New Delhi, 23 September 2025

 

Over 300 faculty members representing higher education institutions across India participated in the five-day Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on “Technology-Enabled and Blended Learning” from 15 to 19 September 2025. The training was jointly organised by the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), New Delhi.

 

The Faculty Development Programme (FDP) was designed to equip tertiary education educators with the skills to implement technology-enabled blended learning practices for employability-oriented courses, specifically by harnessing Open Educational Resources (OERs), MOOCs, and microcredentials. Professor Mahesh Verma, Vice Chancellor, GGSIPU, in his presidential address, emphasised the evolving role of educators in the digital age, remarking, “Technology can provide information, but the teacher is the one who will provide inspiration.”

 

Delivering a special address, Dr B. Shadrach, Director, COL-CEMCA, highlighted the transformative power of blended learning in enhancing flexibility, accessibility, and student engagement. He stressed that technology should be viewed as an enabler to optimise resources and improve learning outcomes while at the same time helping to hone crucial digital literacy skills among students, which are highly valued in today’s job market.

 

Professor Saroj Sharma, Dean, School of Education, GGSIPU, underscored the significance of ICT interventions in achieving NEP 2020 objectives. She noted that the collaboration with CEMCA offers great potential for fostering innovative teaching practices in Indian higher education.

 

The five day programme commenced with a comprehensive overview of the National Education Policy 2020’s on the first day. .  Dr V.P. Joshith conducted an interactive session on educational technology tools, introducing platforms such as Quizizz, Nearpod and Blooket. Dr Sushumna Rao addressed MOOCs, LMS features, online learning challenges, and OER’s role in quality content creation, with hands-on activities on OER discovery, licensing and submissions. Dr Kiran Lata Dangwal led an engaging session on AI in teaching and learning, with participants creating digital content, including e-books and multimedia resources using AI-powered tools. Dr Ashish Awhadiya’s session covered employability skills, policy frameworks, and opportunities on SWAYAM and SWAYAM Plus for industry-relevant and credit-based learning.

 

In the valedictory session, Dr B. Shadrach urged educators to embrace their role as “architects of the next generation” aligning teaching practices with NEP 2020’s vision. He encouraged participants to integrate technology meaningfully, blending traditional pedagogy with digital innovation.

 

The week-long 15-hour programme reflected the shared vision of COL-CEMCA and GGSIPU in preparing future-ready teachers and classrooms. The FDP empowered faculty with digital tools and pedagogical strategies, marking a significant shift from traditional teaching methods to interactive, student centred learning environments.