CHENNAI: Showing the way forward for higher education, the Tamil Nadu Open University launched online courses that allow students to learn and earn degrees through a smartphone.
Launching the premium online programme on the TNOU campus on Wednesday, vice-chancellor Dr Chandrakantha Jeyabalan said that the university’s aim of reaching the unreachable would soon be a reality. “Many students in the State are computer literate and the government has also provided them with free laptops. Above all, we are launching the programme only after being satisfied of its quality and success potential. University Grants Commission also wants the Open Universities to take the lead in providing courses on the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform,” she said.
TNOU has partnered with Schoolguru Eduserve Private Limited, a Mumbai-based academic support service organisation. The latter will provide A-Z infrastructure, starting from developing digital video content, providing server, hosting infrastructure and content on learning management platform, developing the mobile app, student support service and creating a platform for online examination of the courses. TNOU has introduced 28 undergraduate and postgraduate courses online as part of the project’s first phase.
Speaking to City Express, Murali Iyer, vice-president, sales and business development, Schoolguru, said, “The app (TNOU app) will be available to download on Android platform. Once the student is enrolled, a micro SD card containing course content will be provided to the student at a rate that is less than the market price,” he said.
“The student can have a personalised home page like on Facebook, and attend virtual classrooms, where teachers from institutes across the country will teach them. For instance, a student from Kanyakumari can access video content that has a professor from Kashmir teaching,” he added. “Through the in-built messaging platforms, students can communicate with teachers and other students,” Murali added. While enrollment, submission of documents and learning will be online, for examinations, students will have to assemble at a common centre.
For details, visit www.tnouonline.ac.in.