Distance Education - Open Universities in India

Correspondence education has brought about a tremendous change in the education system of our country. It is predicted that in the next two decades of the coming century teachers from conventional teaching would 'perform live' to learners across the country with the help of satellite communication, low power transmitters and through the information super-highways.

Distance education has two forms: 1. external studentship and 2. correspondence education. When a student chooses to appear as an external candidate without taking admission in a college or university, it implies that he has only the permission to sit for the examination of the concerned university. There are two systems of correspondence education: 1. the regular system, and 2. the open system. In the regular system, the qualification requirements for enrolment are similar to those prescribed for the normal university courses. In the open system, the courses are open to any person who may not even possess any formal qualifications. But in some institutions they should have attained the age of 18 years for under-gradate and diploma courses and 21 years for postgraduate courses. Enrolment in some courses is subject to qualifying in a written examination.

The rationale for providing education through distance mode is now universally recognised. The teaching and learning process include self-study of structured reading material provided by the institutions, completion of specified assignments, learning through audio-visual lessons (including those broadcast over radio and TV), and taking part in guidance and counselling sessions. The emergence of the distance learning mode is providing benefits to many categories of learners in particular to

• late entrants,
• people on the job,
• people who do not have access to higher education in their place of stay,
• and to those who wish to supplement their educational qualifications.

Distance education is imparted by three kinds of institutions: 1. Departments of Correspondence - Courses in universities and university level institutions with such varying names as Directorate of Distance Education, School of Distance Education, Directorate of Correspondence Courses, School of Distance Learning and Continuing Education, 2. Open Universities - exclusively involved in imparting higher education through the distance mode, and 3. A large number of private institutions - mostly offering professional courses. There is no territorial restriction for enrolment of students.

Open universities offer flexible course options, which can be taken by entrants who may not have any formal qualification but have reached the required age (18-20 years for 1st degree courses) and also have cleared a written entrance test. The courses can be taken at the student's pace. Distance education centres of Universities grant admission to candidates who fulfill minimum eligibility, which is the same as for regular courses.

Correspondence educational institutions provide students with course materials contact classes and conduct examinations. Most of the teaching learning process incorporates printed learning material as well as the multimedia facilities set up at nodal centres or through the Television and Radio networks. These universities offer graduate, postgraduate courses, M Phil and Ph.D. and also diploma and certificate courses many of, which are career oriented.

Distance education institutions offer courses at different levels: first degree, postgraduate degree, diploma and postgraduate diploma, certificate and even research degree (M.Phil. and Ph.D.). The courses cover a wide variety of subjects. Apart from the traditional courses in Arts, Science and Commerce, both at first degree and postgraduate degree levels, a large number of professional courses at different levels are also offered. They include teacher education, library and information science, journalism and mass communication, nursing, management and its different branches, computer and information technology and several branches of science, computer and information technology. IGNOU, Kota Open University and Jawaharlal Nehru Technology University offer B.Tech. courses in several disciplines.