InnovationClub@IGNOU organised a Brainstorming Session on “Generating Ideas for IGNOU@2047” which was held on December 22, 2023 at 11:00 AM through Google Meet. A total of 56 faculty members from IGNOU Headquarters and Regional Centres participated in the brainstorming sessions and gave their ideas on IGNOU@2047.
Explore the ideas generated during the Brainstorming Session
Inclusiveness should be considered as a separate theme more important for empowering women, education of prisoners and transgender persons. Developing skill programme for self-help groups of each state with the help of Government Funding. A framework and a comprehensive policy could be developed for supporting empowerment and inclusivity.
In context to circular economy approach a common pool of resources, both physical and digital educational resources should be promoted.
Collaboration and resource-sharing among various schools of IGNOU should be encouraged to boost efficiency and avoid duplication of efforts when new courses or programmes are created. This will enable IGNOU to reduce wastage of physical resources, finances, manpower etc.
The courseware for IGNOU programmes needs to be more agile and actively engage with a larger learner community. Generative AI-based technologies should be used to boost interaction and make the learning experience more dynamic.
IGNOU should take a lead in developing AI based applications in education and produce great results. This could then be replicated at other universities across the country and even across the world. Investment will be required in the beginning but at the end such initiatives are expected to give returns in the future.
IGNOU should also focus on developing better courseware that specifically addresses issues of inequalities in education and income.
IGNOU should also work directly with the communities. So that by the next 24 years, these efforts will enhance the rationale for the university and foster a more inclusive and integrated educational environment.
Streamlining all that core activities like conduct of counseling, dispatch of grade card, empanelment of academic counsellors, assignments etc.
IGNOU should become a digital University in all aspects right from admission to graduation.
Promotion of digital literacy among all the stakeholders of IGNOU in particular the students so that they use the technology enabled services provided by the University effectively.
Including disability studies in curricula wherever possible.
Persons with learning disabilities, with autism, with ADHD all of which are now included in the Disability Act of 2016 and are part of the 21 disabilities. Thus, IGNOU, can use technology to create tailor-made solutions that accommodate the varied requirements of individuals with disabilities. This will also enable IGNOU to contribute to a more inclusive and accessible learning ecosystem.
IGNOU needs to be an inclusive University by providing all types of facilities required for the students with disabilities.
Due to the dynamic change in types of jobs soon, there will also be a continuous change in skills requirement and type of qualification required to fulfil a job. So, the students should have the flexibility to design their own degrees for what they want.
Universities like IGNOU should not only produce new knowledge which they are doing and producing teaching material content they should be think tanks they should be able to advise the government on various issues concerning the nation and Globe at large.
University may form a body where various government issues could be discussed to come out with possible solutions as IGNOU has a rich intellectual Capital.
IGNOU can have a series of lectures on India at 2047 by eminent personalities.
About the Brainstorming Session
While initiating the session Dr. Jyotsna Dikshit, Deputy Director, NCIDE and coordinator Innovation Club@IGNOU mentioned that Viksit Bharat@2047 is the vision of Government of India to make India a developed nation by 2047. The vision encompasses various aspects of development, including youth empowerment, community development, innovation and entrepreneurship, and civic engagement and good governance. In the history of India this is the time (Amrit Kaal) when the country is going to take a quantum leap. The role of educational institutions, in particular IGNOU which is a mega university with its PAN India and Global presence and with flexible, accessible, quality and cost-effective mode of imparting education at the doorsteps of the students is expected to play an important role in building a developed India by 2047.
The presentation was followed by an Ideation Session on IGNOU@2047. In the session some essential problems were also identified. They were on conducting counselling sessions, dispatch of study materials, assessment and evaluation related activities, shortage of evaluators, physical and ICT infrastructure with high-speed internet connectivity at RCs, issues pertaining to learner grievances, handling practical components of various programmes of IGNOU at RCs, lack of just-in-time information to the learners etc.
Various ideas were discussed on achieving Viksit Bharat@2047. Based on the initial ideation session a strong need was felt to conducted focused group ideation sessions on various themes and goals on the topic and develop a document of ideas and implementation strategy for the University.