Search results

Inclusive growth in the education sector is still a major challenge in some countries because of limited access to technologies and internet connectivity, among other reasons. However, as a technology, augmented reality (AR) is expected to be widely used in the field of education in the future. The main purpose of this paper is to explore the use of AR for inclusive growth in education as well as identify the challenges, particularly in countries like India and Tanzania.

This paper applies a systematic literature review by analysing and synthesising relevant documents, mainly journal articles, books and conference papers. Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation were used for the analysis. Content analysis was used to evaluate the contents of the reviewed literature.

For the use of AR, it is important to have adequate digital infrastructure, access to universal internet or broadband facilities and the digital empowerment of citizens. Major challenges to inclusive growth in education include the lack of trained teacher educators and students’ preference for practical or project-based curriculum.

Practitioners in both countries may consider the use of AR for inclusive growth in education.

This paper specifically examines the use of AR in higher education and the related challenges based on a review of two countries, namely India and Tanzania.

Higher education should bring up the multifaceted development of human resources by promoting the knowledge-enabled population that will bring socio-economic mobility, peace and progress in society. Thus, the educational providers must undertake the duty to impart need-based higher education that makes people educated with a progressive, rational, analytical, and skilful mind. Hence, there is an urgent need to address some basic challenges of higher education such as required educational avenues or institutional set up against the demand of the population, achievements in global learning, providing room for equal access to learning, research on cost benefit analysis, educational innovations and partnership, use of educational technology, quality assurance mechanism, need for adequate funds for the expansion of higher education, and so on. Once these challenges are addressed, transformation of the society can be a reality, and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system is one of the most viable ways for transforming a country like India. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

For this study, descriptive research methodology has been used, and analysis has been done based on the data extracted from the secondary sources of information such as Census of India 2011; India Human Development Report 2011; Human Development Report 2014, 2015; Economic Survey 2015-2016; NFHS-I, II, III and IV; Report of 11th Five Years Plan; 12th FYP; Annual Report 2015-16, MHRD; Annual Report of NSS, 2016, etc.

ODL can be raised as an alternative way for making education accessible and for providing scope for skill-based education at a minimum cost. In fact, ODL, in particular, can play a significant role in transforming and empowering the vibrant adult population of a country like India into productive human resources by providing need-based training and equipping them with need-based skills, which are necessary for maintaining a decent standard of living.

Through this paper, it could be realised how ODL provides the opportunity of education to a large section of people in the society irrespective of sex and age, and how ODL has made the people capable with basic and essential kills which are necessary for maintaining a decent standard of living.

ODL could be a most viable option to mobilise the higher education system in India. This paper helps to contextualise ODL in empowering and transforming society, and the finding, and discussions have been made with reference to the various initiatives taken in the field of skill-based education through ODL in a country like India.

During any crisis situation like a pandemic, war or natural disaster, online/blended learning could meet the academic needs of the learners in a bigger way. The use of information and communication technology (ICT)-based technologies has converted the entire teaching pedagogy to a learner centred pedagogy, following which the skills of using technology are to be seen as the most essential qualifications on the part of both the teachers/educators and learners. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to understand the perceptions of the teachers and learners regarding the use of online/blended learning modes in teaching learning transactions. Another purpose of the paper being to find out the prospects and challenges of providing online/blended learning in a country like India, particularly during and in post-Covid-19 situations.

The academic analytics approach was used for the study. A structured questionnaire was designed in Google Forms covering the perceptions of the teachers and learners in different Indian universities and colleges regarding online/blended services and analysis was done using Google Analytics. Further, analysis of the data received had been done by using simple statistical tool like percentage.

Blended learning could be the solution for providing education in the context of the 21st century India. However, unlike in case of the conventional education, open education has widened the scope of learning adhering to the motto – “Bring your own device” to learn. The extensive use of open educational resources, massive open online courses, social media and meeting apps during the Covid-19 lockdown, has opened up the minds of the knowledge-hungry people, further enabling them to receive the necessary educational inputs, training and skills even during the current pandemic situation. This is going to have a big impact in the ways of educational transactions in the days to come.

The discussions in the paper are limited to a study of representative states of India, and it is a general study only. The sample size was limited to only 120 as the response rate was significantly low compared to the number of addressees to whom the questionnaire was sent.

This study will help in understanding the present state of online/blended learning in a country like India. The use of online learning was no doubt intensified by the sudden outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic. However, the study will also help in preparing a roadmap, at the policy level, regarding the beneficial use of online/blended teaching learning models both by the teachers and learners during any future crisis-like situations in a country like India.

Through this paper, a new social constructivism has been visualised to know the acceptability of online/blended learning opportunities on the part of the teachers and learners across India. If that social constructivism can actually be realised through the benefits of online learning, India might emerge as one of the important leaders of education in the coming days. To that extent, the Covid-19 pandemic can be seen as a blessing in disguise.

It is important to examine the perceptions of both teachers and learners on the use of online learning in their regular curriculum transactions most particularly when the whole world is facing the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has adversely affected millions of learners across the world. The paper is original because it explores the current state of online/blended learning in a developing country like India to provide a practical and realistic vision of a new way of learning in the post-Covid-19 situations.

Lifelong learning needs to be visualized as the milestone for generating a progressive and knowledge society. Because it is through lifelong learning that one can continuously upgrade one's knowledge and acquire the relevant skills for getting livelihood opportunities. Moreover, for ensuring a sustainable and advanced society in the 21st century industrial setup, people are desirous to receive a global form of learning as they tend to follow the principle, that is, “earning while learning”. In this context, the various types of online courses, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Educational Resources (OERs) provide myriad opportunities to the people by introducing them to a global form of learning. Against this background, the introduction of MOOCs in India for providing lifelong learning opportunities might work in a big way. However, to what extent, can MOOCs promote the idea of lifelong learning in a vast country like India needs to be discussed in greater detail.

While writing the paper, descriptive research methodology has been used. The sources such as Report of Census 2011, Human Development Report 2016, 2018, Economic Survey 2016 are also consulted. Analysis has been done based on the data extracted from the secondary source of information.

The literature review made in the paper implies that the educational institutes across India may adopt some of the good national and international practices for transforming the society and produce some need-based MOOCs under the SWAYAM platform with regard to providing opportunities of lifelong learning. Thus, the courses run through SWAYAM should help in achieving the three cardinal principles of the Indian Education – access, equity and quality. However, there are many challenges to be met while the adoption and development of MOOCs for the purpose of lifelong learning in India are taken into consideration. The current modes and popularity of digitally offered education in India thus need to be justified.

The discussions made in the paper are limited to a reference to the Indian MOOCs particularly under SWAYAM, and it is a general study only.

It is important to note that a new kind of transformation is currently being initiated across the world by encouraging more and more online interventions in the field of education. In fact, various studies are also being conducted on the implementation of online courses across the world, particularly in the developed countries where more than 70% education is delivered online. However, in a country like India, the practical utility or the implementation of the online courses such as MOOCs is not so popular even at present, and it is only limited to a small section of the society. The University Grants Commission (UGC) with a view to promoting CBCS as well as Credit Transfer made 20% course delivery through MOOCs mandatory in Indian higher education. However, the CBCS system itself has several loopholes considered in the Indian context, as it was launched without sufficient ground work, and no one seems to have a clear idea of its implementation method. The UGC's move was to introduce a system of education that would help in bringing parity of Indian higher education with Western or European higher education systems. This paper shall try to imply how the Indian MOOCs should be used in providing lifelong learning opportunities to the people of the country.

This paper refers to a new social constructivism initiated through MOOCs, where a learner can directly interact with the people in the community, share their own ideas and thoughts and collectively undertake new researches. This is sure to transform the Indian society in the days to come, although a study on the usefulness of the existing MOOCs is of utmost necessity

This paper reiterates the necessity of a detailed study of the available MOOCs in India based on the findings of the common problems and challenges of MOOCs development and implementations that need to be resolved first. Then the paper provides an analysis of this situation so that one could develop or adopt a MOOC in order to meet one's need of lifelong learning in a country like India.

The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) is the only institution to deliver legal education through Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in Sri Lanka. This study aims to analyze technology usage in learning and teaching law in the ODL under OUSL to evaluate the accessibility and also challenges.

A combination of qualitative and quantitative methodologies has been used for the study. This includes both interviews with teachers and surveying among students on the usage of technology in learning and teaching law at OUSL. Since the LL.B Degree Programme of OUSL delivered at six regional centres in Sri Lanka, this study also includes the comparative analysis of technology usage in teaching and learning at selected regional centres.

The findings indicate that the majority of students have access to technology through mobile phones and are aware of blended learning. Even though they prefer to integrate blended learning with learning law, they do not prefer learning entirely online. Social media and mobile applications are the most preferred modes of blended learning by students. It is also acknowledged that the internal staff has knowledge and access to the use of technology in teaching law while the external staff faces challenges and is in need of adequate training.

The original contribution of this article provides insightful guidelines not only to the OUSL of Sri Lanka but also to the institutions offering similar disciplines through ODL to understand lecturers, learners in the future integration of technology.