How distance education is growing to be student centric The growing prospects of distance education As India gears up to increase its

Gross Enrolment Rario from the present 18.5% to 25.2% by 2017, in the higher education segment, distance learning is perceived as the prospective means to achieve that target. According to a 2012 survey, close to 24% of all enrolments in higher education are in the open and distance learning system. As the need to encourage greater enrolment through better access and affordability increases, the ODL system has undergone tremendous improvements to cater to the growing needs of the Indian student populace. Making distance education student-centric Distance learning over the last decade has evolved from being a mere correspondence course to a value-added employable degree. The noninteractive, nil-interface of this mode of education has slowly and steadily given way to a close-knit, networked learning experience. The many features, which make distance learning courses student-centric, are: 1. Flexibility and affordability: Being a self-driven stream of learning, distance education helps students to study at their own pace, enabling them to balance their work and home as well. Those aiming for higher education but are financially constrained can choose distance learning courses as a cost effective alternative. 2. Relaxed eligibility: Re-entry, lateral-entry and eligibility to distance learning courses are much relaxed. The 10+2+3 norm is not enforced in this mode of education. 3. Remote accessibility: Many distance learning universities such as SMU-DE have a nation-wide network of learning centres to facilitate easy access to students from the remotest parts of the country 4. Technology-driven learning platform: With the increased internet penetration in India, online learning is edging closer to the regular classroom learning experience. The multi-media channels of the online platform create a rich, live interface for learning, apart from giving 24*7 accesses and a global resource-pool. 5. Innovative pedagogical approach: Teaching and learning have undergone a paradigm shift, keeping in view the necessity to impart on-job skills to students. It is no longer the one-sided knowledge transfer approach from the text-books through the teachers to the

students. The scope of textbooks has extended to the global pool of resources accessible through online connectivity. The dynamics of distance learning has established the cornerstone principle of interactive-enriched learning experience through:

a) Industry-relevant curriculum: With greater orientation towards markettrends and adequate industry exposure, distance education universities have devised course content, which emphasize on on-job training. This ensures that the students by the time of course completion are job-ready.

b) All-round learning: In the modern set-up, it is not just academic-skills, which will bag the student his/her dream job. Any prospective employer assesses employability of a candidate in terms of 1) soft skills 2) hardskills and 3) other desirable personality traits Distance education courses offered by universities of repute are as much accredited as the regular programs in the job-industry and offer numerous prospects for career growth.