Quality Education A Milestone And An Opportunity

Prof. (Dr.) Manas Ranjan Panigrahi, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Sangam University, Rajasthan, talks about the importance of quality education for all, and shares insights on fostering innovation, enhancing online learning, and maintaining academic standards in an interview with Education Post’s Prabhav Anand.

Q. As the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean Academics at Sangam University, you’ve had an extensive career in the education sector, spanning various institutions and countries. Could you share with us some of the key insights you’ve gained through your experiences that you believe are crucial for shaping higher education in India today?

The emphasis on higher education in India can help bridge the gap between different social strata, offering a more equitable chance for success to all. As per the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), India has over 1000 universities, with a break up of 54 central universities, 416 state universities, 125 deemed universities, 361 state private universities and 159 Institutes of National Importance which include AIIMS, IIMs, IIITs, IISERs, IITs and NITs among others. Looking into the rapid growth of higher education institutions in our country to provide access, I believe the quality of higher education is a struggling point for us and I always consider this as a milestone and an opportunity for achievement. Particularly addressing the pressing concerns of teacherstudent ratios, gross enrolment ratio, gender equality, curricular diversity, and instilling a research-oriented mindset at the undergraduate level, we can ensure the evolution of an inclusive, quality-centric, and innovation and skill-driven higher education ecosystem in India.

As Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean Academics at Sangam University, I have witnessed the opportunities to cater to the students at the grassroots level. Sangam University is situated in a rural area and this experience has shown, how educational institutions have to build innovative approaches in translating the policy initiatives to students with limited exposure. However, the zeal and learning potential at semi-urban and rural centers of India is tremendous and it assures me towards realizing the vision of quality institution.

Q. With your background in educational leadership and management, what strategies do you believe are essential for fostering innovation and excellence within higher education institutions, especially amidst the rapidly evolving educational landscape?

In my last two decades of teaching and learning experiences on leadership and management with PG-level students and engaged in various leadership capacities, I learned and believe that fostering innovation in education is more important now than before because the world is changing rapidly. To prevent students’ growth and society from becoming stagnant, educators and teachers must bring creativity and restructure to existing systems, including exploring online support. This approach has several advantages, the least of which is enabling students to become lifelong learners, problem solvers, active contributors, and advocates for promoting positive change. The roles and responsibilities of teachers, educational leaders, administrators, parents, and educators are highly significant in fostering innovation in education. In my opinion, strategies like creating a place where all the learners can fit in; developing problem-finding and problemsolving skills in students; teaching them to take risks and learn from failures; more focus on practical learning rather than rote learning; ensuring sound use of technology in learning; develop a team-based learning environment; etc. need to be practiced and implemented successfully can contribute towards quality higher education.

Q. Your expertise in pedagogical analysis in online and blended learning is noteworthy. How do you approach designing effective online learning experiences that ensure both engagement and learning outcomes for students?

Now a days alternative and complementary developments in education and training provisions have emerged. The most popular so far has been open and distance learning (ODL). More recently, during the COVID-19 crisis, when educational institutions faced lockdown, the advantages of ODL for providing access to educational opportunities with a focus on equity came to the forefront. Further India came up with its National Education Policy in 2020(NEP2020) after 34 years with more focus towards access to education through online and blended learning. As a result, many higher education institutions started using online courses from SWYAM and NPTEL. Many universities also offer online programs through their own Learning Management System after all compliance with UGC Online Regulation 2023. Still, learners’ engagement and achievement of learning outcomes become a big challenge and it is asking questions on designing and delivery of online courses.

When I consider the elements that create an effective learning experience in a synchronous course, I consider the connection. How are the people in the course able to connect with and learn from each other? This element is critical as a means to build community in a remote workforce and also enable peer-topeer sharing after the learning event. We know from the research that most learning happens informally, and preferably in a social context. We strive to hire the best and the brightest, and I want to bring that out in our online classroom experience design. Further, we should know learners and participants which is a key to have in mind when designing online courses. For me, a basic approach is to start a small prototype of the course (maybe a first module) with an initial small cohort that can validate the learning strategy and get valuable feedback.

Incorporating this initial feedback into the course design process will significantly help in succeeding with the learner-centered design approach. Encouraging students to evaluate their progress and set goals enhances their metacognitive skills. Providing meaningful feedback and involving students in selfassessment empower them to reflect on their achievements and plan their next steps, fostering a sense of responsibility for their learning.

Q. Critics often argue that online education lacks the depth and quality of traditional face-toface learning. What measures have you implemented or advocated for to address these concerns and uphold academic standards in online and blended learning environments?

It is true! Not only critics, we as practitioners also sometimes argue the same stating how the teaching and learning through online learning is at par with face-to-face learning. As we understand blended learning is a term applied to the practice of providing learning experiences through some combination of both face-to-face and technology-mediated learning. During the technology-mediated components of these learning experiences, students are not required to be physically together in one place but may be connected digitally through online communities. For example, one blended learning course could involve students attending a class taught by a teacher in a traditional classroom setting while also completing online components of the course independently, outside of the classroom, on an online learning platform.

This is all about the learning styles of the learners and the learner’s engagement in learning. Many researches show that the 21st Century learners have now become multi-tasking and they enjoy micro-learning and concept-based learning which need to make them skilled for their specific skill requirements. Yes! We need to provide wider training support to the teachers, and stakeholders to prepare quality online courses and a strong learning delivery system that attracts and sustains the learners in their learning for development. Though we have good internet access, still we need to build infrastructure for the last aspirant learner of the remote.

Q. In your opinion, what role should government policies play in fostering innovation and quality assurance in higher education, particularly in the context of emerging technologies and global trends?

Built on the foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality, Affordability, and Accountability, the NEP-2020 policy is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and aims to transform India into a vibrant knowledge society and global knowledge superpower. The new education policy has a creditable vision, but its strength will depend on whether it can effectively integrate with the other policy initiatives of the government like Digital India, Skill India, and the New Industrial Policy to name a few, to effect a coherent structural transformation. Hence, policy linkages can ensure that education policy addresses and learns from Skill India’s experience in engaging more dynamically with the corporate sector to shape vocational education curriculum to make it a success. There is also a necessity for more evidence-based decision-making, to adapt, to rapidly evolving transmutations and disruptions. NEP-2020 has encouragingly provisioned real-time evaluation systems and a consultative monitoring and review framework. This shall empower higher education to constantly reform itself, instead of expecting for a new education policy every decade for a shift in curriculum.

Q. With the proliferation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), what do you see as the future of these platforms in democratizing access to education, particularly in remote or underserved areas of India?

MOOC has enormous opportunities veiled in India. The students’ enrolment has increased drastically in the recent past in India. India is ascertained to be one of the leading countries in terms of enrolments in courses offered by many popular MOOC providers including edX, Coursera, and Udacity. I developed several MOOCs out of which “Life Skills for Engineers”; “Academic Counselling for ODL Learners”; “Essentials of Life Skills”; and “Introductions to Statistical Techniques” have reached more than 70,000 learners from 47 countries including India. All these MOOCs are offered through mooKIT and MOOCs for development platform. Govt of India has taken many initiatives to support online education, which eventually used to continue education for many people and help to increase the enrolment ratio of the nation. NPTEL, mooKIT, edX, Coursera, and SWAYAM are the prominent online platforms in India. Apart from the abovementioned platforms, others also provide online education in various fields but are highly unknown. It shows that MOOCs are helping to cater learning needs of learners, particularly in remote and underserved areas of India.

Q. The introduction of the PhD Program in Education during your tenure in Africa demonstrates a commitment to fostering advanced research in the field. What strategies do you employ to support and mentor PhD scholars, particularly in diverse educational contexts?

Sangam University so far produced a good number of PhD, more than 750 research articles published and around 90 patents by our esteemed teachers. Many high-level research projects are awarded by the government which is completed and ongoing as well. All these are possible due to well-designed research policies and curricula is research responsive and motivational including incentive systems for the teachers and students.

Facilitating peer relationships among adult students can help them access a powerful source of support. Peers can offer practical and social support in negotiating the stages of doctoral education, motivation, and cheerleading, and may form professional relationships that extend into future roles. Continuous training for the PhD supervisor to support the researcher in multi-disciplinary research. Encourage more and more collaborative research. The university has proposed multi-lingual options in facilitating doctoral research since for most indigenous researchers, the English language is a barrier.

Q. Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for Sangam University in terms of its academic growth, research contributions, and impact on society, and how do you plan to realize these aspirations in collaboration with stakeholders?

Our main objective is to make access to higher education more democratic, thus providing fair opportunities to all aspirant learners wishing to pursue higher education. To achieve this, we are committed to implementing flexible educational programs that meet the individual needs of students, allowing them to progress at their own pace with multiple entries and multiple exits. Also, encouraged to choose multi-disciplinary courses with micro-credentials tailored to their professional goals. We also strive to diversify teaching methods to better meet different learning preferences.

We encourage the integration of educational technologies to enhance student learning and promote interaction in both face-to-face and virtual classrooms.

The university is working with a progressive and open mindset to have industry-academia collaboration for curriculum development, teaching-learning, internships, etc. I am also in the process of having international collaboration to have cross-cultural learning to promote the internationalization of education through joint research and projects, student and teacher exchange programmes, etc. Community engagement learning and skill development for the global economy are planned to make our students more employable and entrepreneurs.

The University is actively engaged in the social sector and working closely with youth for their upliftment and conducted workshops with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), the National Commission for Women (NCW), National Institute of Social Defence (NISD), the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). Recently projects related to skilling, entrepreneurship and innovation have been secured by the university from the Department of Science and Technology and MSME. Hence the university is also envisioning to further proliferate the vision at the national and state level for holistic development of students.

I also invest in teacher training and capacity building to help them take effective advantage of technological tools and optimally integrate them into their teaching practices. This is to make a continuous process and also encourage them for research projects, publications, patents, and more collaborations through incentivizing their efforts. Continuously advocates the integration of educational technology for student learning and promoting interaction in both physical and virtual classrooms. Encouraging teachers to develop e-contents in our studio and promoting to use of Moodle LMS to develop online courses and the use of free educational resources for student learning.