Guru Nanak varsity to set up web learning studios: VC

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 9

A step towards globalisation and modernisation of education, GNDU Vice-Chancellor Prof Jaspal Singh Sandhu has announced that the university will be establishing two web studios for imparting online lectures to reach out to maximum students. Sandhu was addressing the inaugural session of the week-long workshop on “Design, Develop and Deliver MOOC Course” as a tool for blended learning at the GNDU on Thursday. The workshop is being held by the Centre of Pre-Service Teacher Education, School of Education, under Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching Scheme by the MHRD.

He said that work to set up the web studios had begun. “The School of Education and Department of Education will be open for the innovative initiative to train the faculty of Guru Nanak Dev University and participants from other universities in the development of MOOC courses, which would be instrumental in strengthening student learning and design outreach programmes to be introduced in the near future.” He also acquainted the faculty members regarding the fast growing significance of two languages i.e. Chinese and Japanese. Guru Nanak Dev University has launched ID course in Chinese language recently.

Prof Amit Kauts, project coordinator; school of education, said, the significance of online education is undeniable and basic objective of the workshop is to acquaint teachers with various web tools for development of massive open online courses.“The MOOCs are gaining attraction all over the world to provide unlimited participation and open access to quality education via web. We have to create a digital teaching learning environment for this digital generation. The workshop will address various issues relating to planning, developing, delivering and managing online courses in the context of higher education institutions,” he said.

In the key address, Prof K Srinivas, head of ICT and project management unit of National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, Government of India, reiterated the importance of e-learning, blended learning, MOOCs, ICT enabled pedagogy, computer applications in project management, e-governance for the universities to be globally competent.

Visitors to the top three MOOCs platforms are from the United States, followed by visitors from India. There are total 41 participants from mainly GNDU and other universities of North India in the workshop.