Introduction to Distance and Digital Education

By Dr. Ritimoni Bordoloi | Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, Guwahati

Learners enrolled: 93

It is a 4 credit course at Undergraduate level. The duration of the course is 12 weeks, to be completed within 3 months. Learners can join this course who have enrolled at UG level. Besides, the course is open for the Life-long learners above the age 19 years.

The main objectives of the Course are:

To discuss the meaning, growth and development of Distance and Digital Education.
To discuss the need and relevance of Open learning and Digital education in the 21st century Indian society.
To introduce the learners to different important aspects of DE besides the extensive use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
To help the learners know about various Learner support services (LSS) and develop their skills to reap the benefits from such services.
To help the learners to become independent lifelong learners with the use of technology within the ambit of digital learning in the 21st century.
To help the learners understand that the different courses offered through the distance mode could help them in their practical fields even if they are employed

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Not Applicable
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Teacher Education
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	01 Jan 2025
End Date :	30 Apr 2025
Enrollment Ends :	28 Feb 2025
Exam Date :	18 May 2025 IST
Exam Shift :	Shift- I

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Weeks	Topics
Week-1	1. Introduction to Distance Education 2. Growth of Distance Education
Week-2	1. Introduction to Digital Education 2. Open Learning and Digital Skills of 21st Century 3. Designing for Communities of Inquiry in Online Course
Week-3	1. Learner support Services 2. Role of LSS in Open Learning 3. Role of e-support services in Post Pandemic
Week-4	1. Self-Learning Materials 2. Production of SLMs 3. Study skills 4. Strategies for Study Skills
Week-5	1. Curriculum in DE 2. Approaches of Curriculum Development 3. Curriculum Evaluation in DE 4. Evaluation process in DE
Week-6	1. Courses for Community Development in ODL mode 2. Prospects and challenges of community development through DE 3. Rural Development through ODL
Week-7	1. Women Empowerment through ODL 2. Teacher Training through DE 3. ODL regulations for Teachers Training Programme
Week-8	1. Distance Education and Administration 2. Functioning of ODL Regulatory Bodies 3. Role of Intergovernmental Organizations
Week-9	1. Quality Assurance in Distance Education 2. Regulations for Quality Assurance in Distance Education 3. Assessment in ODL 4. Assessment and learner’s portfolio
Week-10	1. Information and Communication Technology in Distance Education 2. Recognition of prior Learning and digital skill development 3. SDGs and Lifelong learning
Week-11	1. OERs and its dimensions 2. Conceptual Understanding on MOOCs 3. Regulations and MOOC production 4. Blended learning and NEP 2020
Week-12	1. Online learning 2. Use of ICT for Inclusive Education 3. Challenges of Distance and Digital Education 4. Open Learning as Resilient approach in post pandemic situation

Books and references

Books:

Aggarwal, D. D. (2007). Future of Distance Education. New Delhi: Sarup and Sons.

Asha, K, & John, D. (2020). Report to Commonwealth Education Ministers: From Response to Resilience. Commonwealth of Learning: Canada. Retrieved from: https://iite.unesco.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Report-to-Commonwealth-Education-Ministers.pdf. Accessed 8 July 2021.

Basu, S. (2008). Innovation in Open and Distance Learning. Second Foundation Day Lecture. Guwahati.

Bates, Tony. (2015). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from: file:///C:/Users/HP2/Downloads/Teaching-in-a-Digital-Age-1559066252%20(1).pdf

Belawati. Tina (2022). Open and Distance Education in Asia. Good Practices from AAOU Members. Published by the Asian Association of Open Universities

Bozkurt, A. & Sharma, R. (2020). Education in Normal, New Normal, and Next Normal: Observations from the Past, Insights

from the Present and Projections for the Future. Asian Journal of Distance Education. 15. i-x. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.4362664.

Bozkurt, A. (2019). From Distance Education to Open and Distance Learning: A Holistic Evaluation of History, Definitions, and Theories. In S. Sisman-Ugur, & G. Kurubacak (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Learning in the Age of Transhumanism. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. pp. 252-273.

Bozkurt, A. (Ed). (2021). The Handbook of Research on Emerging Pedagogies for the Future of Education: Trauma-Informed, Care, and Pandemic Pedagogy. IGI-Global, Hershey PA, USA.

Bozkurt, A. et. Al. (2020). A global outlook to the interruption of education due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Navigating in a time of uncertainty and crisis. Asian Journal of Distance Education. Vol 15, pp. 1-126. DOI:10.5281/zenodo.3878572.

Baker, E. L., & O’Neil, H. F., Jr. (2003). Technological fluency: Needed skills for the future. In H. F. O’Neil, Jr. & R. Perez (Eds.), Technology applications in education: A learning view. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Berson, M. J. (1996). Effectiveness of computer technology in social studies: A Review of the literature. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 28(4), 486-98.

Jeff, Craig. (2012). Six Steps for Implementing 21st Century Skills. Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES

Manjulika S. & Reddy, Y. (1996). A Model for Developing Countries. Published by Vikas Publishing House

Mohan B. Menon. (2014). Strategy for Skill Development through Open Schooling India, National Institute of Open Schooling, A-24-25, Institutional Area, Sector-62, Noida, U.P.

Mohd., Shoeb. (2020). Skill Development, Innovations and Entrepreneurship, Om Publications

Nair V.R.(2010). Life Skills Personality and Leadership. RGNIYD, Tamilnadu

Rameshwari, Pandya . (2016). Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in India, New Century Publications

Samuel Kai Wah Chu etal. (2017). 21st Century Skills Development through Inquiry- Based Learning, From Theory to Practice, Springer

Shipra, Vaidya.(2014). Developing Entrepreneurial Life Skills. Springer New Delhi

Instructor bio

Dr. Ritimoni Bordoloi

Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University, Guwahati

Dr. Ritimoni Bordoloi, the course coordinator, has been serving as an Assistant Professor in the Discipline of Education at K.K. Handiqui State Open University, Assam, India since 2007. She did her PhD from Gauhati University on the topic-“Social Security and Women Empowerment”. Her research interests are in the areas of Gender Studies, Economics of Education, Political Sociology, open and distance education and so on. She has written number of research papers and articles in journals and books and presented her works in several National and International seminars and conferences. She has received the prestigious 2019 Emerald Literati Award for the paper “Transforming and empowering higher education through Open and Distance Learning in India” published in Asian Association of Open Universities Journal has been selected by the selection panel as Highly Commended. She has also received the outstanding paper award from Emerald in the year 2022. She has visited the University of Melbourne, Australia, Hanoi, Vietnam, Slovenia, South Korea for presenting the research papers in international conferences. Besides, she also visited Korea National Open University (KNOU) as Visiting Scholar in 2019 under International Staff Exchange Programme of AAOU. In 2020, she received an international project grant from the Asian Association of Open University (Indonesia) as one of proponents for conducting the research on the topic-“MOOCs for Mobilising Higher Education in India.” Besides she has edited a book entitled “Open Higher Education in the 21st Century”, Published by NOVA Science Publisher, New York, USA which is archived by the WHO in 2021.

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