Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
4. Discuss the issues with implementation of blended learning as proposed by the UGC. (250 words)
Reference: Hindustan Times
Why the question:
The recent circular by the University Grants Commission (UGC) proposing the shift to a blended learning (BL) approach under which the higher educational institutions (HEI) would teach 40% of any course online and the rest 60% offline is in news.
Key Demand of the question:
Present your arguments for the challenges that may come in way for implementing the blended learning program as proposed by the UGC.
Directive:
Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you have to debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You have to give reasons for both for and against arguments.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Start with what Blended mode of Education.
Body:
Explain the Blended mode of teaching and its advantages.
Highlight the challenges associated; All India Survey on Higher Education (2019-20) report shows that 60.56% of the 42,343 colleges in India are located in rural areas and 78.6% are privately managed.
Only big corporates are better placed to invest in technology and provide such learning.
Second, according to datareportal statistics, Internet penetration in India is only 45% as of January 2021.
This policy will only exacerbate the existing geographical and digital divide.
The listening part and subsequent interactions with the teacher may get minimised.
Suggest what needs to be done.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
