Indian Experiment on Technology Enhanced Learning: Achievements and Way Forward

Post COVID-19, online education has almost become a norm. However, India embarked on a journey in online education more than two decades ago. A National Project on Technology Enhance Learning (NPTEL) was initiated by MHRD, Government of India for developing classroom material for engineering subjects in video and web form. NPTEL initiative was more or less launched at the same time when MIT launched OCW. However, the objective of the two initiatives was different. While MIT made its courses available to a wider audience for opening out its knowledge base, the NPTEL was a mission to fill the gap of quality faculty at Indian engineering colleges.  In India, the number of engineering colleges increased manifold in a very short time. This created an acute shortage of quality teachers. A quick solution to the problem was ‘technology-enabled education’.  The success of NPTEL provided an impetus to online education in the country.  Many more projects for technology-enhanced learning, almost in all disciplines, created a base for making Indian education inclusive. The talk will provide an account of the progress and perspective of online education in India. The role of ICT in the implementation of NEP-2020 and some critical issues regarding online education as a whole will also be discussed. 

About the Speaker:

Prof. Shevgaonkar has been an active researcher in the area of Electromagnetics, Optical communication, Image processing, Antennas, Microwaves, Radio astronomy, etc. He has authored a textbook namely Electromagnetic Waves with McGraw Hill Education, a monograph on Transmission lines for Electrical Engineers, and developed e-contents for electromagnetics and optical communication. He has occupied leadership positions like Director of IIT Delhi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Pune, and Vice Chancellor of Bennett University. Currently, he is Professor Emeritus at IIT Bombay and Provost at Somaiya Vidyavihar. He was one of the National Coordinators of the National Project on Technology Enhanced Learning, and the Founder and Head of the Centre of Distance Engineering Education Program, at IIT Bombay. He is a Fellow of IEEE, Indian National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Science, India, Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers, Optical Society of India, Institution of Engineers, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, and a Member of the International Astronomical Union. He is a recipient of the IEEE William E. Sayle Award for his Achievements in Engineering Education, the IEEE Undergraduate Teaching Award for his inspirational teaching, SN Mitra Memorial Award of the Indian National Academy of Engineering for his contribution to electromagnetics, antenna, and radio astronomy, Ram Lal Wadhwa Award of IETE for his outstanding contribution to Optical communication, VASVIK Award in ICT, and the ‘Excellence in Teaching’ award of IIT Bombay. He has received the Education Leadership Award from Headlines Today, and Dewang Mehta Educational Excellence Award.