Implementing Blended Learning in HEIs in West Bengal: A joint initiative of COL-CEMCA and NSOU
The Commonwealth of Learning’s regional centre, Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (COL-CEMCA), in partnership with Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU), has implemented a transformative capacity-building project aimed at enhancing digital and blended pedagogy skills among educators in West Bengal. The project, titled "Implementation of Blended Learning in Educational Institutions including HEIs in West Bengal," was executed in three phases from 2021 to 2024. This initiative aligns with India's National Education Policy 2020, which emphasises increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio and promoting education for sustainable development.
Dr B. Shadrach, Director of COL-CEMCA, highlighted the project's incorporation of emerging technologies like Generative AI, which extends blended learning beyond traditional online and offline instruction. This, along with the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) initiative, enables NSOU to certify and assess skill-based courses tailored to local industry needs. Professor Indrajit Lahiri, Vice Chancellor of NSOU, noted the crucial role of blended learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated the integration of technology in education and transformed the traditional classroom model.
Through workshops conducted in three phases, NSOU trained a total of 572 educators across its extensive network of Learner Support Centres. The training focused on innovative pedagogies, blended learning strategies, and enhancing teacher performance. Participants were introduced to Open Educational Resources (OER), Creative Commons licenses, and generative artificial intelligence in pedagogy. The NSOU faculty involved in the training included Professor (Dr) Anirban Ghosh, Project Director; Dr Papiya Upadhyay, Project Coordinator; Mr Santanu Patra, ICT Trainer; and Mr Purandar Sengupta, Learning Facilitator. They employed various methodologies, such as group discussions, lectures, presentations, participatory reflection, comparative analysis, scaffolding, role plays, design thinking, and analytical and evaluative exercises, to facilitate the sessions.
The project's outcomes have been significant, leading to enhanced student performance, increased access to education for students facing geographical or socio-economic barriers, and flexible course delivery that accommodates working professionals and students with other commitments. Additionally, the initiative has fostered collaboration with institutions and experts, reduced instructional costs, and promoted psychological ease and comfort among learners through problem-based learning (PBL) and experiential learning mechanisms.
Educators who participated in the training have praised the initiative for its effectiveness. Dr Binayak Chanda from Muragachha Government College highlighted the benefits of asynchronous blended learning for inductive pedagogy, while Ms Mukul Kamle from Deshbandhu Mahavidyalaya emphasised the approach's ability to enhance inquiry-based facilitation. Dr Pijush Kanti Tripathi from Haldia Government College noted the success in addressing learners' individual needs.
This COL-CEMCA and NSOU capacity-building initiative marks a significant milestone in transforming education delivery in West Bengal, setting a precedent for HEIs in other states to follow.
