Uma Kanjilal, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India
Introduction
Distance teaching as a system to provide learning opportunities has been in existence for a considerable period of time. However, it is in the recent years that it has attracted the attention of many institutions and individuals in both national and international fora. Distance education system has been gaining ground in India in recent years as an alternate channel of education to the formal one. The programmes and courses offered by the distance teaching institutions are intended not only for self-enrichment but also for professional continuing education. Primarily they cater to educationally disadvantaged groups like the unemployed, people living in rural and remote areas, working people who can not attend regular courses, housewives, and similar other groups (Kanjilal, Tripathi 1995).
The fact that distance education system can play a major role in development of competent LIS professionals has been well recognized and efforts are on to develop such programmes and courses in India. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is one of the premier institutions in the country which is providing LIS courses through distance mode.
LIS courses offered by IGNOU are quite popular and they have set a new trend of multi-media based LIS education through distance mode in the country. The main motto of IGNOU is to reach out to the students far and wide. It has been adopting many innovative ways and means of providing distance learning packages to the learners. This paper provides an insight into the innovative multi-channel delivery modes adopted by the university and their effectiveness for the LIS distance learners.
About the University
The Indira Gandhi National Open University was established in 1985 by an Act of Parliament. It was established to provide at the national level various types of courses and programmes through distance mode. The salient features of the university are:
Within a decade of its operation the university has made tremendous progress at four different levels:
With its tremendous potentiality IGNOU has emerged as one of the ten mega Open Universities in the world. The number of students enrolled in the current session (1997) is 1,30,354 and the total number of students on the roll is 3,94,388 (Vice-Chancellor's 1997). The enrollment figure itself indicates the popularity of the IGNOU programmes and courses. By adopting viable, cost- effective and credible system of open and distance education, IGNOU has successfully demonstrated its potential and effectiveness in providing education and training at a large scale in diverse areas and levels.
LIS Programmes of IGNOU
To fulfill the rising demand for the LIS courses in India, the university launched the Bachelors Degree Programme in Library and Information Science (BLIS) in 1989. The objective of the BLIS programme is to impart basic skills and training required to organize and manage different types of libraries and information centres in the country. Inspired by the overwhelming response to the BLIS Programme and the persistent demand from the professionals, the university launched the Masters Degree Programme in Library and Information Science(MLIS) in 1994. The MLIS programme was started to contribute to the development of manpower conducive to meet the demands of the emerging market of information professionals in the country. While the BLIS programme is a mix of traditional and modern aspects of LIS education and training, the MLIS programme has been developed absolutely on modern lines.
In MLIS, the curriculum familiarizes the learners with a variety of information handling techniques and technology. The practical component of the programme involves hands on training in searching and creation of databases with CDS/ISIS software, preparation of online search strategy, and searching of CD-ROM databases (Kanjilal 1997). After successfully conducting the BLIS and the MLIS programmes for the past few years, the LIS Faculty is now planning to launch the Research Degree Programmes M.Phil. and Ph.D. from the next academic session (1998). Apart from writing of dissertation/thesis, both the programmes will have thirty credits of compulsory course work on research methodology and subjects related to the topic. The thrust area for the research degree programmes have been identified keeping in view the present need of the Information Society.
The LIS faculty is also planning to start Bachelors Degree in Information Studies(BIS), a basic graduate degree programme of four years duration. The target group for this programme is the students completing school leaving examination. This programme aims to cater to the rising demand for the information professionals in the emerging market. It is planned to be a highly technology oriented programme developing specialized skills in handling and processing of information in different subject fields. It will be provided in a modular format integrating different subject specializations. In a short span of time the LIS faculty at IGNOU has done a commendable work. It has set a new trend of multi-media based education and training in Library and Information Science through distance mode in the country.
Multi-Channel Delivery Modes for the LIS Learners
The distance education system adopted by IGNOU could be described as a standardized self-instructional system supported by personalized system of instruction. IGNOU's main motto is to provide "education at the door-steps". To achieve this objective, IGNOU has adopted multi-channel delivery modes. It operates at three levels: the Headquarters at New Delhi, 17 Regional Centres in various states and union territories and 268 Study Centres scattered throughout the country.
The education and training is imparted through multi-media approach using printed self instructional materials(SIM), audio/video cassettes, radio and television broadcasting, video conferencing, and counselling sessions in the study centres. The delivery mode adopted by IGNOU so far was study centre based. However, over the years it has been realized that the study centre based delivery mode was not enough to reach out extensively. Thus the need for further diversification of delivery modes were felt, and newer approaches are being adopted gradually.
The following five channels of learning have been identified for the purpose:
To commensurate with these five learning processes the university has identified the following three types of delivery channels:
To start with this process of diversification of delivery channels, IGNOU has initiated two mechanisms: the Distance Learning Facilitators (DLF) and the Multi-Media Learning Centres (MMLC). The DLF represents a one man study centre functioning as an intermediary and a mentor. The purpose behind the concept of DLF is to outreach students in rural and remote areas. The MMLCs on the other hand are being established to provide learning resource support services to the students. The basic infrastructural facilities to be provided in the MMLCs would include: computers, Internet/Ernet connectivity, e-mail/fax, electronic library, telecounselling and provision of multi-media resources.
The LIS programmes offered by IGNOU being practical based, the concept of Distance Learning Facilitator(DLF) can not be adopted as such. But the concept of Multi-Media Learning Centre will be extremely useful in the future.
Presently the LIS progrmmes are being offered through Study Centres and Work Centres. The Work Centre concept was adopted to facilitate the smooth conduct of practical sessions. The Work Centers are located in different libraries and information centres in the country having basic infrastructural facilities needed for the computer based practical. With the gradual adoption of wide range of information and communication technologies and acquisition of multi-media learning resources, the Work Centres are striving to become the Multi-Media Learning Centres in the near future.
Conclusion
Distance education being a learner based system, special attention needs to be paid to the learning resources and channels of delivery. Modern information and communication technologies have opened up newer ways and means of reaching out the distance learners. Judicious application of these technologies and delivery modes can solve the problem of separation of the teacher and learner in the distance learning process.
IGNOU has been adopting various innovative channels of delivery to reach out the learners in distant and remote areas. The concepts of Distance Learning Facilitator (DLF) and Multi-Media Resource Centres (MMLC) hold a great promise of reaching out the learners effectively. Adoption of these modes of delivery will pave a new way of imparting education and training of LIS professionals in future.
References
Kanjilal, U.; Tripathi, S.M. (1995). Collection development: planning for IGNOU library system. Library Acquisitions: Practice and Theory, 19(1): 83-95.
Indira (1997). Indira Gandhi National Open University: a profile. New Delhi: IGNOU.
Vice-Chancellor's (1997). Vice-Chancellor's Report: presented at the Eighth Convocation. New Delhi: IGNOU.
Kanjilal, U. (1997). Reaching out to distance learners in Library and Information Science at the Indira Gandhi National Open University. Information Development,13(1): 19-22.
Channels (1997) Channels of learning and delivery in open university system. New Delhi: IGNOU .
Last updated August 17, 1997
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