Use of ICT for ODL, Blended Learning, Research, Administration & Management

Abstract

Distance education & Open Learning systems have come to play a significant role in developing countries. One of the most important factors in the education field today, other than good teachers, is Information, Communication & Technology. The efficient & effective use of ICT has enabled educationists worldwide to tackle challenges faced by students and teachers as well as to achieve excellence in education. Introduction: Overview of Situation The education system and its components worldwide and especially in developing countries face numerous challenges including but not limited to lack of financial resources, lack of good teachers, lack of IT skills, unreasonable demand-supply ratio, issues of access & equity in education. Some of these challenges or problems are compounded in the educational institutions providing open & distance education due to large number of learners. In India, some of the key issues faced by education providers of ODL system are: - Inability to efficiently handle large number of distant learners - inability to maintain quality of education, - inability to provide extensive student support services, - lack of industry interface - administrative issues - unavailability of national policies on quality, standards & uniformity pertaining to ODL system - lack of high quality IT infrastructure & IT skilled resources General Description: Symbiosis Center For Distance Learning (SCDL) is a private ODL institute in India offering programs through distance education. The institute has been a pioneer in developing many ICT solutions and facilities to improve the quality, accessibility, delivery and reach of education to more than 200,000 distant learners from all corners of India and 42 different countries. SCDL provides 16 graduate & post graduate programmes in more than 138 courses of study in faculties of Management, Information Technology, Education, Humanities & Law. Highlights: ICT has been effectively used in Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning in all aspects of education delivery, quality improvement, student care services, academics, administration & management. SCDL has created and implemented many innovative ICT applications coupled with innovative business solutions such as : • A comprehensive Student Information System (SIS) • E-learning / online learning as a supplementary learning model • Student Care Center • Call Center • Online Assignments / Online Project Report Submission • On Demand Examination • Mass Email System • Sophisticated Web Portal • Online Question Bank Challenges faced by Symbiosis Center For Distance Learning • to ensure highest academic standards by being able to constantly update content in order to keep in line with market/industry requirements • to set & maintain quality standards in academics, operations and administration • to obtain staff trained in IT skills • to motivate & create a positive attitude in existing staff members & faculty in order to make them more “IT savvy” & train on e-learning development • to gather management support for introducing and implementing IT solutions and online learning components as part of the education system of SCDL Impact The ICT implementations at Symbiosis have resulted in • higher student-satisfaction ratio • lowering the drop-out rate amongst distant learners enrolled with the institute. • Convenience and flexibility to students due to online assignments & on demand examinations • Lowering costs / overheads of administration, conduct of exams, costs of postage and other overheads • Enhancing learning experiences of students & creating a positive attitude Future Plans To improve the quality of student services, SCDL is planning to implement the following IT solutions: • use of software to track students calls / emails and handle students query effectively • introducing additional e-learning courses • training faculty on e-learning / online learning model, objective question bank development, virtual classroom administration • Creating a Quality Forum for ODL providers of India in order to set benchmarks and quality standards, evolve quality models for ODL institutions to implement. Conclusions: The effective use of ICT in education definitely improves the quality & delivery of education and quality of student care services. It also lowers administration costs and overheads. It provides tremendous flexibility and convenience to students. The effective use of ICT coupled with good quality education results in better student satisfaction.