COL-CEMCA and CIET-NCERT Collaborate to Launch Comprehensive OER Course for Indian Educators

In a significant move to improve digital education in India, the Commonwealth of Learning’s Asian regional centre, the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), has partnered with the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to develop an extensive online course on Open Educational Resources (OER) for educators at both school and tertiary levels. This initiative is a follow-up to their previous successful collaboration in online OER training, which reached approximately 100,000 teachers. Encouraged by the positive response, they are aiming to scale the initiative to reach 9.5 million teachers across India.

An online consultative meeting held on 11 March 2025, served as the first step in refining the proposed course outline. The meeting brought together experts to provide insights and ensure that course development was heading in the right direction.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, highlighted the global importance of OER in fostering equitable education and emphasised India's potential leadership role in the movement, especially in light of its commitment to digital transformation under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Professor (Dr) Amarendra P. Behera, Joint Director of CIET-NCERT, discussed how OER aligns with the goals of NEP 2020 and stressed the need for a mind-set shift in India's education system towards openness and collaboration. He advocated for transforming teachers and students into "prosumers" — producers/creators and consumers of educational resources.

Professor (Dr) Indu Kumar from CIET-NCERT outlined the structure of the proposed 30-hour (one-credit) course, which consists of five modules and assessments, addressing challenges like limited understanding of OER, misuse of copyrighted materials, and the lack of knowledge on open licensing.

During the consultative meeting, experts from across India provided valuable feedback on the course structure. The key recommendations included contextualising OER within broader open access initiatives, emphasising ethical considerations, and incorporating practical, hands-on activities. The course will also focus on inclusivity and multilingualism, aligning with NEP 2020’s emphasis on native language instruction.

The course will be offered on two major platforms: DIKSHA for school educators and SWAYAM for higher education. A follow-up workshop is scheduled for April 2025 to finalise the course content, with the launch anticipated in October 2025, aiming to reach millions of educators and students across the country.