Careers360 - Think higher education! Students rate DL institutes: Course material, centres, more!

Students rate DL institutes: Course material, centres, more!
From study centres to examinations - students rate the best institutes based on 8 parameters through a survey conducted on Careers360's Facebook page
by Team Careers360
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Photograph: Rohit Gautam

ONLINE ACCESS has been the most crucial element in offering superior learning experience to a DL student

APART from the objective ranking of Distance Education institutes 2012 conducted by Careers360, we got students to rate their own distance Learning experiences.
Learning from our perception survey experience in 2011 where we had to flush out over 3000 entries, this year we hosted the survey on on Careers360 Facebook page (with over 50,000 likes and growing), so that we could easily verify the identity of respondents.

We wanted to know: Which universities offer the best study material? Which universities are best for online material and support? And much more. We ran the survey ran for 25 days and received responses for over 85 universities. With a robust sample size of 1200+ respondents, we have been able to extract meaningful conclusions from the data spliced university-wise and parameter-wise concurrently.

Here we present the Top 15 based on eight parameters. The results have thrown up interesting surprises, and provided us with deep insights into the experience of the most important stakeholder in Distance Learning - the student.

Best Course Material
Rank	University	Score
1	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	8.1
2	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	8.0
3	BITS Pilani	7.9
4	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	7.8
5	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	7.4
6	Mahatma Gandhi University	7.3
7	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning,Pune	7.2
7	Lovely Professional University	7.2
9	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	7.1
10	University of Bombay, Mumbai	6.9
11	Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	6.8
12	University of Delhi, New Delhi	6.3
13	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	4.5
14	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	3.8
14	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	3.8
The course material from a Distance Learning institute is perhaps the most valued component in the absence of regular contact. Lucidity, comprehensiveness and accuracy of information are the key desirable qualities. The new entrants this year are IP University, DU and Pondicherry University

Examinations Conduct & Results
Rank	University	Score
1	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	8.7
2	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	8.0
3	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune	7.9
4	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	7.5
5	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	7.1
6	BITS Pilani	7.0
7	University of Bombay, Mumbai	6.7
8	Lovely Professional University	6.6
9	Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	6.4
10	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	6.3
10	Osmania University, Hyderabad	6.3
12	Mahatma Gandhi University	6.0
13	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	4.0
14	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	3.9
15	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	3.8
Students are left in the lurch if the exams are not conducted on time or the results are delayed. Further, it is very important to conduct the exams in a fair and transparent manner while also ensuring proper security in the evaluation process. Symbiosis, LPU and BITS seem to play an appreciable role in this domain.

QUERY & RESPONSE
Rank	University	Score
1	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune	8.5
2	Lovely Professional University	8.2
3	BITS Pilani	7.7
4	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	7.6
4	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	7.6
6	Mahatma Gandhi University	7.5
7	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	6.7
8	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	6.4
9	Osmania University, Hyderabad	6.3
9	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	6.3
11	University of Bombay, Mumbai	6.1
12	Indira Gandhi National Open University,New Delhi	5.7
13	University of Delhi, New Delhi	5.6
14	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	4.4
15	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	2.3
Query regarding issues like delivery of material, exams being conducted, receipt of admit cards or conduct of classes can only be addressed if there is quick and timely response from the administrative department. This is an essential criteria to ensure a high quality learning experience.

Online material, learning & information
Rank	University	Score
1	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning,Pune	8.6
2	BITS Pilani	8.4
3	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	8.1
4	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	7.9
5	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	6.9
6	University of Bombay, Mumbai	6.8
6	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	6.8
6	Osmania University, Hyderabad	6.8
9	Lovely Professional University	6.6
10	Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	6.1
11	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	6.0
12	University of Delhi, New Delhi	5.8
13	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	5.0
14	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	4.8
15	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	3.3
Computers and mobile devices have opened hitherto unexplored possibilities in the Distance Learning arena. Online material is the biggest boon for somebody having regular access to an Internet-enabled device. It isn’t surprising that one of the top two institutes in this ranking have “Technology” in their name.

Quality of Faculty
Rank	University	Score
1	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	9.2
2	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune	7.8
3	Mahatma Gandhi University	7.5
4	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	7.4
5	BITS Pilani	7.3
6	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	7.2
7	University of Bombay, Mumbai	7.0
8	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	6.8
8	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	6.8
10	University of Delhi, New Delhi	6.6
11	Lovely Professional University	6.0
12	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	5.8
13	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	4.8
14	Osmania University, Hyderabad	4.5
15	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	4.0
Faculty both at the study centres as well as at the university departments play a crucial role in enhancing the student learning experience. They not only develop course materials, but also act as counsellors. Variation in scores vouch for their importance.

Access of study centers (distance)
Rank	University	Score
1	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	9.2
2	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune	7.8
3	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	7.6
4	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	7.1
5	Mahatma Gandhi University	7.0
5	University of Bombay, Mumbai	7.0
7	BITS Pilani	6.7
8	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	6.3
8	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	6.3
10	Lovely Professional University	6.2
11	Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	5.9
11	University of Delhi, New Delhi	5.9
13	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	4.7
14	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	4.3
15	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	4.2
All good institutes offer some coaching classes either through their study centres or the online mode (or both), very few actually go that extra mile to ensure that it is a ‘class affair.’ Kurukshetra seems to offer the best bet in this domain.

Would you recommend this institute
Rank	University	Score
1	BITS Pilani	10
1	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	10
1	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	10
1	Mahatma Gandhi University	10
1	Osmania University, Hyderabad	10
1	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	10
1	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune	10
8	University of Delhi, New Delhi	9.7
9	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	9.6
10	Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	9.2
11	IMT Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad	8.9
12	University of Bombay, Mumbai	8.8
13	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	7.5
14	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	7.5
15	Lovely Professional University	6.0
This is the crunch question. And only seven of all surveyed institutions could get a perfect 10. In other words, all students who participated in the survey did say that they would recommend the school to their peers.

Response time and quality
Rank	University	Score
1	Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning, Pune	8.6
2	Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University	8.0
2	Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra	8.0
2	Lovely Professional University	8.0
5	BITS Pilani	7.6
6	Sikkim Manipal University, Sikkim	7.4
7	Annamalai University, Annamalainagar	7.3
8	Mahatma Gandhi University	7.0
9	University of Bombay, Mumbai	6.8
10	Pondicherry University, Pondicherry	6.3
11	University of Delhi, New Delhi	6.1
12	Osmania University, Hyderabad	5.8
13	Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi	5.5
14	Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak	4.1
15	Karnataka State Open University, Karnataka	3.0
Education is generally judged on quality of material but the contribution of faculty who guide you in the classes and remove your doubts cannot be undermined. The top two slots here also rest with Symbiosis and IP University as in the previous ranking.

Published on: August 03, 2012

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Alexandre | Dec 31, 2012

hayyy sir i appreciate ur effrot to help students like me.i have taken gate 2011 and got 15000 rank in ec branch my percentile is 87.21%.i know its not good to get any good college.ill take next yr with better enthusiasm.but at this position i wan to know smthing about defense institute of technology!!!!how much marks or rank it will require to get through.