Question

Present the history of one form of distance learning (other than online learning)

Answer 1

Ans) Distance learning is a way of learning remotely without being in regular face-to-face contact with a teacher in the classroom. In the UK such learning has its roots in students learning through correspondence courses.

- The Indian government while realizing the need for distance education opened the prestigious Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1985, which offers students degrees widely accepted in the job market as any other recognized Distance Education course.

- The establishment of IGNOU at New Delhi in 1985 has proved to be a significant milestone in the development of Distance Learning in India. It provides a central Organisation for guiding and coordinating the activities of all distance education institutes and state open universities in the country. It has popularized the concept of open learning system resulting in the establishment of three more state open universities in the late eighties viz. – Kota Open University in Kota (Rajasthan), Yashwant Rao Chavan Maharashtra Open University at Nasik (Maharashtra) and Nalanda Open University at Patna (Bihar). States of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka have also established Open Universities recently.