Here - SAARC Human Resource Development Centre

Working Sessionshigh speed connectivity throughout the country – internet has become the'electricity' for communication; iii) enabling users to participate and discuss throughthe digital medium independently of geography; and iv) building a strong andtrained intermediate educators or 'mentors' who would bridge (moderate between)the digital illiterates with the digital experts – human technical resource. Whilediscussing Indian proposal and experience in bridging the digital divide he talked ofSatellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) and National Satellite forEducation (EduSAT) and Tutored Video Program of IIT Kharagpur based onStanford University Video Based Distance Education – the ELNET-3L Program,National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) jointly by the IITsand IISc Bangalore since 2003. A summary of the NPTEL and National Mission onEducation through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) werealso presented.Prof. Uma Kanjilal in her presentation gave an overview of ICT applications in theIndira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). She intimated that IGNOU hasbeen harnessing technologies to pace with revolutionize of learning behaviors andlearning styles that have undergone a huge transformation and it continues. Everyyear, the technology brings in new dimensions in learning environment and beingthe largest in distance education the world, IGNOU, within its mission of seamlessquality education, needs to cope-up with the changes without diluting its existinglearning support. She discussed the ICT initiative at e-Gyankosh – a NationalDigital Repository, e-learning platform – virtual class, web facility for GyanDarshan I and II and Gyan Vani, Flexi Learn and Sakshat – one stop portal. She alsoinformed that IGNOU, initiated e-Gyankosh in October 2005 with a mandate tostore, index, preserve, distribute and share the digital learning process. It waslaunched for public on June 9, 2008 and has emerged as one of the world's largesteducational resource repositories. Over 95% of the self-institutional print materialof the university have already been digitized and uploaded. About 1600 videoprograms are available on YouTube with the metadata link in the repository. She alsogave an overview of virtual class rooms of IGNOU and features of its onlineprograms. IGNOU's move towards flexible learning environment was alsodiscussed. In the last of her presentation, she discussed about Sakshat, a one stopeducation portal and NMEICT mission of Government of India.10