Year: 2021 | Month: December | Volume 12 | Issue 2
State Open Universities (SOUs) in India: An Evaluation
Niradhar Dey
DOI:10.30954/2231-458X.02.2021.5
Abstract:
The paper seeks to evaluate the functioning of Pt. Sundarlal Sharma Open University, Bilaspur. The study is a part of an ICSSR sponsored project, “State Open Universities (SOUs) in India: An Evaluation”. Descriptive survey method has been used to conduct the study. Including the TOP University administrators, six programme coordinators; four regional directors; 30 study centre coordinators; 51 academic counselors; and 122 learners have been selected purposively as sample of the study. The tools like: Institutional profile for the University and the SCs; interview schedules for the Vice-chancellor, programme coordinators, director of the RCs, coordinators of the SCs, and academic counselors; and questionnaire for the learners have been developed for collecting data. The data have been analysed by using simple statistics like frequencies, percentage, and average scores. The results of the study emphasized that though there is definite growth in learner’s enrollment and revenue generation, the other aspect of providing quality education should not be neglected. The newly established University has completed its ten years, still it needs to understand the concept of distance learning; its philosophy; the organization of the Open University and its functioning at different levels; empowering the faculties, academic counselors, as well as the SCs; theories and models of development of materials (print and electronic); and providing support services to the learners. For this, a large scale interaction is needed with the established system of distance learning like IGNOU. Ultimately, care should be taken to ‘reach the unreached’ which is the slogan of distance education system and the social responsibility of the University should be realized.
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