Workshop 12

Institutional Strategies for Using Technology for Quality Learner Support Services

Workshop Description:

There is no disagreement that learner support is a central issue for success in education and training
in general and in open and distance learning (ODL) in particular. Many questions arise when ODL is
applied at school level where the learners are mostly young adults. Some of them are:

• Should institutions offering programmes using ODL system at school level need to look at the
  issue of quality learner support services differently?
• Would the strategies be the same as for learners in higher education?
• With limited access to technology for many learners around the world in different countries,
  what should be the nature of technological intervention?
• What kind of preparation does an Institution need to improve quality in support system by using
  technology?
• Will technology intervention ensure quality in the the support system?
  Keeping these in mind the workshop intends to draw up a framework for institutions to examine their key processes to ensure that they are investing energy and resources in ways that will help achieve their goals. Hence the objective of the workshop will be to:
• Identify relevant learner support services.
• Identify key processes and the possible use of technology for learner support.
• Categorise related group of key processes
• Use the Categories to develop a framework in order to structure Institutional Systems Portfolio
  which becomes a key management and communication tool for continuous improvement.
  In the process the workshop aims to:
  • draw upon the experience/expertise of colleagues working in the field;
  • enter into a dialogue about the approach being taken and the influence of various contextual components and institutional constraints;
  • discuss future potential opportunities for further enhancement and any related requirements
    (including resources).

Presenter: Dr Sushmita Mitra, Director (SSS), NIOS, India

Holds a Ph.D (Educational Technology) from IIT New Delhi, M. Tech (Applied Optics) from IIT, New Delhi, M.Sc (physics) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India.

Had been associated for the last twenty seven years with the National Institute of Open Schooling, New Delhi (an autonomous organization under the Dept of Education, Govt. Of India) right from its inception, in different capacities. Currently holds the position of Director (Student Support Services) at NIOS, but for the last one year had been on leave to be in the United Kingdom.
Was on deputation to Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for three years in a project titled Distance Education Programme (DEP) of District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), which was a collaborative project of IGNOU and National Council Educational Research and Training (NCERT), sponsored by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). In this the responsibilities lied in training various personnel of primary education under DPEP through distance education interventions in terms of methods and materials and activities were carried out in the states of Gujarat and West Bengal.

Following this was on deputation for two years to Indian Society for Technical Education, New Delhi in a Swiss Development Agency’s Project for development of Technical Learning materials in Computer science and Engineering and Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Developed a number of materials and trained authors who are teachers of technical institutions.

International experiences have been as follows:

• Worked as Resource Person for Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Vancouver, Canada, for the Forum for Secondary school education for Sub Sahara African countries held in Botswana.
• Was appointed as an Expert by Commonwealth of Learning (COL) for finalizing a project proposal for Junior Open School in Bangladesh under Bangladesh Open University, Dhaka.
• Appointed as Consultant by COL to train Tutors of Learning Centers in Bangladesh.
• Research residency programme with International Research Foundation in Open Learning, Cambridge, UK
• Underwent UNESCO sponsored Study visit to Australia
• Underwent COL sponsored Study visit to University Sains Malaysia, Penang,
• Participation in the 2nd PAN COL conference held in South Africa in 2002.
• Participated and chaired sessions in the 4th PAN COL CONFERENCE held in Jamaica in November 2006.
• Appointed as a Consultant to Develop and Finalized a “Training Manual for the Tutors” for Bangladesh.
• Visits to UK, USA, Europe and other South East Asia countries at personal level

At national level too acted as Resource person on many occasions.

There are a number of papers and publications on areas of ODL in my credit.

Languages known are English, Bengali, and Hindi (working knowledge).