NETWORK-ENABLED OPEN EDUCATION (NEO-Ed) Dr. Vijay Kumar Assistant Provost and Director of Academic Computing Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA Advisor, National Knowledge Commission, India

THE OBJECTIVE To build excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21 st century and increase India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge. To build excellence in the educational system to meet the knowledge challenges of the 21 st century and increase India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge. This consists of WIDENING ACCESS WIDENING ACCESS PROVIDING QUALITY PROVIDING QUALITY

THE CHALLENGE Scaling the excellence of institutions like IITs, IIMs, IIIT, etc. Scaling the excellence of institutions like IITs, IIMs, IIIT, etc. Current approaches Current approaches Building new institutions (additional IITs, etc.) Building new institutions (additional IITs, etc.) Improving existing institutions (NPTEL, TEQIP) Improving existing institutions (NPTEL, TEQIP) Extending distance education to a limited extent (IGNOU, Eklavya, EDUSAT) Extending distance education to a limited extent (IGNOU, Eklavya, EDUSAT) These are insufficient for the quantum leap in scale and quality of educational opportunity that the NKC seeks to achieve. These are insufficient for the quantum leap in scale and quality of educational opportunity that the NKC seeks to achieve.

A SOLUTION Increasing capabilities of high bandwidth networks and open educational resources offer unprecedented opportunities to Increasing capabilities of high bandwidth networks and open educational resources offer unprecedented opportunities to Serve the knowledge needs of diverse communities Serve the knowledge needs of diverse communities Amplify interaction among students and teachers Amplify interaction among students and teachers Introduce innovative and interactive educational experiences Introduce innovative and interactive educational experiences The Internet is changing the face of education. India can use it to make optimal use of global educational resources. The Internet is changing the face of education. India can use it to make optimal use of global educational resources.

PRESENT SCENARIO E-learning/Open/Distance Education are considered inferior to traditional methods. E-learning/Open/Distance Education are considered inferior to traditional methods. Existing initiatives are lacking in Existing initiatives are lacking in Interactivity Interactivity Hands-on experience Hands-on experience Quality content Quality content Alignment with university system Alignment with university system Addressing the needs of teacher training Addressing the needs of teacher training

Current Network Status Very few institutions connected reliably Very few institutions connected reliably Limited b/w ( KPBS to low mbps) Limited b/w ( KPBS to low mbps) Upgrade efforts underway Upgrade efforts underway EDUSAT offers alternative EDUSAT offers alternative Access to e-resources (journals, publishing) limited Access to e-resources (journals, publishing) limited Virtual classrooms limited; Virtual labs unavailable Virtual classrooms limited; Virtual labs unavailable Collaborations and Sharing constrained Collaborations and Sharing constrained

CURRENT INITIATIVES NPTEL NPTEL IGNOU IGNOU Kerala e-Grid Kerala e-Grid TIFAC - Mission REACH TIFAC - Mission REACH EDUSAT (ISRO) EDUSAT (ISRO) TEQIP* TEQIP*

IMPACT OF INITIATIVES The impact of initiatives is stymied due to The impact of initiatives is stymied due to Dearth of quality resources (content) Dearth of quality resources (content) Lack of infrastructure for delivery Lack of infrastructure for delivery Lack of appropriate organisational alignments between public institutions/agencies engaged in e-learning and distance education. Lack of appropriate organisational alignments between public institutions/agencies engaged in e-learning and distance education. General Impediments General Impediments Unclear Regulatory framework Unclear Regulatory framework A few Good Ones A few Good Ones Impoverished pedagogical practices ( inflexibility, lack of liberal education; Rote focus…) Impoverished pedagogical practices ( inflexibility, lack of liberal education; Rote focus…) Lack of coordination is a source of poor performance and visibility. Lack of coordination is a source of poor performance and visibility.

A NEW PARADIGM E-learning and distance education are not alternatives or supplements to conventional methods. E-learning and distance education are not alternatives or supplements to conventional methods. Network-based delivery needs to become the central modality for delivering quality education. Network-based delivery needs to become the central modality for delivering quality education. A blended process – intelligent combinations of physical and virtual elements. A blended process – intelligent combinations of physical and virtual elements. Distributed Repositories, Domain-specific Grids and Portals, Interaction facilities, Robust connectivity – key components of NEO-Ed. Distributed Repositories, Domain-specific Grids and Portals, Interaction facilities, Robust connectivity – key components of NEO-Ed. Open Educational Resources- Content, Applications and Infrastructure can be productively leveraged Open Educational Resources- Content, Applications and Infrastructure can be productively leveraged

NKC: Targets of Opportunity For education (higher education in particular), the NKC’s efforts to be directed toward building capacity at 3 levels For education (higher education in particular), the NKC’s efforts to be directed toward building capacity at 3 levels Access (low threshold for entry into the enabling infrastructure for advanced applications and quality educational resources) Application/Practice: Content, tools and best practices in strategic areas. Process (Sustainability) – organizational, and policy enablers to realize synergies and to move projects to practice and services. Overall aim to develop ecology for sustainable transformation of education and research in India.

Scaling Excellence in Education and Research Extensive Access to Quality Educational Resources Extensive Access to Quality Educational Resources For faculty development For faculty development Direct education (formal and non-formal) Direct education (formal and non-formal) Meet hr (knowledge worker) needs in all sectors Meet hr (knowledge worker) needs in all sectors Quality Educational and Research Interactions Quality Educational and Research Interactions Global Participation in Research and Education Global Participation in Research and Education Sharing Sharing Benchmarking Benchmarking

Implementing Opportunity Grids and Portals Grids and Portals Domains; Sectors; Communities Domains; Sectors; Communities Research Research Education Education Knowledge Sectors Knowledge Sectors Community Interactions Community Interactions Labs and Simulators Labs and Simulators Labs Order-of-magnitude higher number of educationally meaningful laboratory experiments through the Internet based on hardware dispersed around the world Order-of-magnitude higher number of educationally meaningful laboratory experiments through the Internet based on hardware dispersed around the world Open Educational Resources Open Educational Resources Open Educational Resources Open Educational Resources OCW: large pool of shared and open content for diverse needs OCW: large pool of shared and open content for diverse needs Mednet: network and content for health education Mednet: network and content for health education GELC GELC

ADVANTAGES OF NEO-Ed Proximity: Content-Learner, Teacher-Student, Research- Teaching (e.g. i-labs) Proximity: Content-Learner, Teacher-Student, Research- Teaching (e.g. i-labs) Adaptability: Common infrastructure to deliver quality digital content in different sectors. Adaptability: Common infrastructure to deliver quality digital content in different sectors. Flexibility: Learners structure the reality of their educational experience. Flexibility: Learners structure the reality of their educational experience. Interactivity: Virtual learning environments facilitate peer interaction, which is invaluable. Interactivity: Virtual learning environments facilitate peer interaction, which is invaluable. Quality: Global alliances and initiatives can be leveraged for quality content and benchmarking purposes. Quality: Global alliances and initiatives can be leveraged for quality content and benchmarking purposes. Sustainability: Continuous supply of skilled workforce with contemporary competencies and abreast of technological change. Sustainability: Continuous supply of skilled workforce with contemporary competencies and abreast of technological change.

INFRASTRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS High bandwidth connections; national backbone; connectivity with global networks. High bandwidth connections; national backbone; connectivity with global networks. User applications; service-oriented architecture; delivery systems; digital libraries; publication; localisation and contextualisation. User applications; service-oriented architecture; delivery systems; digital libraries; publication; localisation and contextualisation. Relevant, quality content; distributed repositories; standards; global alliances (OCW); Relevant, quality content; distributed repositories; standards; global alliances (OCW); Support for adoption; pedagogy Support for adoption; pedagogy Policy framework ( quality; regulation) Policy framework ( quality; regulation)

INFRASTRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS Physical: high bandwidth connections; national backbone; connectivity with global networks. Physical: high bandwidth connections; national backbone; connectivity with global networks. Delivery: user applications; service-oriented architecture; localisation and contextualisation. Delivery: user applications; service-oriented architecture; localisation and contextualisation. Pedagogical: relevant, quality content; distributed repositories; standards; global alliances (OCW). Pedagogical: relevant, quality content; distributed repositories; standards; global alliances (OCW).

End User Communities D/SpaceMedical Repository Science Repository Engineering Content & Labs … Educational Content Repositories Service Interfaces EDUSAT/LAN/WAN/Wireless/INTERNET2 Communication Tools/ Applications NETWORK-ENABLED OPEN EDUCATION (NEO-Ed) EDUCATION SOFTWARE Domain Grids and Portals

SUSTAINABILITY Technical Technical Resilient content: takes advantage of tech. changes Resilient content: takes advantage of tech. changes Open standards-based architecture Open standards-based architecture Robust networks Robust networks Financial Financial Taxation on content used by private institutions Taxation on content used by private institutions Commercial model for value-added services Commercial model for value-added services Government funding, especially in initial stages Government funding, especially in initial stages Organizational Organizational

EMERGING TRENDS Industry already involved – already involved in developing standards-based architecture for e- governance. Indicate interest in NEO-Ed. Industry already involved – already involved in developing standards-based architecture for e- governance. Indicate interest in NEO-Ed. MoU between Ministry of IT and Internet2 – framework for advanced networking capability with ubiquitous broadband availability. MoU between Ministry of IT and Internet2 – framework for advanced networking capability with ubiquitous broadband availability. Global Open Educational Resources (OER) movement is gathering momentum. Global Open Educational Resources (OER) movement is gathering momentum. OCW Consortium - Viability of NPTEL, TEQIP joining being explored. OCW Consortium - Viability of NPTEL, TEQIP joining being explored.

CONCLUSION Network-Enabled Open Education is central to the Knowledge Commission’s goals of delivering access and quality in education. Network-Enabled Open Education is central to the Knowledge Commission’s goals of delivering access and quality in education. It is a critical component of the infrastructure of any knowledge economy, and must therefore be pursued vigorously as a strategy for building excellence in the education system and increasing India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge. It is a critical component of the infrastructure of any knowledge economy, and must therefore be pursued vigorously as a strategy for building excellence in the education system and increasing India’s competitive advantage in fields of knowledge.

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