ACADEMIC
The major functions of the Academic Department include development of flexible courses and support systems keeping in view the varying needs of the learners. It also undertakes research into learning strategies, instructional materials and student support services to make them more effective.
Departmental Set-up The Department is headed by Director, who is assisted by Joint Director(Vocational) and Joint Director(Media) in their respective areas and two Deputy Education Officers in the work of curriculum development and production of course materials. The work of course development is handled by tutors in their respective areas of specialisation.
The Section Officer, Vocational Education Unit and the tutors in vocational streams reported to the Director through Joint Director (Vocational).
The Section Officer, Accreditation Section reported directly to the Director. The work of Senior Graphic Artist, Research and Evaluation Officer and Library was directly supervised by the Director.
During the year, the responsibility of making admissions was vested with the Academic Department. The Section Officer (Admissions) also reported directly to the Director. For sometime, Assistant Director (Acad.) was also associated with the task.
The Department is organised into the following units:
i) Academic Course Production
ii) Vocational Education
iii) Life Enrichment Courses
iv) Accreditation
v) Admissions
vi) Graphics
vii) Media Support
viii) Library cum Documentation
Academic Programme Offerings NOS offers courses at elementary, secondary and senior secondary levels. Three types of courses have been developed:
a) Academic courses
b) Vocational courses
c) Life Enrichment courses Academic Courses
Academic Courses The academic courses offered are given in Table 4.1.
The transaction of the courses takes place through multi-media learning packages prepared for the students. The learning package consists of the curriculum outline, printed self instructional material, audio cassettes, student assignments, practical manuals, and kits in science subjects.
Emphasis is given on producing high quality self-instructional material with substantial input through mass media like audio/video tapes. Face to face teaching, tutorials and practicals take place during personal contact programmes.
Development and Production of Instructional Material The current year witnessed the development and production of the instructional material based on the revision of secondary level curriculum undertaken during the previous year
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Table 4.1: Courses Offered
Bridge Secondary Sr. Secondary
Hindi Hindi Hindi
English English English
Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics
Science Science Physics
Social Science Social Science Chemistry
Economics Biology
Commerce History
Typewriting Geography
Home Science Political Science
Economics
Commerce
Accountancy
Typewriting
Stenography
Secretarial Practice
Home science
on the basis of analysis of students needs, priorities listed in the national curriculum framework and discussions with the experts. Each of the eight subjects viz., Hindi, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Economics, Commerce and Home Science saw production of self-instructional booklets through a process of writing, reviewing, editing, language editing, preparation and placement of graphics and printing. This was a major task involving about 60 titles covering 8 subject areas.
Development of Support Material In addition, the following support material was developed :
i) Study-guide for Students: A study guide for students on how
to make best use of Open Learning was developed. It covered such aspects as use of printed self-learning lessons, teaming from personal contact programmes, communication media, environmental resources etc.
ii) Bi-monthly magazine: A bimonthly magazine titled 'Open Learning' was started with a purpose to start a dialogue between the students and the institute. Additionally, it ad- dresses contemporary concerns viz. environment, awareness about AIDS, population education and gender equality.
Development of Programmes in Regional Languages During the year, for the first time a major initiative was taken to prepare programmes in regional languages in furtherance of its mission of universalisation of education. These involved two major activities, namely (i) rendering course material into regional languages; and (ii) developing courses in regional languages.
Action was initiated in the following nine languages - both development of language curriculum as well as rendering of material:
Bengali Marathi
Gujarati Tamil
Kannada
Telugu
Malayalam Urdu
Manipuri
Out of these, significant progress has been made in Bengali, Marathi, Telugu and Urdu.
Measures for better Learning and Supervision (a) Personal Contact Programmes (PCPs): It has been decided to increase the number of PCPs from the existing number of 20 to 30 for subjects without practicals and 35 for subjects with practicals for secondary and senior secondary courses.
(b) Tutor Marked Assessment (TMA): It was felt that the Computer Marked Assessment (CMA) introduced since January, 1991 did not serve the original objective of internal continuous assessment of students as it was a public examination and one time affair. With a view to motivate the students to pursue their studies regularly and to have a more comprehensive
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continuous evaluation system, a decision was taken during the year after careful consideration to introduce Tutor Marked Assessment for the students from 1994-95.
(c) Appointment of Facilitators: It is proposed to appoint facilitators - educationists/ educational administrators of standing for each cluster of 2-3 accredited institutions (AIs) for monitoring the status of admissions, materials, programme delivery etc. and to provide a better link between the AIs and NOS for effective academic management of the courses.
Vocational Education The vocational courses offered include:
Secretarial Practice PA/ PS, Library Clerk, Library Attendant, House Wiring & Electrical Appliance Repairing, Motor & Transformer Rewinding, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Electrical Technician, Radio & Tape Recorder Repairing, T.V. Repairing, Radio & T.V. Techni- cian, Plumbing, Cutting Tailoring & Dress Making, Beauty Culture.
The year witnessed the consolidation of the above vocational education programmes. Further, introduction of large number of new vocational courses was considered necessary for universalisation of education. A massive effort was made during the year in this direction:
i) Perspective Document on Vocationalisation : A high
level expert committee comprising eminent scientists, technologists, agricultural scientists, para medical professionals from IITs, TM, Department of Electronics, Science and Technology, major NGOs was constituted. The committee developed a perspective document on vocationalisation through open learning system.
ii) Development of Agricultural Vocational Courses : About 25 eminent professionals from agricultural universities, ICAR institutions were brought together to identify and develop agricultural courses. After detailed deliberations, the Expert Committee identified 42 different agricultural vocational courses, developed curriculum details in all courses and self-instructional material in 25 courses.
iii) Identification and development of Technology Related Vocational Courses:
NOS is collaborating with the four Technical Teachers Training institutes and through them with 20 community polytechnics to identify and develop technology related vocational courses. More than 30 programmes have been identified and curriculum development has been completed; self-learning material was developed in 12 courses.
iv) Identification and Development of Para-medical and Home Science Courses:
Two separate groups of paramedical and home science professionals worked on identification of courses, curriculum development and material preparation in these two areas of vocations.
List of vocational courses planned is given in Appendix I.
Basic Education An innovative project was designed to provide a learning continuum in basic education through a graded three level course in order to meaningfully respond to the learning needs of neo-literates. This is also in response to the imperatives of joint Initiative in Distance Education of the E-9 Summit.
Life Enrichment and Continuing Education Programmes The Life Enrichment courses offered include Community Health and Empowered Women Programme. Some new courses on parenting, instructional technology, information science, music and graphic arts etc. are being developed.
Collaboration with Sister Organisations The NOS has entered into collaboration for academic courses with sister organisations like Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Directorates of Education of various states. Several of their schools have been selected as AIs. For vocational courses, the NOS has entered into collaboration with various agencies imparting vocational education. The partnership agreements were entered into with Shramik Vidyapeeths, Voluntary Health Association of India and Asian Centre
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for Organisation Research and Development and other non governmental organisations (NGOs).
With a view to improve the quality of collaboration, deliberate efforts were made to raise the level of participants in consultative meetings in academic, course design and course authoring etc. Several eminent scholars from universities, TIIIs, IITs, NCERT, NEEPA, CEC, IGNOU, IIMs, Agricultural Universities and other institutions are closely associated with NOS.
Collaboration with various agencies for designing and delivery of courses is presented in Figure 4.1.
Accreditation The NOS provides student support services through a network of study centres known as accredited institution (AIs) for academic courses and accredited vocational institutions (AVIs) for vocational courses.
These institutions carry out activities related to enrolment of students to various courses, distribution of study material, conduct of Personal Contact Programmes, providing counseling and guidance services and assistance in the conduct of examinations and distribution of mark-sheets, certificates etc.
All the applications received from the institutions for accreditation were first rigorously screened by the Experts Committee on the criteria developed., Only a few institutions fulfilling the criteria qualified for inspection which was done by a team of 2-3 experts drawn from the universities and other academic institutions of repute alongwith senior officer(s) of NOS This has greatly improved the system.
The number of accredited institutions rose from 300 as on 313.93 to 306 as on 313.94. In addition, 39 accredited vocational institutions continued to run vocational courses. The AIs are located a over the country excepting in the union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Lakshadweep. The
Table 4.2 : Statewise Distribution of AIs and AVIs (1993-94)
(As on 31.3.94)
State No. of AI No.of AVI
States
Andhra Pradesh 5 5
Arunachal Pradesh 4 -
Assam 1 -
Bihar 14 3
Goa 3 -
Gujarat 3 3
Haryana 26 1
Himachal Pradesh 18 -
Jammu & Kashmir 1 -
Karnataka 2 1
Kerala 4 2
Madhaya Pradesh 11 2
Maharashtra 12 2
Manipur 4 -
Meghalaya 1 -
Mizoram 2 -
Nagaland 6 -
Orissa 2 2
Punjab 5 -
Rajasthan 16 3
Sikkim 6 -
Tamil Nadu 4 3
Tripura 1 -
Uttar Pradesh 34 4
West Bengal 37 2
Union Territories
Andaman & Nicobar Island 2 -
Chandigarh 6 1
Dadra & Nagar Haveli - -
Daman & Diu 1
Delhi 73 5
Lakshadweep - -
Pondicherry 1 -
Through APO 1 -
Total 306 39
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AVI in 16 states and union territories. State-wise distribution of AIs and AVIs is given in Table 4.2.
Locations of AIs and AVIs in different parts of the country are indicated in maps of India (Figures 4.2 and 43).
Recognition of NOS Courses The NOS has been conducting examination at all India level from the year 1991 under the authority vested with it as per Government of India notification. Council of Boards of Secondary Education (COBSE) and Association of Indian Universities (AIU) have recognised NOS courses equivalent to secondary and senior secondary levels for admissions to institutions of higher learning and employment through various agencies During the year, 12 more universities accorded their recognition to NOS senior secondary course.
NOS has so far received recognition for NOS courses from 73 Boards/ Universities which include 10 Boards from 8 states/union territories and 57 universities from 20 states/union territories and 6 other certifying institutions. State-wise break-up of recognition of NOS courses is given in Table 43.
Graphic Unit It provides designs, layouts and graphic inputs of all kinds in the various publications of NOS. In the current year, the Unit:
i) Produced new cover designs for all the subjects in the secondary as well as senior secondary courses.
ii) Illustrations, figures, graphs, etc., as a part of self learning materials for 6-7 despatches in 8 subject areas.
iii) Provided photographic coverage to all the functions, meetings, workshops, seminars, etc.
iv) Carried out silk screen printing of a brochure on 'Freedom to Learn' giving information about the programmes and procedures at the NOS.
Media Support Unit The Unit identifies areas and undertakes production of audio visual material for the academic and vocational courses. Action was initiated for setting up a mini production facility and producing audio-video tapes to harness educational potential of available technologies and mass media in delivery of its programmes.
During the year, the unit has produced three audio programmes and
Table 4.3 Statewise break-up of the Boards/Universities
(As on 31.3.94)
Name of the State/U.T No.of No.of Other Total
Boards Universities Certifying
Institutions
Andhra Pradesh - 5 - 5
Assam 1 1 - 2
Bihar - 2 - 2
Delhi 2 2 1 5
Goa - 1 - 1
Gujarat - 3 - 3
Harayana - 4 - 4
Himachal Pradesh 1 1 - 3
Jammu & Kashmir - 1 - 1
Karnataka - 5 - 5
Kerala - 2 - 2
Madhya Pradesh 1 1 - 2
Maharashtra 1 5 1 7
Manipur 1 1 - 2
Orissa 2 - - 2
Punjab - 4 - 4
Rajasthan 1 5 2 7
Tamilnadu - 8 1 9
Tripura - 1 - 1
Uttar Pradesh - 2 1 3
West Bengal - 2 1 3
Total 10 57 6 73
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six video films (3 each in English and Hindi versions). The audio programmes have been produced one each for a story, a poem and a talk for secondary courses in Hindi. The three video films have been produced on the topics/themes given below:
a) Archimedes Principles
b) Pendulum
c) Profit & Loss
In addition, eleven video films have been procured on different subjects for secondary courses and copies of the same are proposed to be sent to all the accredited institutions for distribution.
Action was taken for time slot on Television and Radio.
The unit also provided video coverage to three workshops organised by the NOS.The unit has also finalised 12 scripts for audio programmes for teaching of English language.
Library cum Documentation Unit The Unit provides reference material for various types of academic activities viz. development of curricula, learning packages, evaluation tests and research activities. To further this aim, it provides reference services, undertakes classification of books and periodicals and collects information regarding new publications. It is also providing newspaper clipping service and inter library loan services to the faculty members and visiting teachers.
During the year, the Library procedures were reviewed and open access system introduced in place of dosed rack system. During the year, 172 new books were purchased and a total number of 19 journals subscribed for.
Multi media system has been installed to augment documentation and reference services.
A Current Awareness Services bulletin has been started with the purpose of giving in information about the new arrivals and recent developments in the fields of distance and open learning education in general and other subject areas in particular.
A view of NOS Library
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