Online open courses would enhance quality of education: IGNOU professor

Murthy stressed that ODL (open and distance learning) had democratised education in the second half of the 20th century and in an immensely populated country like India, it was a viable option.

“Changing societal needs, improvement in standards of living and pressure of earning a livelihood – all these factors combined to make distance and open learning a popular mode of education. Quality control meant conformation to required specifications and assurance implied continuous and never ending improvement. Quality was to be assessed on the basis of the ability to deliver on promises,” he said.

Murthy talked of the oncoming concept of MOOC – Massive Online Open Courses where the enrollment was massive and its components were e-content, e-tutorial, web resources and self-assessment.

“MOOC would enhance the quality of education by offering learning through e-books, video, audio and virtual labs,” he said.

A vote of thanks was delivered by Rupinder Tewari, the son of late Major Jiwan Tewari. Tewari remembered his father as a philanthropist, a self-made person who spent his entire life fighting for the just cause of others. He hoped that his friends and followers would carry forward his legacy by emulating his exemplary conduct.

PU vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover was also present.

Chairperson, PU’s University School of Open Learning (USOL), Jaspal Kaur Kaang welcomed the dignitaries. She recalled the seminal contribution of Major Jiwan Tewari in laying the foundation of Life Long Learning and bringing and moulding young and bright teachers to suit the requirements of distance education.

Padam Bhushan awardee Bambah remembered Major Jiwan Tewari as a pioneer in distance education, a man of great organiing abilities and genuinely concerned with the problems of the faculty.

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