UGC to introduce more open online courses
People looking forward to broaden their academic horizons and knowledge base can now opt for new online post-graduate courses tailor-made for Indians but matching world standards. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has invited expression of interest (EoI) from higher educational institutions across the country to develop more massive open online courses (MOOCs).
SWAYAM (Study Web of Active Learning by Young and Aspiring Minds), a portal of the government of India, hosts MOOCs to enable students to virtually pursue courses taught by best faculty, access high quality reading resources, take tests and earn academic grades.
The government has identified eight national coordinators from school to higher education level with UGC as the national coordinator for developing non-technology PG MOOCs from academicians/professionals associated with educational institutions. The Commission has also issued UGC (Credit Framework for Online Courses through SWAYAM) Regulation, 2016, to enable transfer of credit based on MOOCs up to a maximum of 20%.
UGC had earlier invited views/suggestions from all stakeholders including institutions, academia, students, industry and public at large regarding the PG courses for which MOOCs should be developed.
“The Commission has proposed to develop new courses in the field of humanities and social sciences, sciences, performing arts and allied subjects. It has sought a sample video of about five minutes giving brief description of the objectives and outlines of the course which will be uploaded on YouTube,” said a senior UGC official.
As per the UGC notification inviting EoIs, an academician/ faculty having 10 years of experience of teaching at post-graduate level in field can be a course coordinator while faculty employed in university/college would be required to submit the detailed proposal along with a consent letter of the host university/institute to develop the courses.
“The courses will be cleared by the host university/institute authorised to award degrees as per the UGC Act, 1956, and also agree to conduct end examina- tion, assessment and grant credits/certification. One course coordinator can offer only one course at a time,” he added.
In March 2017, UGC secretary Jaspal Sandhu had informed the vice-chancellors that under SWAYAM programme of the ministry of human resource development, the UGC developed 72 MOOC courses, of which 43 are available on SWAYAM’s website (swayam.gov.in).
Apart from these courses on SWAYAM, over 10,000 modules have been developed in 57 subjects, which are available on the website of e-PG pathshala (epgp.inflibnet.ac.in) as open educational resource and may be used as a supplementary reading material by PG students.
Under its national mission on education through ICT, the ministry of MHRD had awarded production of e-content courseware in 77 subjects at post-graduation level to the UGC and is available on the website of ePG pathshala.
The Commission has proposed to develop new courses in the field of humanities and social sciences, sciences, performing arts and allied subjects UGC OFFICIAL