The document outlines a proposed unified technology enhanced education framework called Vedyadhara. It aims to provide a unified quality framework for distance, online, and campus-based education modes. Key elements include developing a Course Pedagogy and Management Plan for each course, adopting a Course Maturity Rating system, and establishing Vedyadhara as a community-driven open e-learning environment through its various services. Implementing this framework could help provide quality education to all students regardless of their geography.

1. Enabling Tech Enhanced Framework for Quality
Assurance and Accreditation in Education
- A Roadmap for Distance Education Council
K.R. Srivathsan,
Pro Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU
srivathsan@ignou.ac.in
World Education Summit
13 July 2011

2. “QUALITY EDUCATION TO ALL
INDEPENDENT OF GEOGRAPHY”
 A recent observation by Bill Gates:
“Five years from now on the web for free you’ll be able to
find the best lectures in the world,” Gates said at the
Techonomy conference in Lake Tahoe, CA today. “It will be
better than any single university,” he continued. He believes
that no matter how you came about your knowledge, you
should get credit for it. It’s just too expensive and too hard to
get these upper-level educations… “And soon place-based
college educations will be five times less important than
they are today.”
 Tech Enhanced Education Framework is both a
necessity and inevitability.
→ We Introduce the 'Vedyadhara' Framework of IGNOU

3. Unified Tech Enhanced Education Framework?
➢ We have 3 modes of education delivery.
➢ The ODL mode – mostly centered on SLM, assignment(s)
and TEE.
➢ The 'Online' mode that is supported by LMS.
➢ Regular Classes Mode on campus or in Study Centres. This
includes flexible hours education that DEC approves.
➢ Presently these are weakly regulated bureaucratically by
Councils and Commissions that are unable to address quality
Q: Can we have a unified quality framework for all modes and
assure learner centric choice of courses in different modes.
➢ We delineate the Vedyadhara Open Learning Environment
(VOLE) as unifying framework developed at IGNOU.

4. VOLE: As Community Driven Open e-Learning

5. VOLE: From ODL to Open Distributed
Technology Enhanced Learning (ODTEL)
Set Instructional objectives Evaluate against
Instructional Objectives Final Marks,
Grade
2. IGNOU
+ 1.Instruction Online/
Open Course
J Exams
Delivery Guide: Learning Self Test
- Activities,
Exercises +
Teacher – Learner Involvement in all stages 6. Assessment
4. Feedback
to learners
➔ The above model of course management is adaptable
to all modes of learning situations → ODL, F2F,
'Online', or Tutored Video Instruction.
➔ We may imbed chosen pedagogy in specific courses.

6. Vedyadhara: Unified Framework
1. Instruction delivered to students using a blend of delivery modes:
(i) Conventional: Teacher taking the class uses rich content;
(ii) Tutored Video Instruction using Recorded Video Lectures (RVL)
(ii) IGNOU’s Self Learning Materials (SLM) and suppl. content.
(iv) Interactive Web Portal and LMS supported Online Learning.
2. Instruction Delivery to be followed by effective engagement of
Learners in stipulated learning activities.
3. For each mode, we develop Course Pedagogy & Management Plan',
or CPMP.
 System is well suited for Affiliating Universities or Open
Universities with distributed study centres. Will enhance quality in
regular classes also.

7. Role of Open Course Guide & CPMP
Calendar, Course Events, Alerts &
M Gateway Systems
CPMP over
OCG
Course and
Learners
Instruction
Distributed
Management
Over
Team
Geography
IGNOU’s SLM, Video, MM, e-Books Open Web
Content, OER, Course Wiki, QMS, etc.
R1: Development of 'Course Pedagogy and Management Plan'
[CPMP] that is published over the Open Course Guide.

8. Req.1: Sample Structure of CPMP
➢ CPMP is best structured as a Table over the Open Course Guide
(OCG) Wiki: Example for ODL.
Week-1 Unit -1/B1 Linked SIM Links to Recommended
Instructional Online Rich Activities & Resources
Objectives Content
Week-2 Unit-2/B1 Linked SIM TV & Radio Recommended
Sessions Activities & Resources
Contact Suggested Counselors' Brief Topics for Guidance on
Class-1 Topics & & Engagement Students' achieving learning
Wiki postings Discussions outcomes.
Weeks 3, 4 .... Assignment – 1 ..... Conlusion of B-1,2
& CC-2 .. & Deadline for Online posting of
Evaluation challenges
*** *** ***
Week-12 Instructions Links to services *** Online discussions &
On Exams. for Exams. Postings on TEE
> Every Program to develop the CPMP for each of its courses.

9. Req. 2: Adoption of Course Maturity Rating [CMR]
Rating CMR is based upon the effectiveness of the OCG
in conducting the course.
IOCG with course home page & open Wiki/
Discussion Forums.
1* + description of blocks, units & links to
approved resources.
2* + Counseling Plan, Calendar of Course
Events, Seminars (TV, Webinar) Self-Test
monitoring.
3* + Assured engagement in at least 70% of
modules + Concept Map, active learning
support and learner feedback.
4* + Assured outcome assessed engagement
in at least 70% of modules + individual/
group feedback.
 With 3* and above, IGNOU may challenge good universities in quality

10. Assessment of CMR
➢ CMR is based upon the effectiveness of the OCG in
conducting the course by the approved community
of Coordinators, counselors & assured support by
Programme Studt Centres.
➢ ASC to (i) Recommend the CMR system to Academic
Council; (ii) Recommend the process of CMR
Assessment by Course Experts and acceptance by
School Board.
➢ A draft document is seperately provided.
➢ A Task Force of experienced ODL experts to be
appointed and come up with draft procedures for
formal CMR adoption.
➢ CMR may also be provided for Online Learning and
F2F Programmes.

11. Implementation of IGNOU’s VOLE
Vedyadhara Wiki Main (Wiki) Portal
IGNOU Programs Information.
Navigate to Programs
Open Program Guide (OPG):
Program Related Information,
Courses Surveys, Alerts,
Program Events, Program Blog
Open Community Wiki,
Sewa (IPS): Students’
LMS, OERs, Learning,
IGNOU Prashnottari
Queries, Program &
Discussion Forums,
& Announcements, Navigate to
Support Services
Circulars, FAQs.
Admin & Student
OCG, IPS, Wiki & Services.
Open Course Guide (OCG):
Course Related Information;
Access / links to Course Study
Materials and rich content Course
Pedagogy & Management Plan
(CPMP) ; Navigate to Services

12. Establishing Vedyadhara as 4-Quadrants of Services
2. Program Admin: 1. Academic Back Every Program
Database of Students, Office: Content Gen. and its Courses
Regstrn., Evaluation, & Alignment, Curricula are provided for
Progress Tracking, Review, Approvals, and managed
Counselors, Evaluators, Minutes of Meetings ...
through 4-
etc.
Quadrants of
3. VOLE Dynamic 4. Community
Services.
Support: for Networking:
Learners, Study Augmentation, Peer to VOLE is a Unified
Centres, Colleges, Peer Learning, Mass Education
Teachers, RCs, etc. Media Programmes, Management
Collaborations, ... System.
VOLE and associated CMR of the courses may be used by any
college or university - whether Open, Conventional, or Online.

13. IPS and Students Support Over Vedyadhara
➢ IGNOU Prashnottari Sewa [IPS] is a useful 'Query –
Response System and an integral part of VOLE.
➢ Each Programme has a separate IPS that allows
queries from students, counselors, anyone to be
directed to (i) Programme Coordinator or 'Office';
(ii) Students Support Services, (iii) or designated
target office for a response.
➔ Each Programme should have one designated person
to respond to the queries received.
➔ IPS enables distribution and decentralization of
Students Support Services to each programme.
➔ With VOLE and IPS support, each programme
becomes a virtual institution.

14. Vedyadhara: Layered Model of e-Learning
Over Education Grid
Education Grid Gateway Services Access Systems University / Resources
Management
Study
Schools Colleges Centres
* *
Tier–5: Instruction, Practice, Evaluation Management Experts,
(Colleges, Study Centers) Mentors
D
N A Tier-4: Content Alignment & Capacity Building (AU)
E T
T A Tier–3: Content/Web Resources (IGNOU, NPTEL, …) Academic
W C Management
O E
N Tier-2: Systems, Applications (Over Clouds and Internet)
R
K T
E R Tier-1: ICT Infrastructure (RailTel, TelCos, STPI, NKN)
D E
S
Vedyadhara anchors the missing Tier-4

15. Vedyadhara: Community Driven e-Learning
TV, Comm. Radio, Telecon,Webinar, Mobile…
Program & Counselors,
Courses Srtudents,
Coordinators Passive Learners
Vedyadhara Suite of
Colleges, OPG, OCG, & Communities
Learners
University V- Community Wiki, Learning
OLE IPS, LMS & Blog Services
Education and Dynamic Info., IPS,
Capacity Building Alerts, MM Postings
Programs
Advanced Technology,
Information & Learning
Services (ATILS)

16. V-OLE Over Education Grid assures Quality and
Scaling Up for Inclusion and Enhanced GER
 2 SMEs may manage 100
Study Centres.
2. Course Course
Management
Coordinator,
Cycles
Subject 4. Colleges
Matter & Study
Experts Centres
(SME)
Course
Design
Cycles
Students &
1.SLMs,RVLs, 3. V-OLE Open teachers
MM Content, Course Guide 24X7 access
Open Web (IOCG)

17. Open Course Guide (OCG): Exploit Convergence
for Quality Learning Engagements
Course
em g
Exercises
t
ag nin
en
r
M Lea
Self Study / Discovery
Course Map TV &
an
& Library Webinars
QMS &
LMS
SLM, Web Web Mentoring
Content
OCG Discussion
Personal Forums
Dash Board E-Mail
& Alerts
Web SMS Alerts
Resources M-Learn
Group Interactions/ P2P Learning

18. Present IGNOU VOLE Services
IGNOU
Regional IGNOU Open Web Content,
Services Program & Courses NPTEL, OCW, OER,
Coordinators …
IGNOU
Prashnottari Open Program Guide Program Blog
Sewa (IPS)
To OCGs of Various Courses
Moodle Open Course Course Wiki &
LMS Guide (OCG) Discussions
Coordination with and services to Study Centres, Counselors & Students
 Effective Blend of Social Networking, Personalized Support,
LMS with Mass Media/Multicast reach to learners everywhere

19. V-OLE from the Learners and Community Perspective
Online Library,
Open Publishing
al ,
Teachers &
Fo b Students in the
Co rm l o EL .
G T c
ur a n NP Et Colleges,
se l pe t, W. Passive
s O n C
te O Learners, Web
on IT
C M Mentors, ...
Education V-OLE Course
Grid Systems Program Manageme Each Affiliating
U
& ETS Portal ni nt Groups University may
v establish Course
In er
st sit Portals based upon
es it ie
Community &
c ut s NPTEL and other
b ur
e o io &
W es
ns open/local content
Students
Subject
R
Course Portals may be
built and managed
over time.

20. VOLE, Convergence for Quality Inclusive Education
Community Radio 2 4
Learners Anywhere
IGNOU, 1 3
NPTEL, 5 6
Universities CSCs / Kiosks for
TV B Internet Accessed
A
Services
Other V-OLE IP-TV
Programs Services Internet
Portals 7
(((
Access C
Industry
R&D, Call E D Phone
Etc. Centre 8 Low Cost
Access
9 Devices

21. DEC's Enabling Role – a Roadmap
➢ Orienting all DEC approved programmes to develop and post the Open
Programme Guide, Open Course Guide with its Course Pedagogy and
Management Plan for each of its courses.
➢ Build an assessment system for CMR.
➢ DEC should promote mapping of credits to stipulated activities in the
CPMP published openly in the OCG.
➢ Each OCG with its CPMP assessed for its CMR.
➢ Every programme that assures CMR of at least 3* should be taken as
accredited with recommendation for cross credits with courses of IGNOU
and others, including those of extension education.
➢ DEC may encourage 'Education Passbooks' for every aspiring student to
help build complete, assured and accredited multi-institutional
collaborative programmes.
➢ A strong ICT enabled DEC will serve as a national collaborative education
platform that strengthens all 'distance', or better, networked programmes in
the country.

22. Recommendations for Approvals
1. ATILS to be formally constituted as core ICT Services Unit of
IGNOU. It should have a minimum of 10 Professional Staff hired
against posts to be notified and approved under ACIIL.
2. Working Group to be constituted to draft the CPMP and CMR
system. This is to include the process of their approval by the
School Board and integration into the Phase Forms of the P&DD.
3. Establishing the Programmes Databases Management Unit as part
of or along with the ATILS.
4. Directives to all large ODL Programme Coordinators to set up the
OPG and OCG for their programmes.
5. Dedicated Cloud Servers for VOLE and Databases.
Deadline? VC's approval for ATILS to be obtained by July end.
Relevant decisions to be tabled in the next AC meeting.

23. IN SUMMARY
 With V-OLE, it is possible to provide ‘Quality
Education to All, Independent of Geography’.
Recall Swami Vivekananda?
 “If the poor cannot come to education,
education must reach them, at the plough, in
the factory, everywhere.”
 We can make this happen through Vedyadhara
and Thematic Community Enterprises.
For relevant papers, visit
http://vedyadhara.ignou.ac.in/wiki
 ODTEL Publications

24. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First to IIITM-K for the years spent experimenting
with diverse systems of eLearning, the Education
Grid, KISSAN-Kerala and others.
Second to all colleagues at Trivandrum, specifically Shri R.
Narayanan of TCS, Dr. Venkatesh, Shri Radhakrishnan, Shri
Ajith Kumar, Shri Pradeep Kumar, Dr. Dinesh, Shri Arvind
Mohan, Shri David Mathews, and several others.
Third to Vice Chancellor, Board of IGNOU and now Shri
Sukant Kole, Ms. Divya Raj, Shri Rejith. R, Dr. K.
Subramanian, the ACIIL team, Prof. P. Tripathi, Dr. Pankaj
Khare and others for supporting the ongoing initiatives.

25. T OGETHER
E VERYONE
A CHIEVES
M ORE
Thank You