DHE to design e-courses for students across India

Panaji: The directorate of education (DHE), which had last year launched DISHTAVO — by which pre-recorded lectures could be viewed online by students anywhere in Goa — on Monday went a step further with the introduction of MANDAVI, which allows students to take entire courses in the virtual mode to complete the credit requirements of their respective university or college programme.

Toward this end, DHE on Monday entered into an MoU with a body under the aegis of the Union education ministry — the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC). The CEC will make the open virtual courses developed by Goa faculty available on the central platform, SWAYAM, which can be accessed by students across the country.

MANDAVI (Mentoring and Nurturing Digital and Virtual Initiatives) will begin by offering massive open online courses (MOOC) in music and in analytical chemistry.

“The initiative will create a bridge between learners and advanced technology. This visionary initiative will make Goa a role model for other states,” chief minister Pramod Sawant said.

MANDAVI was introduced as per the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which aims to achieve a 50% gross enrolment ratio in higher education by 2035.

Director of higher education Prasad Lolayekar said MANDAVI will see mentoring, training and support extended to faculty from higher education institutions in Goa to design and develop MOOC content. “By the end of the year, DHE will offer at least five MOOCs. DHE intends to democratise educational content as it believes high-quality education should be available not to just a small group of privileged students but to everyone who is willing to learn,” he said.

The tie-up with CEC will allow the courses developed by Goa faculty to be taken by students to fulfil degree requirements of their colleges and universities anywhere in India.

“The idea is to facilitate seamless integration of MOOCs into the academic structure of higher education,” said Lolayekar.

MOOC courses currently under development at the DHE are based on University Grants Commission curriculum and the choice-based credit system. They are proposed to be offered in credit transfer mode on the SWAYAM platform managed by CEC.

Director of the CEC, Jagat Bhushan Nadda, said NEP recognises the significance of digital technology in education.

“Eminent scientists and practitioners from research institutions and industries have been involved at various stages of the MOOC development process,” said the nodal officer of this initiative, Kavita Asnani.