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ODL in 11th Plan
The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) System has emerged as a vibrant and dynamic component of Higher Education Infrastructure in the country. It provides access to quality education to about 25 percent of the total population of learners in Higher Education sector. The system has demonstrated high levels of cost efficiency, flexibility and innovative applications of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and created educational opportunities for the vast multitudes of learners left un-served by the formal system.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on HRD in its 172nd Report has recommended that for a vast country like India where accessibility to higher education is quite low, Open Universities have the vast potential for taking Higher Education to more and more people irrespective of different barriers. This system caters also for in-service persons for whom it is second chance as well as for regular learners. It, therefore needs to be provided greater thrust by integrating utility courses with personal development with socio-economic problems. The courses offered could be mainly job-oriented as far as possible. High priority should be given for opening more study organization particularly covering rural and remote areas with concentration of SCs/STs and other backward communities students.
The ODL System is in the 11th plan period is expected to cater to about 40 percent of learner population in higher education. The system must also be prepared to take substantial responsibility to cater to the likely surge in the number of aspirants for Higher Education as a consequence of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, apart from reaching the un-reached, marginalized, disadvantaged and those hitherto excluded from the reach of educational provisions.
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Rationale behind ODL
- In its brief existence of forty-five years, the ODL system has demonstrated an impressive track record of providing quality education and training to large learner population. Cost studies at the university show that per student cost at the university is about 42 percent of those incurred by the universities in the conventional stream
- The open and distance learning system has demonstrated a growth rate of 20% during the Tenth Plan, and accounted for 25 percent of the total enrollment in the higher education secto
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Heads |
2008 |
2017 |
% of Enrollment Growth Rate |
10 |
22 |
Total No. of students for Higher Education |
17.5 Million |
40 Million (Approx.) |
Students in ODL Mode |
7 Million |
16 Million (Approx.) |
- The system has also demonstrated the capacity to scale on account of the impressive applications of Information and communication technologies to create access and opportunity for learners across the length and breadth of the country. The diversity of learner profile in the system, comprising employed and unemployed, aspirants for employment, those seeking to upgrade their knowledge and skills while at work specially in professional careers, the disadvantaged and the marginalized, rural youth and those residing in remote areas, brings into sharp focus the capacity of the system to adapt to and provide for the learning requirements of a vast variety of target populations.
Thrust Areas
- Enrollment target during the 11th Plan – The ODL System, in the scenario of a growth rate of 20% in the student enrollment, is likely to account for about 30% of overall enrollment in higher education in the country. This will result in significant increase in the enrollment at the end of the 11th Plan, the ODL System should account for an enrollment of around 7 million students.
- Development of New Programmes and Courses – Priority for academic programme development is a reflection of the educational needs of the society as well as the market requirement. The focus of the ODL System is to develop professional, vocational and career oriented programmes at certificate, diploma and degree levels. Keeping in mind social needs and market requirements to create growing number of employable human resources in the country, the Eleventh Plan proposals for the ODL system require a special thrust on development of vocational programmes
- Edusat- Edusat, a dedicated educational satellite has created enormous opportunities for ODLS on account of two way interactivity and possibility of both asynchronous and synchronous connectivity between the teaching and learning ends across the country. While an impressive setup of up to 131 Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) is in place, another fifty are being installed. It is proposed to enlarge this network to about 500 SITs to extend the access to the disadvantaged and those in marginalized areas
- Media Infrastructure- – The establishment of dedicated educational TV and Radio channels have provided a great impetus to ODL System in the country. During the 11th Plan, the efforts would be to develop complete audio visual curriculum based content on a course to course basis as well as on creating integrated media learning packages course-wise.
- National Centre for Computational Application in Sciences The Centre for computational application in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering and Design is proposed to be set up as a research and development unit for the entire ODL system and allocation of 20 crores is proposed for the Centre.
- National Mission in Education through Distance Learning – as One Stop Education Portal India needs to leverage its knowledge resources to obtain and maintain the competitive edge in the world. This will require a system of identification and nurturing of talent and lifelong learning. Knowledge modules based on the personalized needs of the learner need to be delivered to him /her at the right time with the right content interactively to take care of his / her aspirations. In due course there is need to develop and maintain the knowledge and capability profile of every individual learner / worker.
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