Select Distance Education Institutes

Team Careers360Updated on 22 Jul 2013, 04:18 PM IST

BR Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU)

Fast Facts
Established:1982; Status: State Open University Location: Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Recognition/Accreditation: All the programmes are recognised by Distance Education Council (DEC) Enrolled Students: 450,000 Students Enrolled (2009-10): 181,913 Pass Percentage: 30 Regional Centres: 23 Study Centres:218 Selection:Direct admission except MBA, MEd (Entrance test) and BEd. Eligibility Test for those not possessing any formal educational qualification.

Website: www.braou.ac.inby

THE first Open University in the country, BRAOU has been a trend setter in distance education. In addition to the basic undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, the university also offers need-based/application-oriented vocational courses and skill development programmes. Popular professional programmes include BEd in special education (500 seats), MEd (100 seats) and MBA (need to qualify ICET). However, close to 90 percent of the student-body is enrolled in undergraduate programmes.

“This year more than 70,000 students wrote the eligibility test meant for student who were unsuccessful in Class 10, 11 and 12 and for dropouts who wish to get admitted to this university,” says Dr. C Venkataiah, Registrar, BRAOU. But he explains that though entry to the courses is easy, exit is difficult since the performance assessment of students is taken very seriously. “Learning at BRAOU is fun,” observes a second year BCom student who came to collect her study material from the university.

Academic supprt
The students benefit from the self-instructional learning material, which is available in Telugu, English and Urdu for UG programmes. The recently constructed Science building has facilities for students to complete their practical sessions in the laboratories. Nearly 6,350 academic counsellors provide academic support to the students. Of the 218 study centres, 16 are exclusively for women and four are prison centres. The prison centres facilitate learning for the prisoners concerned who not only get free education but attend counselling sessions every Sunday.

Audio-video lessons
The audio-video production and research centre supports the learning process as it produces radio broadcasts, radio and video lessons, and live teleconference programmes that goes on Doordarshan every Sunday for one hour and also through the Gyan Darshan channel (IGNOU) every day for half-an-hour. The proposed new courses at BRAOU in the coming academic year include PG programme in Urdu language, PG Diploma in Tourism and Cultural Heritage and certificate programmes such as Micro-Finance, NGO Management, Anchoring, Dubbing and Translation Studies.

SuccessStory

In 1980, K Rajanna, a Class 6 Marathi medium dropout was convicted and awarded the maximum punishment, which the Andhra Pradesh High Court reduced to life imprisonment. Having spent the first few years of his life in Chanchalguda Jail, he enrolled himself in a BA programme with the subjects of his choice: Political Science, Sociology and Public Administration.

He recalls attending the two-hour contact programme every Sunday, and the fact that the jail superintendent allowed radio in the prison, so that he could hear the radio lessons. In a slow and steady manner, he completed the programme in three-and-a-half years and completed his graduation in 1987. His request for remission of the jail term was also granted, owing to his education. In 1990, as soon as he was released from jail, he got a job with Dakshin Samachar and worked there for six months. This is where he noticed a vacancy in the PRO’s office at BRAOU. He joined as an attendant at Rs. 16 a day. Today, Rajanna works as an Assistant and draws a five figure salary from the university and from another part-time job.

by Nimesh Chandra

M.P. BHOJ (OPEN) University (mpbou)

Fast Facts
Established: 1992; Status: Sate Open University Location: Raja Bhoj Marg (Kolar Road), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Accreditation: NA Enrolled Students:195,000 Pass Percentage: 75 Regional Centres: 9; Study Centres: 1824 Commencement of Programmes: July Selection: Direct, and Entrance Test for some popular courses like BEd (Special Education) Website: www.bhojvirtualuniversity.com

WITH approximately 2 lakh students, MPBOU’s claim to fame lies in being the only Indian university to be accorded the Global Mega University status, apart from IGNOU. According to Dr. S.K. Singh, the Vice-Chancellor, the MBA, LLM, MCA and MSW are the most important courses offered by the university. The BCA is a major employment generator. However, a favourite remains the BEd, the PG programme and a foundation course in Special Education, in collaboration with Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Launched in 2002, these courses enable you to teach physically challenged students and have a huge demand, internationally. Today, nearly 6000 applicants apply for the 500-odd seats.

From 2002 to 2009, these courses propelled the growth of the student base, not only from all across the country but also from national borders, to more than 3 lakhs, earning it a mega-university status. However, a directive by RCI last year clipped the aspirations by restricting MPBOU to enrol students only within the state boundaries of Madhya Pradesh. A major step by Dr. Singh was to centralise the checking of all answer scripts at the university itself amidst high security to ensure fairness and curb cheating and impersonation.

To reach out to the tribal community, MPBOU has also set up a sub-regional centre at Chhindwara, which has a large tribal population. Interestingly, one can pursue a BA, BSc or BCom degree from the university for a modest amount of Rs. 1200 per year in which one gets Rs. 600/- worth of study material. The material for PG courses, the VC claims, has been made available online.

Dr. Praveen Jain, Director, Dept. of Technology informs us of e-lectures being delivered through EduSAT as well as other e-content being delivered through Gyanvani (radio) and Gyan darshan (TV). He also mentions that a staggering 2 lakh+ school students enrolled in for Diploma in Computer Application (DCA) being run under a tie-up with the State government. He also ruefully refers to the closure of 1000+ study centres outside the State due to the new regulatory restriction on territorial jurisdiction.

by Nitin Jindal

Prof. G Ram Reddy Centre for Distance Education, Osmania University

Fast Facts
Institute:Centre for Distance Education (PGRRCDE) Established: 1987; Status: State University
Location: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Accreditation: Grade ‘A’ by NAAC Enrolled Students: 60,284
Pass Percentage: 49 Study Centres: 4 (Nizamabad, Nalgonda, Mahboobnagar, Medak) Selection: Direct, except for MBA and MCA (Integrated Common Entrance Test) Website: www.oucde.ac.in

IT is named after one of the key architects of distance education in India, Prof. G Ram Reddy, who also set up the first State Open University in the country in 1982 and was the Founder Vice-Chancellor of IGNOU in 1985.

The unique PG diploma courses include a one-year programme in Telecom Software, offered online in collaboration with Genesis Solutions and Wellness Management in a tie-up with Apollo Hospital, Hyderabad. While MBA and MA English programmes are among the most sought after programmes; the best pass percentage (over 80) are for PG Diploma in Bioinformatics and BCom (Computers). According to Prof. M Anand Rao, Director, all courses at CDE are introduced at the behest of Osmania University. “The approval of Dean of Faculty, Board of Studies and Head of the Department is a must, before any course is introduced,” he says.

Learning material is supplemented by facilities such as study centres, authorised learning centres and audio-visual material. According to Joint Director Prof. G Maruthi Ram, the students benefit as they make use of the multimedia-based instructional material, which is vetted by the faculty.

The contact programmes are held usually on Sundays. The medium of instruction is English, Telugu or both. The performance of the students is evaluated through continuous self-assessment mode and through terminal examinations. CDE has also institutionalised Gold Medals for select undergraduate and PG courses.

by Nimesh Chandra

Sikkim Manipal University

Fast Facts
Institute: Directorate of Distance Education (DDE), SMU Established: 1995; Status: Private State University (Public-Private Partnership) Location: Gangtok, Sikkim; DDE, office: New Delhi; Bangalore Recognition/Accreditation: UGC, Ministry of HRD, AIU, ACU Enrolled Students:176,000; Enrolment (2009-10):96,000 Pass Percentage:53 Regional Centres: 4; Study Centres: 725 Selection: Direct admission Website: www.smude.edu.in

THE result of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the State government of Sikkim and Manipal Education, Sikkim Manipal University offers distance education through more than 6,500 mentors. One of the key features of SMU is that the students get to know in advance about the calendar of events, be it receipt of course material, exam schedule or announcement of results. The learning and teaching uses self-learning material, face-to-face counselling at learning centres, VSAT daily lectures from the university’s central studios and help lines that cater to student queries or doubts. Learning support is provided by EduNxt (a learning delivery system), where one can take tests and quizzes online, read articles, write blogs, participate in discussion forums and access useful content.

The 65 core faculty members help students receive instructions in 11 broad disciplines: Information Technology, Management, Journalism and Mass Communication, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Apparel & Fashion Design, Allied Health Sciences, Hospitality, Telecom, Commerce and Fire & Safety.

Students are assessed internally on the basis of projects and end-semester examinations. Close to 97 percent of SMU students are enrolled in professional programmes, of which nearly two-third students are at the postgraduate level. The management and information technology disciplines are the most sought after. The university also offers scholarships to 1,500 meritorious students.

“Our process is strong and we monitor delivery,” says AM Thimmiya, Senior Vice President–Distributed Learning, Manipal Education. According to him, in distance learning, the student has to feel that he or she is part of a class, so the prime driver for making the learning process more interactive is the robustness of a technology vibrant platform to enable interactivity.

by Nimesh Chandra

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Fast Facts
Established: 1985 Status: National Open University Location: Maidan Garhi, New Delhi Enrolled Students: 2,468,208 (present: 2.8 million) Students Enrolled (2009-10): 636,489 Pass Percentage: 21 Regional Centres: 61 Study Centres: 3,000; No. of overseas centres:60 Admissions: January and July sessions Selection: Direct admission and also Entrance Test (eg; MBA: OPENMAT; MHA: NCHMCT) Website: www.ignou.ac.in

FROM courses as varied as an MBA in Aviation Business Management and BSc in Optometry & Ophthalmic Techniques to PG Diploma in Folklore & Culture Studies and Advance Certificate in Fire Safety, IGNOU is the only Open University to offer as many as 325 programmes. With more than 36,000 academic counsellors to support the learners across the country, IGNOU also has one of the most distinguished panels of experts for the creation of course curriculum and study material in addition to the 400 plus faculty members.

The broad academic disciplines in the 21 Schools of Studies include Agriculture, Computers, Education, CPerforming & Visual Arts, Science, Social Science, Social Work, Translation, The core learning resource for the students is the self-instructional print as well as audio-video material, which is often multilingual. This is supported by face-to-face tutoring/counselling, tele and video conferencing, interactive counselling via multimedia and Internet-based learning. The university also broadcasts the lessons on radio. For online programmes, the university has set up tele-learning centres at the regional centres. Interactive lectures are delivered at Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) through EduSAT - the first Indian satellite serving the educational sector.

For courses that require practical sessions - such as Science, Nursing, Computers or Health studies - one has to undertake practical classes in laboratories at select study centres. IGNOU also conducts some courses on campus at Delhi on a full-time basis. The joint programme offerings with various institutes of higher learning and corporate houses alike have shown a rapid rise in numbers.

However, during our visits to the study centres some students complained about the lack of proper counselling and mentoring, perhaps on account of the sheer number of students enrolled at IGNOU.

Apart from self-evaluation at various stages as prescribed in the course material, students are evaluated on the basis of timely submission of theory assignments, practical coursework, log-books and contact programmes.

Finally the term-end examination, conducted at more than 600 centres in the country, assesses the performance of the student to be eligible for the award of degree/diploma or certificate. Apart from the student-centric activities, there are some things that distinguish IGNOU. These include the unique National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education, Staff Training and Research Institute in Distance Education (STRIDE), Institute for Vocational Education & Training (IIVET) and Institute for Professional Competency Advancement of Teachers (IIPCAT).

by Nimesh Chandra

DDE, Maulana Azad National Urdu University

Fast Facts
Institute: Directorate of Distance Education (DDE), MANUU Established: 1998; Status: Central University Location: Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Accreditation: Grade ‘A’ by NAAC Enrolled Students: 160,000 Pass Percentage: 80 Regional Centres: 9; Sub-regional Centres: 6; Study Centres: 165 Selection:Direct and also Eligibility Test Website: www.manuu.ac.in

IF you wish to learn chaste Urdu, that too from a Central University, Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) is one of the best options available to you. Pegged at Rs. 550 for the full course, students have a flexible time frame of six to 24 months to complete it. All they need is a basic knowledge of English or Hindi. Besides, MANUU also offers BA, MA, Certificate and Diploma programmes. This is the only university in the country where the Urdu language is the medium of instruction. Since the university has an all-India jurisdiction, the student body has a pan-India presence with maximum students hailing from Maharashtra, Bihar and Jammu & Kashmir.

According to Prof. K R Iqbal Ahmed, Director, DDE, many students at DDE, MANUU are first generation graduates. The added advantage for students is the academic counselling sessions at study centres (which is not mandatory) where course material is discussed and doubts are cleared.

"The self-instructional materials are very popular, even at remote centres like Poonch or Karimganj, and at highly populated centres in Hyderabad or Mumbai, because they cater to even dropouts at minimum cost," says Prof. Ahmed. The materials are dispatched directly to students by the Material Production & Distribution Division at DDE. Students can use the toll-free phone number to redress complains and queries.

The university library is connected through Internet and provides access to relevant databases, e-journals and books.

The 23 faculty members at DDE are supported by faculty for conventional courses at MANUU in overseeing counselling sessions and in preparation of study material, conducting of exams and evaluation of assignments. The students must compulsorily submit two assignments per subject/paper within the due dates.

One prominent feature is that lessons are aired by Doordarshan and All India Radio. The other characteristic of the institution is the 54 percent gender ratio in favour of females. The department also has an overseas examination centre at Jeddah.

SuccessStory
Abdul Jaleel, a 10+2 dropout was an auto rickshaw driver in Bangalore before he enrolled himself in a BA programme through Distance Learning mode at the MANUU. With no financial support from his family, he just about managed Rs. 1,200 a year for undergraduate studies. The medium of instruction being Urdu, he did not find it difficult to comprehend the study material. Every Sunday Jaleel parked his auto rickshaw at the study centre in his city and religiously devoted time to complete the programme. He topped the programme, which encouraged him to join and complete the BEd course at the same university. He is now enjoying his new profession as a high school teacher.

by Nimesh Chandra