The Open University OERFest 2024, hosted by the Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia (CEMCA) and Dr B R Ambedkar Open University (Dr BRAOU), concluded with a Vice Chancellors’ Roundtable Meeting on 20 April 2024. The event brought together Vice Chancellors, faculty members, and officials from 17 state open universities across India, as well as representatives from key education and skilling agencies of the Indian government and Telangana state government, to discuss and strengthen the open and distance learning (ODL) landscape through Open Educational Resources (OER).
The meeting aimed to bolster collaboration among open universities through OER sharing and to establish a national OER repository, thereby enhancing learning outcomes for students in India's ODL system.
Dr B. Shadrach, Director of CEMCA, emphasised the significant role open universities play in increasing gross enrollment ratios, supporting individuals with disabilities, and providing access to remote communities. He underlined the importance of open universities aligning their courses with job market demands and addressing skills gaps to enhance employability. He encouraged them to cater to both traditional learners and working professionals by offering reskilling and upskilling programmes tailored to their needs. He also proposed creating a “Consortium of Open Universities” in India to amplify their collective voice, and bolster their collaboration.
Professor K. Seetharama Rao, Vice Chancellor of Dr BRAOU, highlighted the importance of adopting a socially acceptable business model for financial sustainability, developing a national OER policy, and revising accreditation systems in line with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and the National Accreditation Framework.
Dr Nirmaljeet Singh Kalsi, Retired IAS and Chairperson of the National Council for Vocational Education and Training, New Delhi, urged Vice Chancellors to expand open universities' focus to include skilling initiatives, aligning with the priorities of the Indian government and NEP 2020.
Prof. R. Limbadri, Chairman of the Telangana State Council for Higher Education, acknowledged the challenges faced by open universities, including inflexible rules and regulations and the lack of recognition for some courses, like LLB.
Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Vice Chancellor of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), commended the move toward offering skills-based courses and highlighted the need for an OER policy to share and manage the existing vast repository of OER including that of IGNOU.
The roundtable's discussions included various sessions on OER policies, faculty development, and collaboration among open universities. Mr. Amitabh Nag, CEO of Digital India BHASHINI Division, contributed insights into the future of OER in India, especially in light of facilitating the translation of resources into multiple Indian languages through the BHASHINI app. Dr Payal Mago, Director of the School of Open Learning at Delhi University, shared valuable perspectives that enhanced the discussions.
The meeting served as a platform for open universities to address challenges, share strategies, and work towards a more inclusive and effective ODL system.