Purpose: This paper presents the features and relevance of open distance learning in the context of the socio-economic conditions of people living in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in India. Although the primary purpose of the present study was to ascertain the effectiveness of the learner support services (LSSs) and different…

Purpose: In the last few decades, the growth in management institutions in India has become significant. The Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions also have started offering management programmes at various levels. In the ODL scenario, the learning path has been shifting from the traditional Self-Learning Material (SLM)-based model to…

The primary objective of this research is to ascertain the manner in which higher education institutions offering open and distance education incorporate the concept of openness into their vision, mission, core values, and tactics. This study employs a descriptive research design to ascertain the current state of affairs. The research methodology…

This study investigated the problems faced by teachers enrolling in a distance teacher education programme offered by India's Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Instead of review of literature, the study began with the examination of learners' complaints about various aspects of the programme. Analysis of data extracted from the…

Quality aims at meeting customer satisfaction through its various attributes in a product, process or system. Quality has to meet the requirements of a competitive environment, offer good price for cost and meet customer satisfaction. In the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, quality means the special attributes of ODL, such as being…

This paper explores learners' awareness of and satisfaction with the e-services that an open university provides its learners through its Website. The paper further highlights the influence of age, gender, and education levels on learners' awareness and satisfaction levels. A case-study approach was adopted and an online survey was used to collect…

The main objective of the study is to identify a set of factors with regard to online training environment that may lead to increased performance and satisfaction for online trainees. Around 722 academic counselors who will join the Academic counselors training programme (ACT-Online) of IGNOU and around 20 instructors/evaluators involved in the…

The teaching-learning system in India changed significantly during the COVID 19 pandemic situation. Educational institutions adopted blended learning approaches for effective teaching and used digital technologies to deliver academic programs. Online learning during pandemic situations helps learners learn the necessary skills to meet the need for…

One of the main objectives of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) System is to increase the participation of people in higher education and to accelerate the growth and development of a country. Today, the importance of education for women is realized worldwide because higher education for women is vital for the social, economic, political and…

COVID-19 provided an opportunity to experiment with alternative delivery mechanisms for a medical education programme offered through open and distance learning with face-to-face training as an essential component of the programme. Non-availability of hard copies of the course material (92%) and lack of communication from the university (32%) as…

Knowing insights as to why learners from diverse social and demographic profile choose to enroll in distance education can be a useful tool for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Institutions to understand the requirements of their target segment, help in fine-tuning service offerings for attracting potential students and finally retaining them…

Purpose: This paper seeks to ascertain the effectiveness of a two-week-long faculty development programme (FDP), organized by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), for teachers of the open and distance learning (ODL) system, with the aim of upgrading their knowledge and skills for developing print self-learning materials (SLMs). The…

The digital age has opened up new and exciting opportunities for Open and Distance Learning (ODL) in universities. But, is going digital reinforcing the existing social inequalities? This qualitative research examines the three levels of digital divide and digital inequality among learners at India's National Open University, IGNOU. The findings…

Studies have claimed that use of multimedia technologies motivate and stimulate the learning of students as compared to using traditional teaching methods alone. Multimedia aids are therefore significant in effective teaching learning process. It is even more significant in open and distance learning where the learners are separated from their…

The North East Region of the country is unique due to its socio-cultural features, geopolitical factors, and abundant untapped natural resources. However, despite being endowed with such uniqueness, the region remains underdeveloped, backward and alienated from the mainland. Since its inception, Indira Gandhi National Open University registered…