• Dr. Ali Asgar

• The course lays the foundation for understanding the open and distance education (ODE), its nature, scope and characteristic of ODE as a system as well as a discipline of study.
• The course explores and traces the philosophical foundations of distance education; discusses the questions of socio-political credibility of ODE/ODL.
• It also tries to analyse the growth of ODE/ODL at local, national and global spheres; understand socio-economic relevance at local levels, its theories and their implications.
• MDE 411 presents some of the reflections of stalwarts of ODE, to understand distance education deeply which is creating new career avenues for both the teachers and (new) learners in the global era

• Prof. Anita Priyadarshini

Course Introduction: The systematic approach in the design of instruction is a problem-solving process known as instructional development, which requires the identification of instructional needs, strategies, problems and corresponding solutions by means of effective and efficient teaching-learning activities based on relevant objectives. A practitioner of distance education must be informed about the processes and use of the appropriate models and theories and skills required to apply the systemic approach (an input-output-feedback-revision cycle). The objectives of the course are as follows:

• Discuss the concept of learning and instruction and implications of three theories of learning i.e., Behaviouristic School of Thought, Cognitivist School of Thought and Constructivist School of Thought;
• Enumerate different theories and models of instructional design;
• Describe different processes involved in designing instruction for distance learners;
• Explain the instructional design practices in classrooms, open and distance learning, training and e-learning; and
• Develop skills in designing portfolios.

• Prof. Tata Ramakrishna

Learner support services are the most important components of the ODL system. It is important not because of its relation to the Distance Education theories, but it is a key for learners’ success and their relation and persistence in the ODL system. It is a fact that in distance education, there are the geographical separations of teacher and learner. In addition to it, socio-psychological factors affect the learners for their learning and completing the courses. The socio-psychological factors include language, culture, motivation, inadequate skills or preparation, anxiety, time and work or family constraints. Distance learners, therefore, need various support services that would help them to be a successful learner. Learner support services not only bridge socio-psychological distances, but also fosters learners for their personal development and the accomplishment of learning goals. In the light of the separation of the learner from the teacher, the techniques and mechanisms to provide support assume a significant dimension in the teaching-learning transactions through the distance mode. The objectives of the course are as follows:

• Describe the basic principles and methods of learner support;
• Explain the importance of support services in the ODL system;
• Discuss learner support services as a sub-system of any ODL institution;
• Develop some basic skills like study skills, cognitive skills, problem solving skills, reading and writing skills. For promoting self directed learning;
• Organize academic counselling and other support services; and
• Assess and report the performance and progress of distance learners.

• Dr. Gloria Kuzur

Education management is a relatively new discipline, and the function and process associated with education are quite different from those normally associated with any other enterprise. Therefore, a broad familiarity of the organization of the education system, its structures and functions as well as its processes, is very essential to have a better understanding of the tasks associated with the organization and management of distance education. With these objectives in view, we have designed the course on Management of Distance Education. This course gives an overview of Management functions and processes. The introduction to the principles and practices of management is designed to provide you with a broad familiarity with the art and science of management, which as a discipline relies heavily on business studies. It describes in detail the Management of Higher Education. The course deals with the Planning and Management in Distance Education at two different levels: theories and practices in Planning and Management on the basis of the literature on distance education, and from the Indian context. The objectives of the course are as follows:

• Describe an overview of management functions and processes with view to understand the organisation and structure of the education systems;
• Discuss status and issues related to higher education with focus on India and other third world countries;
• Explain the origin, history and evolution of distance education with focus on India;
• Examine the planning and management issues related to ODL system;
• Review the distance education practices with the help of a few institutional cases; and
• Describe the theoretical issues involved in management of change in general and distance education in particular.

• Dr. Hemlata Baghel

The design and use of non-print media constitutes a significant part of the instructional design in the context of distance education. The course examines the process of educational communication technologies in context. This course explores the specific nature and utility of various media in the educational context such as, the audio and video components, the computer and the satellite technologies. It also touches upon the operational aspects of media production and contains theoretical issues pertaining to media selection and integration. It describes the use of educational communication technologies to create digital content and deliver these through new information technologies. It also discusses and explains the general trends in the development and use of educational communication technologies at national and international level. Lastly, it has described how to develop a short but interesting portfolio that will give you instruction on how to practice the skill component, and record the outcomes. The objectives of the course are as follows:

• Critically examine the process of educational communication to plan, design and use appropriate communication technologies in context;
• Identify the range of educational communication technologies, and their relative strengths and weaknesses;
• Use educational communication technologies confidently to create digital content and deliver these through new information technologies;
• Discuss and explain the general trends in the developments and use of educational communication technologies at national and international level; and
• Create engaging, collaborative, reflective and authentic learning environments for delivery of education and training