A key recommendation made by Governor P. Sathasivam to promote massive open online courses (MOOCs) has evoked a mixed response among the universities in the State.
Mahatma Gandhi University has kick-started initiatives to implement the suggestion while Cochin University of Science and Technology is yet to act on it. The Governor, who is the Chancellor of universities, had asked the Vice-Chancellors to set a target of MOOCs for the coming academic year in his maiden interaction with the heads of universities held on the Cusat campus in October.
Mahatma Gandhi University plans to offer online courses as part of the e-learning framework to be implemented jointly by Intel and the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KELTRON).
Some of the proposed courses to be offered on the MOOC platform in the initial phase are Gandhian Philosophy, Nano Science and Environmental Studies. Students need not pay till they appear for the examination for certification. They will be able to access the lessons anywhere anytime using the user name and password.
Curiously, the Cochin University of Science and Technology has not even started discussions on introducing the MOOCs almost two-and-a-half months after the Chancellor mooted the idea.
Despite having the potential to launch unique courses in various engineering areas and allied fields, the university authorities are yet to begin meetings with the stakeholders concerned. The Chancellor had made the recommendation especially after the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) encouraged higher educational institutions in the country to offer MOOCs in a big way. All leading institutions including IITs and IIMs had positively responded to the proposal. Some of the premier institutions had even identified select faculty members to deliver the open online courses in the new academic year.
The MHRD’s Swayam (Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) initiative also envisages offering online courses to the citizens by faculty members of Centrally funded institutions. As per the proposal, the courses will be offered free of cost to the learners. A nominal fee will be collected, if the learner requires a verified certificate.
