Editorial

Abstract

For this year, we have combined all the three issues of IJOL into one volume, specially due to constraints imposed by the Covid-19. We could succeed in reviewing and inclusion of six research papers, one book review, and two workshop reports. As for all issues, this volume also contains the abstracts of research papers in Hindi too.

This peer-reviewed Indian Journal of Open Learning is abstracted by many national and international abstracting/indexing services, including the Indian Citation Index and the UGC-CARE.

Our collection of research papers cover a wide range of themes – human resource development, flipped learning, aspirations of distance learners, vocational education, learner support, and placement support all within the ambit of open, distance, online, and blended learning.

The first paper by Daisy Ofosuhene from Ghana reports a review of research studies on the contribution of distance education to human resource development, and underlines its positive contribution toward employability, standard of living, and addressing the issues of disadvantage and marginalization. The second paper by Shaikh and Sumi presents the findings of a two-group post-test design on the impact of flipped learning on cognitive level school students, and reports significant contribution of flipped learning to higher orders of cognition including analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

In the third paper, Ara, Parveez and Saunand report the findings of a research study on IGNOU students; and underline that the challenges that students faced include fee payment, full comprehension of course materials, time management; and student aspirations included enhancing qualifications, gaining employability skills, and do doctoral research in future. Sahay and Singh in the fourth paper undertake a comprehensive review of vocational education and training (VET) in India, and underline further contextualization of VET through ODL. In the next paper, Mohapatra and Pant critically analyse various learning support services provided by IGNOU to its learners during Covid-19, including technology integrated interventions undertaken by the regional centres and the university headquarters. In the last paper, R. Mahendran analyses the placement services including job fairs provided by the Tamil Nadu Open University to its students.

The book review by S.K. Pulist on the theme of digital learning, and the national and international workshop reports on serving students with disabilities, and design and development of self-learning materials conducted by STRIDE, IGNOU should be of interest to our readers.

We hope this volume will be of interest and benefit to our readers. We shall be glad to receive comments and suggestions from the readers, and especially quality research papers from faculty and research scholars.

Editorial Team, IJOL