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| Importance of Distance Education | | | Dr. Banarsi Lal and Dr. Pawan Sharma | 7/25/2018 11:06:48 PM |
| In India space technology is being utilized to solve the problems of good teachers and teaching materials. When the objective is realized, good education will not be the prerogative of a few rich in urban India. By using the space technology millions of students of rural India can have the best education.It was observed in 2002 that India's 350 million people were illiterates, the highest in the world, the high school dropouts and semi- trained teachers. Space scientists were saying to solve the country's educational problems through a space satellite with special classes via direct-to-home (DTH) television. The space scientists were having the objectives of teachers training, supplementing curriculum-based teaching and providing the teaching inputs for higher education courses. The space scientists were of the opinion that this could be done through DTH television broadcasts, the internet, video conferencing etc. and training programmes can go to the professional institutes, schools and colleges, universities etc. Now the planning of space scientists is becoming reality. The launching of EDUSAT- a satellite for educational purposes marks a great step forward in the area of satellite education. EDUSAT is the first thematic satellite that India has built exclusively for providing educational services. The satellite is covering different parts of the country. The satellite is mainly responsible for an interactive satellite-based distance education system by creating virtual classrooms at remote places in the country. It provides connectivity to schools, colleges and higher education institutes. It is special configured for audio-visual medium, employing digital interactive classrooms and multi-centric system. In distance education it is not necessary to bring all the students together to listen to the face-to-face lectures. In distance education occasional meetings between the teachers and students are made.
It is expected that EDUSAT will propel India into a leadership role in distance education in the world. The year 2004 is said to be the turning point in tele-education, our history in distance education can be traced back to 1972 when Dr.Vikram Sarbhai, the then the Chairman of the Space Commission, envisaged that India being a vast country needs to leap forward in the development of the use of Satellite Communication to disseminate education. The Satellite Instructional Television Programme (SITE) in those days was transmitted through an American Satellite, ATS-F, launched by NASA. It was one of the largest experiments of its kind in the world using satellite. It showed that how India could be served with television programmes designed to promote education. In 1975-76 ISRO carried out the SITE transmitting television programmes on health and hygiene and family planning in 2400 villages of the country each of which was equipped with the community television set. After that ISRO had its own INSAT satellite which helped to telecast a variety of educational programmes. ISRO initiated different projects for distance education. Presently several states are using the Training and Development Communication Channel (TDCC) which is mainly used to impart training to their village staff.
EDUSAT has transponders for different places and is boosting distance education all over the country. Transponders are electronic devices that receive, amplify and transmit electromagnetic waves sent from ground stations. The different programmes are telecasted. An expert can simultaneously teach thousands of students in different colleges of the country. From a television studio the teacher explains the subject and students can see and listen him. The colleges which are equipped with interactive facilities; students can ask questions and receive answers from an expert. EDUSAT has regional beams so experts can conduct classes in various regional languages besides the national language. Mr. G.Madhavan Nair (Ex-Chairman of ISRO) once said that around 1000 terminal stations would be set up throughout the country to receive signals from the satellite in interactive mode. This would facilitate virtual classrooms that enable to interact with teachers.
In 2002, the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (Calicut) launched an Interactive Distance Education Programme. Using the satellite-based infrastructure, it delivers real time live education to all participants by high quality audio-visual courses over multimedia mode. Specific management courses are transmitted to many centres in India from a classroom in Kozhikode with the help of telecommunication and satellite television satellite. Open universities are playing a significant role in distance education. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), set up in 1985, occupies an eminent position in distance education in India. The university is widening access to higher education to larger segments of the population and initiating certain programmes of higher education for specific target groups like people of hilly areas, backward areas, women etc. IGNOU provides an innovative system of university level of education, open in regard to methods and space of learning, combination of courses, eligibility of enrolment, methods of education etc. An integrated multi-media instructional strategy comprising audio-visual aids and printed material supported by counseling sessions at a network of study centres throughout the country are adopted by this university. Both continuous evaluation and term-end examinations are conducted by it. Now IGNOU is having many programmes and courses in its credit. The university has established an extensive student support services network comprising many regional centres situated at different parts of the country. University has also established a Distance Educational Council (DEC) as a statutory authority, as an apex body for the co-ordination and determination of standards in distance education. An educational channel known as Gyandarshan launched by IGNOU on 26th Jan 2000.Besides IGNOU there are many open universities like B.R. Ambedkar Open University (Hyderabad), Kota Open University (Rajasthan), Netaji Subash Open University (Kolkata) etc. Common pool programmes can be achieved only if all other open universities come together with IGNOU. Distance education through open universities, unlike conventional universities can secure greater flexibility and resilience. |
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