Faculty Development Programme on Open, Distance and Online Learning: “Emerging New Realities: Bridging the Gap of Regular and ODL Mode” for the Faculty of Rajiv Gandhi University

सार

Despite having huge advantages associated with the Distance Learning mode, there is a constant debate on its validation. However, the modern world has witnessed that the conventional method of teaching is being replaced by the ODL method rapidly. The pandemic situation of COVID-19 further escalates the importance of ODL method of teaching.

Today it is becoming more and more evident that the lines between the regular mode and ODL mode is blurring. The central differentiating line of regular mode of education and ODL was the fact that one has compulsory face-to-face learning and the other relies more on self-learning. The emphasis was on ‘Self Learning Material’.  From the earlier mode of ‘Distance Education’, the non-formal education system has come a long way to be known as ODL (Online and Distance Learning). Since the transformation of Distance mode to ODL mode, online technologies have taken the focus. Since before the pandemic crisis, ODL mode was marching full force into online mode to improve the quality and credibility of distance education. The new strategy of the ODL mode has today become the need of regular mode. Classroom teaching is fast being replaced by online classes, which is the domain of ODL mode.