Text the teacher

Text the teacher
Pragya Kaushika,TNN

Come November and the School of Open Learning (SOL), Delhi University (DU), will launch its welcome gift for the new batch of students enrolling in the BA programme for 2007-08 - a 24-hour query helpline via e-mail and mobiles.

One guest faculty member will be appointed as counsellor and instructor for a group of 20 students, informs H C Pokhariyal, executive director, SOL. He adds, "The basic need for any education system is the availability of teachers who can devote time to students. Distance learning is coming up as an alternative to regular classes as there are many students who do not get admission to regular courses."

The idea emerged from the SOL's interaction with the open universities in the UK. Admitting that distance learning in foreign countries has upgraded to a level where it can compete with the regular education system, Savita Dutta, director, SOL states, "We have invited experts from the UK to help us improve our distance education methodology."

If the experiment with the BA programme manages to achieve the goal with which it has been started, it will be extended to other courses provided by SOL. Says Dutta, "We cannot limit the number of students enrolling in our courses, and since they need tutors just like regular students, we will enhance the teacher-student link to manage them efficiently."

Apart from helping enrolled students find the right guidance during examinations, this new system will also provide job opportunities for fresh post-graduates. "MA/MPhil students will be invited to join us as guest faculty under the scheme, and this will simultaneously address their employability issues."