We are living in an era of education that is creating enabling circumstances for students and working professionals, and in which blended learning would be a key game-changer. Within India, the implementation of the National Educational Policy of India (NEP) 2020 is going to revamp the teaching-learning process in India. The vision of NEP 2020 is to reimagine the Indian education system aligned with SDG 4, which focuses on equal opportunity, inclusion and equity. Blended teaching-learning environments, Open Educational Resources (OERs) under Creative Commons (CC) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are essential requirements to build a strong Indian education ecosystem across regions and socio-economic strata. An online survey has been conducted among academic communities including students, faculty members, and library professionals to know the perception during the defence of my doctoral thesis. The survey revealed a low level of awareness among students and faculty members about unconventional learning opportunities and resources that leverage IT infrastructure like online courses which provide access to a large number of students to the latest technical skill enhancement courses. Encouragingly and somewhat expectedly, faculty members surveyed displayed a higher awareness of these matters relative to students or even library professionals. It emphasised that when faculty members incorporate OER educational resources into traditional classroom settings, the quality of OER resources improves, hence enhancing the overall quality of online education. The various stakeholders were found to have the view of integrating OERs with the Library Management System (LMS) and having a strong OER policy framework in the HEIs in India. The favourable views of stakeholders towards integrating OERs with LMS should enable the academic community to gain a better understanding of the culture of open-access licenses and blended learning environments. This is therefore an opportunity to speed up blended learning education, particularly among the peri-urban population and disadvantaged communities living in remote areas. As per ‘All Indian Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22’, the distance enrolment mode in Bihar and Assam is one of the lowest despite high population growth and the people are keen on higher education and have little access to direct university enrolment within the state. This is important for climate literacy and climate education.
The actual adoption of OERs by Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) depends upon various factors such as - time and cost, languages, user-friendliness, infrastructure, quality and library support. The evolution of pedagogical practices is linked to the awareness of Open Educational Resources (OERs), which facilitate the integration of OER materials into traditional teaching methods during in-person classes. Furthermore, Governmental support would augment the utilisation and advancement of OERs at higher education institutions and facilitate the bridging of disparities between information-rich and information-poor entities through high-quality open educational resources, aligning with one of the aims of Sustainable Development Goal #4.
The aim of NEP 2020 is to empower students/ learners to inculcate diversified skills by permitting them to pursue two degrees simultaneously. In theory, such flexibilities should empower not only students but potentially the entire workforce for future needs while enabling holistic approaches to education. However, this goal cannot be efficiently achieved and scaled up to address current needs through the conventional classroom pedagogy with its attendance mandates. Rather, it requires a softer and digital approach wherein online learning can be brought to par with regular classroom learning.
Consequently, digital educational resources, online education, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, and virtual reality can interact to address the necessity for a transformation in the education system in the present and future eras. This initiative assists students from diverse backgrounds in comprehending the interdisciplinary nature of education while providing extensive exposure to various tools and strategies of online learning. This exposure aids in the development of knowledge to tackle challenges at local, regional, and global levels, and to devise solutions aimed at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals in a meaningful manner. Enhance leadership skills in their particular fields and interdisciplinary areas to improve decision-making acumen and also help them to map with all SDGs and national missions of the country. The Government of India’s efforts towards establishing a Digital University with the integration of existing OERs-based capabilities such as SWAYAM-Prabha, Swayam, ePG-Paathshaala, Virtual labs and the National Digital Library etc. will be a landmark transformation for the entire Indian education system. Finally, we can play vital roles in integrating existing library management systems, catalogues and resources with online educational platforms to promote lifelong learning in the student community as well as society at large. Effective implementation of a blended learning education system with adequate cybersecurity measures and timely technological upgrades can go a long way in the achievement of SDG 4 by providing ‘inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’.
(The writer is Assistant Librarian at TERI School of Advanced Studies. Views are personal)
