Swayam, Government-run eLearning Platform, Leads with 3 Crore Enrolments, Outperforming Competitors

New Delhi: SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds), the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platform, has emerged as the clear leader in the realm of eLearning with an impressive 2.4 crore enrollments for credit-yielding courses and over 26 lakh students successfully earning credits. This remarkable achievement sets Swayam apart from any other eLearning platform by a significant margin. Recognizing its outstanding performance, the Ministry of Education has reached out to higher education institutions (HEIs), urging them to promote the platform within their respective states.

The total enrollment on Swayam, including non-examination and non-credit courses, stands at a staggering 3.1 crore, with a gender ratio of 40:60, favoring female candidates. Since its inception in 2017, Swayam has conducted exams for more than 26 lakh candidates, receiving 8.8 lakh active assignment submissions. The platform also offers credit transfer options upon successful examination completion, charging a nominal fee. With over 3,000 MOOC free courses available across various disciplines, learners have access to a wealth of knowledge.

Officials from the Ministry of Education attribute the popularity of Swayam to the increased participation of universities offering their courses via MOOCs, as well as the recognition of credits earned through Swayam exams. Currently, 288 universities have formally accepted Swayam credits, a significant increase from the previous count of 155 in January 2022.

In a letter addressed to HEIs, Vineet Joshi, Additional Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, emphasized that Swayam MOOCs are meticulously crafted by esteemed academicians from top-ranked institutions and are made available to learners free of cost. Joshi highlighted the fact that Swayam has already enrolled over 3 crore students, serving as a vast repository of more than 300 high-quality MOOCs courses.

A comparison of Swayam’s performance against standard eLearning platforms reveals its remarkable superiority. Independent surveys and research indicate that completion rates for eLearning platforms typically range from a mere 1% to 5%.

Some of the most sought-after courses currently available on the Swayam platform include “Computing Using Python” offered by IIT-Ropar, attracting 46,081 students, followed by “Ethical Hacking” by IIT-Kharagpur with 45,934 students, “Programming through C++” from IIT-Bombay with 45,629 students, and “Programming in Java” by IIT-Kharagpur with 45,445 students.

The Ministry strongly urged HEIs to take full advantage of the courses offered on Swayam, highlighting that successful completion of the final proctored examination makes learners eligible for credit transfer. Furthermore, the letter emphasized the surge in enrollments for courses in the education domain following the pandemic, reflecting the evolving landscape of teaching and learning processes in line with the National Education Policy’s focus on ICT-led education.

The letter urged universities to formally acknowledge and accept Swayam credits by notifying the University Grants Commission. Apart from the institutions already informally accepting these credits, there are currently 288 universities that have formally embraced the credits awarded through these MOOCs, solidifying Swayam’s recognition within the higher education landscape.