Open Learning; a Globel View

Open and distance learning takes rapid strides
The phenomenal growth of distance and open learning systems has drastically changed the educational scenario everywhere today. At present, there are 1,300 distance and open learning institutions of different types and sizes located in 127 countries.
SADAKET MALIK , 14 Oct 2008 Views:487
OPEN AND distance learning has not only provided access to information to the needy areas but has enriched the life of millions of rural poor inhabiting the developing countries of Asia.
The phenomenal growth of distance and open learning systems all over the world has drastically changed the educational scenario everywhere today. The conventional notions about teaching-learning are being replaced very fast by new ideas and strategies, thanks to the revolutionary changes continuously taking place in media and communication. Since the concept of education as investment is also steadily gaining ground, even the poorest countries are slowly turning their attention to the educational needs of their respective populations in order to survive and develop. Distance education has been viewed by many as a viable strategy to achieve the national educational goals quickly and at low cost. The subsidised education at the door steps of students has by and large bridged the gap between rural and urban, conventional and non-conventional university system.
At present, there are 1,300 distance and open learning institutions of different types and sizes located in 127 countries. The number of distance learners is approximately 90 million at the higher education level. It was expected to reach 90 million by 2000 AD and 120 million by 2025 AD, but the available data pertains mostly to institutions funded and/or recognised by the governments and the public bodies.
In India alone, as per the latest data available in 2001, there are about 70 distance teaching units called correspondence /distance education departments located within conventional universities, nine state open universities and one national open university (AIU Handbook 2001). Over 1,000,000 students would be on the rolls of these institutions and the number of state open universities would have gone up. At the school level, the National Open School offered education to about 60,000 students spread across the country (Chakraborty K, 1994). But now it offers education to more than 500,000 students at the secondary school level throughout India. Besides these, distance teaching programmes are offered by some private institutions and television companies (eg ZED programmes by Zee TV, the management programmes offered by Jain TV, Sun TV and others). Roughly about 20 per cent of the student population at the higher education level is already taken care of by the correspondence/distance/open learning systems in India.
The distance and open learning system in other countries, both developed and developing, has established beyond any doubt the fact that this system is going to play a very important role in the 21st century. The success of the British Open University in the seventies, obviously acted as the inspiration for policy makers in many developing countries to establish their own open universities or distance teaching units. In India, for example, the initiative to establish an open university at the national level had been there for a decade before it actually materialised in 1985, with the establishment of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) (Parthasarthy Committee Report 1974). Although the Andhra Pradesh Open-University (now Dr BR Ambedkar Open University) was established in 1982, the blueprint prepared for a full-fledged open university was given some kind of practical shape only with the establishment of IGNOU, which is broadly modelled after the Open University, UK. In 1974, i.e five years after the OUUK came into existence, Pakistan established the Allama Iqbal University (AIOU) at Islamabad. The AIOU has been guided by the consultants from the UK from its inception.
Upto what extent the ODL institutions can play an important role for the dissemination of information in disadvantageous areas? The open and distance learning centres of excellence must identify the needs and priority areas to reach the unreachable populace. The societal need-based courses should be introduced in their curriculum keeping in mind the language as a medium of instruction by the institutions, as far as developing countries other then India are concerned. The Commonwealth of Learning should adapt a mechanism to guage the need for introducing societial-based courses, keeping in mind the local regional language. The Government of India should adapt such an approach that every village might be brought under the preview of national policies. There is a need to set up a consortium of libraries and book banks even at village level so as to achieve the slogan of democratic governance.