Institute of Life Long Learning

(ILLL)

University of Delhi

The Institute of Life Long Learning

BACKGROUND

University of Delhi is one of the largest Central Universities of India having around 1,20,000 students in class-room teaching and around 2,50,000 students in correspondence courses. In the past few years, the University has taken a large number of initiatives in improving course contents, curricula and methods of pedagogy. In the next five years, the University is committed to increase the number of seats by 54% in classroom teaching. The requirement of quality human resource in the country is going to be a real challenge for the university which has to be met with the optimum use of available resources.

Quality human resource development requires constant monitoring of course, curriculum and delivery methods. Creation of opportunities for teachers training will be a major factor in implementing successful educational programmes for meeting national and global challenges. Periodic upgradation of knowledge of teachers in the university and the colleges is essential for creating a dynamic educational environment. It is an accepted fact that knowledge gets multiplied in every discipline so quickly that it is becoming increasingly difficult to upgrade the skills of teachers with the same pace. In the recent past, the University has undertaken the task of restructuring various courses and devising new syllabus. Latest developments in various fields have been incorporated in the syllabi. This task has to be taken up as an on going process. However, to make this exercise more fruitful and effective, it is necessary to work out strategies for the training of teachers in the university system. At the moment, there are only rudimentary mechanisms to help the teachers to upgrade their knowledge in the upcoming fields. The key challenges for a dynamic education system are:

Designing the courses Development of learning material Learner centric delivery of the material.

Setting advanced teaching laboratories for science courses. Continuous evaluation, upgradation and modernisation of syllabi.

In order to address these issues, the University of Delhi needs to set up an Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL). This Institute will have a major responsibility in teacher training, development of e-learning materials and delivery systems, developing courses, curricula, content etc.

The major goal of the Institute, to begin with, will be the life long learning of teachers, development of e-learning, backup material for university courses and development of courses and curriculum and innovative delivery methods. The institute will also identify the needs of various target groups involved in imparting education, build up the resource base of updated information through different types of training courses and make available the same in self instructional mode (SIM) as a multimedia package. It will also develop training strategies to meet the needs of teachers and students in different disciplines.

Overall the Institute in its initial years will take up the role of developing curriculum, innovative pedagogy and on-line teacher training programmes so that learning and experimenting becomes a life long process for the teachers.

The Institute will provide a hybrid model for training the teachers, using a judicious combination of face to face exchange and web based delivery, made possible by internet technology. This will ensure access of this technology to all the teachers.

The Role and Responsibilities of the ILLL

The Institute will have the responsibility of developing the curricula, course content, e-learning materials and delivery systems in collaboration with key government agencies and other national or international institutes. It will identify the various target groups involved in imparting education, develop and design course material in modular

form, distance mode and self-instructional mode, including print, multimedia and elearning. It will also design a suitable delivery mechanism for the courses to the target group. The Institute will develop monitoring and effective feed back mechanisms which will help in modifying the material at later stage.

It will undertake research in the field of curricula development, design development and delivery systems of the courses through distance mode in various subjects.

The University already has a Centre for Professional Development in Higher Education (CPDHE). It is mainly organizing orientation programs, refresher courses and a few short-term workshops driven by the initiatives of individual faculty members. Participants, in many instances, are attending these programs merely to fulfill the two course criteria for being promoted from Lecturer to Reader.

CPDHE was established by UGC vide its letter No. D.O.No.F.21-2/85(IC-III) dated October 14, 1987 and subsequently a Resolution No.XI dated 21.11.87 of Executive Council. The main objectives of the CPDHE were to undertake orientation programs, and organize refresher course for the newly appointed teachers in the University departments and constituent colleges of the University.

Since its inception in 1987, the CPDHE has carried out 51 Orientation programs with 1508 local participants and 232 out station participants, whereas it has conducted 241 Refresher courses with 5115 local participants and 1838 outstation participants. It can be seen that roughly 22% of our teaching staff has undergone orientation programs. However, the overall average for refresher course is less than 10%. The ILLL will conduct need based orientation and refresher courses on much larger scale by creating sub- centers in some colleges, which will be equipped with the state of art technology and advanced laboratories. Till now there has been very little laboratory component in programmes organized by CPDHE.

The current activities of CPDHE will also be integrated with the functions of ILLL. ILLL will have its own laboratory space where teachers can conduct experimental work so that standard of practicals and training in the usage of instruments could be imparted in an effective manner.

ILLL
Research Programme Teachers Training Programme

Curricula

Open & Distance Learning (ODL) System

Training Topics & Area

Face to Face

Distance Mode

Centre 1

Centre 2

Centre 3

Curriculum Development

Design of Training Modules

Feedback

Development & Delivery of Modules

PRINT

MULTIMEDIA

WEB BASED

Methodology

The Institute will be responsible for providing teachers training in class room mode as well as in distance education mode. In face to face contact mode, the courses will be delivered by the experts through 4 satellite centers established at 3-4 colleges situated at various places. The curriculum for both the modes would be designed by an Expert Committee headed by the Coordinator appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The curriculum would include the latest topics included in the revised syllabus and also the topics related to the new developments in the subject. These courses will have various units which will have the material of a months training in face to face program and equivalent in distance mode. In the distance mode, the coordinator will identify experts and make an expert committee which will in turn prepare the contents in the selfinstructional print mode. This material may also be passed on to persons involved in face to face delivery. Institute may also appoint consultants who will be experts in converting the self instructional material in the electronic form to be delivered through web. The consultant will also develop a questionnaire which will be the part of the material and will be on web for getting a feedback. The feedback would be compiled and will be given back to the course coordinator which will be used for a continuous improvement of the course content. There would also be a provision for introducing a short online examination/test for the learners who can download their certificates themselves. One wing of the ILLL will be involved in the research programs in curriculum development and distance methodology of designing, developing and delivery of the material through the distance mode. Fellowships for this purpose may be introduced.

Content Development There will be a curriculum development committee for every course which will be headed by an eminent academic, who will be designated as the course coordinator. The committee will comprise of other experts from the subject area identified by the coordinator, distance education expert and IT expert. The expert committee will be responsible for the development of the curriculum/syllabus for delivery through distance

mode via print, multimedia and internet. Director ILLL will be ex-officio member of the committee.

The course will be written by course writers, experts in the subject area. Expert committee members may also act as course writers. It is expected that a module for a course, which would be completed by the teachers in a period of about one month, will be developed in a period of six months to one year (depending upon the module content).

The course will be finalized and put into delivery package. The resource material of the course would be about 400 to 500 printed pages divided into 20 to 25 chapters of about 20 pages each.

Content Process Development

ILLL

Course Coordinator

Expert Committee

Coordinator

Subject Expert

DE Expert

IT Expert

Feedback

Curriculum/Syllabus Development

Course writers Expert Committee Members Other Subject Experts

Course Content Finalization

Course writing

Course Content Production and Delivery

Print Mode

Multimdia Mode
(Independent/ Complementary/ Supplementary)

Web Mode

GOVERNANCE The Institute shall be guided by the Advisory Committee which will be assisted by the Academic Committee. It will have a Director and two Deputy Directors appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. The Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following: 1. 2. 3. Vice-Chancellor (or his nominee) as a Chairperson Two eminent experts from outside the University. Four scholars from the University departments and colleges appointed by the Vice-Chancellor. 4. 5. Director, Campus of Open Learning. Director of the Institute of Lifelong Learning.

The Director will be the Head of the Institute and shall function under the overall control of the Advisory Committee. He will be responsible for the management and administration of the Institute in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University.

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National Scenario of Teachers Training and the proposed role of ILLL.

In a developing country like India where educational institutions are scattered throughout the country, it is becoming increasingly difficult to upgrade the knowledge base of the teachers periodically. At present only 8% of the eligible population is getting higher education in India, whereas in developed countries it is roughly 24%. This is achieved by 321 universities, 15437 colleges and 3,63,703 teaching faculties (02-03) (Fig.1&2).
Different categories of university

4% 6%

Demonstrator 4%
Central University State Deemed Inst. Of National impt. 62%

28%

Professors 6% Readers 22%

Lecturers 53%

Senior Lecturers 15%

Figure1. Types of Higher education institute in India

Figure 2. Faculty hierarchy in the educational Institution

At one hand, the ratio of population getting higher education to eligible group is quite low; at the other hand there is no effective mechanism even to upgrade the knowledge of the teachers from the existing institutions. The problem becomes more acute in view of the competition amongst the education providers. Moreover, due to serious geographic and economic constraints it is not possible to open training institutes with skilled faculty at various locations which are within the reach of all faculties. Government of India has undertaken the task of training the teaching faculty for their periodic upgradation of knowledge through various institutions (Fig.3 & 4). It is done by

Academic Staff colleges (51) (Trained 17,730 teachers in 2002-2003)

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Identified conventional Universities and special institutions (60) (trained 30,000 approx. teachers in 2002-2003)

Training Colleges in India (zonal)

Training Scenario in 2002-2003

West 20%

8% 5% North 33% Without training North South Trained by ASC Trained by Universities 87% East West South 27%

East 20%

Figure 3. Geographical distribution of the Training colleges in India

Figure 4. Training scenario of faculty in India (2002-03)

In spite of all the efforts, the cumulative result is not very encouraging. In the year 2002-2003, only 13% faculty has been able to upgrade their knowledge through refresher courses/ Orientation program in which 5% were trained by Academic Staff colleges & 8% are trained by other identified academic institutions as shown in fig.4. It can be seen that the training scenario can not be termed as satisfactory by any standards. In a country like India with geographical, economical and social limitations, the most suitable option is technology enhanced training through distance mode, coupled with already existing conventional education system.

In order to address this problem, Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL) may play a wider role in imparting the training to teachers at National and International level. The institute will identify the needs of various target groups involved in imparting education, build up a national resource base of updated information through different types of

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training courses and make available the same in self instructional mode (SIM), as multimedia package. At a later stage, the ILLL may act as resource centre for the technology enhanced learning center for other developing countries.

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