scholarly journals STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NETAJI SUBHAS OPEN UNIVERSITY

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anirban Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
State Government ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Student Support Services ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Open University ◽  
Open And Distance Learning ◽  
The University

There is no alternative to lifelong learning to maintain the sustainability and protect our future generation. The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) gives the opportunity of lifelong learning. Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU) is one of 14 State Open Universities in India and it was established by the West Bengal State government in the year 1997. The challenge was to provide education at every door step within the state with equity and quality. Within a very short span of 11 years, the University has become a people's University with more than 140,000 learners on its roll. The University is playing a pivotal role in capacity building and it gives a person a chance to earn the degree which (s)he could not get it earlier due to socio-economic reasons. The success of the University has come through effective implementation of support services. The strength of an open and distance learning institute depends on its services which are provided to the learners. On one hand, the learners of this system are adult; on the other hand, they belong to disadvantaged groups like dropouts, scheduled cast, scheduled tribe, women, minorities, house wives etc. Again, they are separated from teacher as well as from the Institutes under open and distance learning system, so they desperately need support before, during and even after their study. The term ‘Student Support Services’ is not associated with the conventional system of education. We commonly use this term in ODL system of education. The Student Support Services in ODL not only include these nonacademic services but also the academic services as provided by the Institute and faculty. NSOU uses both Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and non-ICT related Student Support Services. In this paper I have highlighted how NSOU has achieved the status of Mega University with the help of its Student Support Services.

scholarly journals Supporting students to succeed in open and distance learning in the Open University of Sri Lanka and Universitas Terbuka Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-35
Author(s):  
Aminudin Zuhairi ◽  
Navaratnasamy Karthikeyan ◽  
Saman Thushara Priyadarshana
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Open University ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Open And Distance Learning ◽  
Instructional Design And Development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal how support services for open and distance students are designed, developed and implemented to ensure successful learning to take place, with specific references to the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) and Universitas Terbuka (UT) Indonesia. Success in distance learning is one major challenge for open universities to respond to expectations of students and stakeholders. This study focuses on the strategies of student support services in OUSL and UT, investigating related factors including instructional design and development, learning engagement and motivation, policy and strategy in reducing dropouts, use of OER/MOOCs, and quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was employed involving analyses of documents; interviews and focus group discussion with senior administrators, academic staff, students; and on-site observation in locations of teaching and learning. Findings This research is exploratory in nature. Findings of the study are expected to improve our understanding of student support in distance learning, in which analysis is based on good practices, challenges and rooms for improvement of both OUSL and UT. Practical implications Findings of this study reveal practices and lessons learnt that may be useful as reference to open universities, taking into considerations the fact that each open university has been established to address specific challenges in its own unique circumstances. Originality/value This research may be adopted as baseline framework for analysis of student support for open universities. Further in-depth study is needed to understand how various aspects of student support contribute to success in open and distance learning.

Programme Evaluation under Open and Distance Learning: An Evaluation of MCA Programme offered by IGNOU

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Anil Kumar Misra
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Student Support Services ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Programme Evaluation ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Learning Material ◽  
Project Report ◽  
Open And Distance Learning ◽  
Self Learning

Programme evaluation is very essential in open and distance learning to know the strengths and weaknesses of a particular programme. It is carried out to guide decision makers, Programme Coordinators and other stake holders with an overall objective to improve the student support services offered to learners. The present study undertakes to evaluate the MCA programme offered by IGNOU with the existing programme structure since 2005. Sincere efforts will be made to critically evaluate the objectives of MCA programme, various parameters of Self Learning Material supplied to the learners, counseling sessions (Theory/Practical) organized, various aspects of assignments, preparation of project report, Term End Examination etc. The findings of the above study will provide an insight to the higher authorities for making appropriate changes in the programme structure to suit the present day requirements.

scholarly journals Quality of Academic Advising and Student Support Services from the Perspective of Preparatory Year Students at the University of Najran

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (46) ◽  
pp. 105-128
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abdo Muhammad Salim ◽  
Muhammad Omar Al-Sayed Amin ◽  
Mona Abbas Salman Abu Marra
Keyword(s):  
Academic Advising ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Student Support Services ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Quality Of Services ◽  
Struggling Students ◽  
Preparatory Year ◽  
Advising Services ◽  
The University

This research aimed to measure the level of quality of academic advising and student support services from the perspective of students of Preparatory Year at the University of Najran. To achieve this, the descriptive analytical method was followed by administering a questionnaire consisting of (37 items) which were distributed over four dimensions (the academic advisor – the quality of the academic support for outstanding and struggling students – the quality of supporting talented and creative students – the quality of complaints and suggestions services). The sample consisted of (300) students selected from among the preparatory year at the University of Najran. The results indicated that the level of quality of academic advising services and student support services was (medium level) with a mean of (2.24). There were statistically significant differences at (α = 0.05) in the level of quality of academic services and student support services according to the level (first-second) in favor of the second level. There were also differences in the level of academic advising and student support services according to student status at (α = 0.05) in favor of struggling students. Results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the students' assessment of the quality of services due to the gender variable. The study concluded that academic advising services need more efforts to improve the quality of services, especially in providing the necessary support to students, as well as the services for gifted and creative students, complaints and suggestions services. The study recommended the need to adopt clear mechanisms for academic advising and student support through which these services can be provided to all student categories and to evaluate the quality of these services. Keywords: academic advising, preparatory year, quality, Najran University.

scholarly journals Open and distance learning in social work programme: a study of MSW learners of India

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-393
Author(s):  
Saumya Saumya ◽  
Tushar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Student Support Services ◽  
Internet Access ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Study Materials ◽  
Study Centre ◽  
Open And Distance Learning

PurposeThe paper reports the feedback collected from students of the Master of Social Work (MSW) Programme of the School of Social Work (SOSW), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), through open and distance learning (ODL), in India. The paper discusses findings related to learner profile, student support services, assignments, academic counselling, fieldwork, audio/video/teleconferencing facilities, Internet access and challenges faced by the learners. The findings will be useful for researchers and practitioners, will help in improving the overall quality of the programme, in designing the delivery mechanism as per the needs of MSW learners and in preparing them to be trained professionals to work in social development sector in India.Design/methodology/approachFor data collection, a questionnaire was prepared and sent to all the students of the MSW programme along with assignment, across India. Responses from 290 students were voluntarily received.FindingsThe research findings are that MSW (ODL) students are older, mostly married with the average male learners age being 35 years and that of female learners being 30 years, there are more female learners than male learners, majority of the learners are Hindu from general category, tend to be employed, mostly full-time and some part-time, with work experience. They are from urban, semi-urban, rural and tribal areas with Internet access. Most of the students preferred to read printed self-learning materials than digitally available on eGyanKosh or IGNOUmobile app especially in rural areas though with increasing access to Internet, students are gradually opting for online materials while filling up the admission form. Majority of students found the quality and standard of study materials to be very good. Though maximum respondents gave positive feedback about the student support services and their learning experiences, some of the learners faced challenges like unco-operative staff members, administrative delays, non-allotment of academic counsellor/fieldwork supervisor, irregularity, late reception of study materials, lack of staff members at study centre, far distance of regional centre/study centre from residence, etc.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings will help in designing and delivering the MSW programme in a more effective way. Based on the feedback received, the next revision of the programme will take into consideration the concerns of the learner. The limitation of the study is that not all learners responded to all the questions. Not all potential MSW learners filled the questionnaire and submitted it at the school. And those who responded had left some questions unanswered. Those who did not submit response may differ in their responses from what is received.Originality/valueIt is an original work and will be valuable in understanding the distance learner of MSW programme in India, programme delivery and challenges.

Applications of E-Tutoring at Indira Gandhi National Open University

2010 ◽  
pp. 185-200
Author(s):  
Ramesh C. Sharma ◽  
Sanjaya Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Distance Learning ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Education System ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Open University ◽  
Open And Distance Learning ◽  
The University ◽  
Tribal Areas ◽  
National Open University

The education system in India has witnessed various transformations: from ancient system of Gurukul (where the teacher and the taught used to attain educational objectives living in proximity) to online or virtual education where the teacher or students interact through Internet technologies only. There have been a lot of improvements in telecommunications and educational facilities. The country as a whole has noticed developments in many areas of social, economical, scientific and infrastructure sectors. Therefore educational systems need to be integrated with such sectors so that the investment in building human capital results in overall national growth. The open and distance learning (ODL) system is one such tool which can help in addressing local, regional and national needs. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) with more than two million learners in 2009 and a country-wide reach with over 60 regional centres and over 2000 learner support centres catering to remote and tribal areas has been a leader towards the democratization of education with social responsibility. IGNOU offers a large number of vocational and employment-oriented courses in the area of health, agriculture, retail, tourism, hospitality, and so on. The university has the challenges of managing the convergence (of formal and ODL stream) and to serve large number of students spread across the breadth and length of the country. Three vital areas of education (i.e., inclusion, expansion and excellence) need to be addressed as priorities. Thus to address these, new mechanisms of e-tutoring have been introduced by IGNOU. This chapter discusses the applications of e-tutoring and its implications in the context of Indian National Open University.

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