PU game for UGC’s online courses

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 22

Panjab University in its academic council meeting yesterday stressed on the need to encourage the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) initiative of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). It is a new model of education to give wider access to higher education through optimum use of technology. The council, however, decided that the Board of Control of each department will decide that which course is meant for which class.

The system provides a mix of conventional classroom teaching with online system of learning. This online learning version is being launched on an indigenous platform of learning named SWAYAM (Study Web of Active Learning by Young Aspiring Minds). SWAYAM is an IT platform developed and made functional by the Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD) for offering online learning courses on the MOOC pattern. The system is responsive to the learners’ needs and ensures seamless transfer of knowledge through geographical boundaries.

Dr Bhushan Kumar Sharma, Principal, GGDSD College, Chandigarh, explains, “The system opens up huge opportunities for students. If, for instance, the college where he wishes to study does not offer a particular subject of his choice, he may login to the SWAYAM portal and study the subject online in another college listed on the portal.”

“This way, he studies all other subjects from his parent institution (PI), while the deficit subject is taught through online modules by a host institution. The host institution will conduct the examination of that subject and send the marks to the PI to be included in the final mark list of the student,” he said.

Parent institution means the institution/university/college where the student is enrolled; while the host institution is the institution duly recognised by the UGC and listed on the SWAYAM portal. The faculty of this institution known as Principal Investigator will function as the Subject Matter Expert (SME).

Explaining the process, Dr Bhushan adds, “The Principal Investigator will be a reputed educational institution, identified by the National MOOC Coordinator (NMC). The Principal Investigator will be responsible for developing and delivering MOOCs in a designated area allotted by the NMC. While exams will be conducted online in this module, the physical facilities such as laboratories, computer facilities, library etc. that are essential for pursuing the courses, shall be made available free to the students. The parent institution will also designate a course coordinator/facilitator to guide the students throughout the course and to facilitate conduct of the practical examination.”

As per the UGC guidelines, the host institution and the parent institution shall be responsible for evaluating the students registered for the MOOC. The evaluation shall be based on pre-defined norms and parameters allowing a comprehensive evaluation throughout the length and breadth of course. It will be based on specified instruments such as discussions, forums, quizzes, assignments, sessional and final examination.

Dr Bhushan says, “While normally, an online examination would be the preferred mode, the SME from the host institution shall be authorised to decide on the mode of conducting the final examination.” This shall be announced in the overview of the course at the time of offering the course.

If written examination is to be conducted, the same shall be offered through any college volunteering to conduct the same. The decision in this respect will be of the parent institution and the host institution. The awarding university shall add the credits weight age earned by the student through MOOC on SWAYAM platform to the credit plan of the study programme being pursued by the student.

MOOC model follows the Four Quadrant Approach

• Quadrant-I is the e-tutorial that shall contain video and audio content in an organised form, animation, simulations, virtual labs
• Quadrant-II is e-eontent that shall contain PDF/e-books/illustration, video demonstrations, documents and interactive simulations wherever required
• Quadrant-III is web resources that shall contain related links, open content on internet, case studies, an ecdotalin formation, historical development of the subject, articles
• Quadrant-IV is self-assessment that shall contain MCQ, problems, quizzes, assignments and solutions, discussion forum topics and setting up the FAQ, clarifications on general misconceptions