opt for a minimum of 25% of total elective credits earned in disciplines with experimental components from laboratory courses. Over the years, students, academic counsellors, and physics experts have expressed concerns to two of the authors about the quality of the curriculum transaction, including the laboratory, the effectiveness of the student support system, and the performance and satisfaction of the learners Another motivation for the study was the decision taken by the Board of Management of IGNOU in 2002 to revise all programmes so that the shelf life of a programme is not more than seven years. The major tenets of the CIPP model have been adapted
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