Management of Refereed Content Generation and Utilization for Formal Higher Education

Srivathsan, K R

Several government agencies working to set up contrywide educational service network

Kerala education grid project is a major initiative of the Kerala government

Course specific refereed and recommended content

Overview of the Kerala Education Grid Project

Ministry of Human Resources Development, All India Council for Technical Education, University Grants Commission, ERNET India and several other agencies of the Government are working towards setting up a countrywide educational services network through several associated programs, such as National Programme for Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL), broadband connectivity for education and ISTE initiatives in developing learning materials. The Kerala Government has taken the major initiative of Kerala Education Grid Project with plans to link the institutions of higher education through a collaborative knowledge network of education servers over the Internet. The Department of Higher Education [DHE] of the Kerala Government and the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management - Kerala [IIITM-K] took the steps to launch the Kerala Education Grid as a state-level plan initiative. The Governing Council and an Apex Project Coordination Unit [APCU] of the project have been constituted through necessary Government orders. This approach paper is being proposed following the discussions and views of the project member-experts and officials of the Governing Council and APCU.

In the context of Web-assisted education over a network of academic and research institutions, several issues arise. To appreciate the issues, we briefly describe below the features and approach of the Education Grid Project.

1. The participating colleges will be linked over a statewide Education Network. Each college will host an Education Server with learning management system (LMS) collaboration tools, group ware, digital library and e-publishing facilities.

2. Premier institutions such as NIT - Calicut, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) - Kochi, College of Engineering (CET), Kerala University and IIITM-K -Thriuvananthapuram will each host an Education Grid Resource Centre [EGRC]; IIITM-K will host the Education Grid Operations Centre [EGOC] that coordinates the entire project.

3. The project is steered by an Apex Project Coordination Unit (APCU) of academicians, experts and key officials such as Directors of Technical and Collegiate Education. A Project Governing Council chaired by the Principal secretary Higher Education will monitor and oversee that policy and monetary inputs to the project are forthcoming.

4. Each course that is taught formally in the various colleges across the universities or different institutions (starting with Engineering and Sciences disciplines) will have course specific refereed and recommended content. There will be specific teacher orientation and assistance for scheduling of course events such as sequence of topics covered, mid-term and end-term examinations, tutorial and practical, assignments and discussions, etc.

5. Each course content and collaboration environment set over an intranet of Course Knowledge and Collaboration Space (CKCS) over internet. These will be supported by digital library and pedagogically effective management. Each CKCS will also manage a portal for interaction with the outside world.

Richer methodology than the traditional printed methodology

A Pedagogic Framework for Web-enabled Courseware

In contrast to the traditional printed, IT facilitated methodology is richer in both the presentation format and ability to incorporating course management processes.

There are several pedagogic frameworks available with considerable overlap in their approach and scope. Our traditional classroom - examination centric approach is one of these. B.F. Skinner's personalized system of instruction is well suited for mentor assisted self-paced learning through self-study. David Merrill [www.id2.usu.edu] describes a few pedagogic models including such ones as the Problem Based Learning [PBL] or Pebble in the Pond models. In recent years, the problem based learning approach appears to be gaining in popularity for Web-assisted learning in formal instruction. It is possible for us to mix the different pedagogic models in a learning situation.

Mix of different pedagogic models can be used

We shall describe how we can structure the different components of content with reference to the pedagogic PBL model. Merrill provides the model shown in Figure 1. to illustrate this. It is assumed that a course syllabus consists of a series of Learning Modules (LM). In a semester long course, we teach typically 10 - 12 modules. A module is covered typically in 2 to 4 lectures, a tutorial for case studies and examples, associated exercises, a test and if needed some practical. The above figure refers to the five pedagogic components that we need to have in a typical learning module. The purpose of each of the 5 components is stated here.

Motivate students by problems related to a real-world scenario

Real-war Id Problem Based Introduction

The first step is to motivate the students by showing how the problem or topic under discussion is related to a real-world scenario. Thus, for example, if we are teaching the solution of second order linear differential equation, we should show where such equations arise in the real world - as either an exact or as approximate description of some reality.

Here we must state clearly what the instructional objectives of the learning module are. This will help students focus their learning effort in conformity to the instructional objective.

It will be highly motivating if we add anecdotal information relating to the topic, or how historically the problem was taken up and the solution approaches evolved.

The objective is to trigger the thinking or cognitive processes

Activation of Cognitive Processes

The aim of this component is to trigger the thinking or cognitive processes of the learner from the prerequisite or preparatory level of the class and in ways that improve the efficiency and quality of efforts in teaching and learning. The spirit is to communicating effectively the nuances and essential descriptive knowledge components of the topic covered in the module. The key aspects of this are.

Adequate emphasis on communicating the approach to the topic

(i) Problem description or Statement

(ii) The model and assumptions behind the solution

(iii) Communicating the approach to the topic: Most students can understand or appreciate the overall approach of solving a problem. But, it requires sincere efforts to master the nitty-gritty of steps that lead of the solution, or gain the insight that is set forth as a concept. Often the lack of association among the model, assumptions and the approach to the solution raises most of the doubts in minds of the students. Hence adequate emphasis needs to be given for this part of the content. If possible we may include a video clip from the best of teachers in the linked content to emphasize this aspect.

(iv) The descriptive part as we see commonly in the textbooks. This needs to be tempered at the level of preparedness of the class. If this proves to be voluminous, it may be pointed to sections of recommended books or papers.

Demostration of how theory is applied in practice

Demonstration

Once the specifics of the problem, model and solution approach are communicated and taught, the next logical step is to show how the theory is applied in practice. We do this by examples, case studies, practical, web-based illustrations and demonstrations, through Java applets, etc. We also emphasize the different ways in which the concepts that are taught are applied under different problem scenarios.

Application is exercise or homework normally given

Application

The application part is reinforced through exercises or homework. The web as a medium provides useful multimedia and interaction (as in self-test) capabilities to enrich this component of the learning activity. It will be useful if students too are enabled to submit solutions to assignments online and in web-based solutions format if necessary. We may add a Self Test for the module that will assist discovering oneself how well one has understood, and what knowledge gaps exits in one's understanding.

In practice and to have a head start, it is best we begin posting solutions to the examinations of the recent past, homework and allow for release of solution after a time delay. This will attract the students and help build question banks. Here again referees may screen the quality of questions chosen so that the repetitive grind of questions that do not lead to some insight is kept within bounds. A well-designed computer evaluated objective type self test should help the students to test the understanding of key application or knowledge components pertaining to the learning module. Such test should be aligned with the instructional objectives set for the modules.

This Model addresses the need of both weak and bright students

Integration into Knowledge Domain

Through the components described above, it is ensured that the students have been taught well. We need a part to challenge the students to check themselves how well they have internalized or assimilated the learning objectives. This is best done by challenging the student to apply what has been taught into areas somewhat outside the syllabus and provoke the student to extend the concepts. Challenge Problems (that help discover one's assimilation and mastery of what is taught) and related examples or problems in other subject areas address such transsubject learning experience. This part need not be evaluated. But it helps motivated and bright students as a pointer to things outside of the syllabus. It is provided as self or group study material to help measure how well one has internalized the lesson.

The Value of the Five-component Pedagogic Model for Content

A relook at the five components presented above shows that the first Real-world Problem based introduction is targeted at both the teacher and student; the second activation part and the third demonstration part are primarily oriented to the teacher's efforts, the fourth and fifth components are aimed predominantly towards the students efforts. In all the five we must always keep both parties in mind.

Our traditional education system does not pay special attention to the very weak or the very strong students. The former fail and dropout and latter get bored. The five-component pedagogy model addresses the need of the very weak through Real-world problem based introduction (with pointer to refresh prerequisite material) and demostration and very strong through integration into knowledge domain.

Teacher's mentor/ng processes to help conduct the course efficiently

Supplementary Content and Course Management Functions

The five components of content briefly stated above provide a well-organized skeletal structure for E-Courseware within a module. When we place this courseware at the colleges, we also need to ensure that the course management and teachers' mentoring processes are in place to help conduct the course efficiently. Typically, these are helped by the following additions to the content.

(i) Syllabus, prerequisites, target learners group, learning objectives, and formal credit attached to the course.

(ii) Schedule and sequence of activities (number of lectures, tutorial, practical, group work, self-study, etc. and their sequencing) related to each module.

(iii) Teacher's material, power point presentations, approach to the topic, highlighting key concepts and their explanations, etc.

(iv) Online quiz or test for the module.

(v) Associated Module / Course-specific Portal with Digital Library and links to sites outside, including those related to industry.

(vi) Links to relevant popular journal articles, and content areas of similar courses in other institutions, historical papers on the subject and information on industry or profession that uses the ideas.

Referee/ng and rating process of e-courseware called CQM

The Content Quality Metric for &courseware

Having stated the five pedagogic components of content for a given module and the supplementary part of content in earlier sections we develop a refereeing and rating process for E-Courseware. We call this rating as the Content Quality Metric (CQM). This CQM is necessary to provide a periodic health check on the quality of E-Courseware and assess its worth in placing it for the formal education. secondly, CQM helps build and maintain an active database of the large number of modules with attendant configuration management and version control functions. Thirdly, without a CQM type tracking approach, it is difficult to make E-Courseware a formal part of the university processes.

CQM helps in periodic health check on the quality of e-courseware

The approach to CQM is straightforward. We examine each of the five pedagogic components of content as given in earlier section, namely (i) real-world problem based introduction (referred as introduction), (ii) activation of cognitive processes (refer this simply as 'Activation'), (iii) Demonstration, (iv) Application and (v) Integration into knowledge domain (referred as 'integration'). Merrill recommends a star rating for each of the module. A course having all in good condition is given 5 stars. He further suggests that each be given one of 3 types of stars - Gold, Silver or Bronze. Instead of star, we may give each of the 5 components of a module the CQM rating as a single numeral. An example of how such a rating can be assigned is illustrated in Table-1 pertaining to the first component.

It may be noted from Table 1 that it is broadly in conformance with Merrill's model of rating as passable (bronze), good (silver) and excellent (gold). We have put together some explicit details of items that constitute the component. This will help E-Courseware authors, the course expert groups and the referees to know what is expected of them and how to work together in the creation and management of the content.

What is given here is a sketch on how to judge the components. The third column need not be linearly mapped to the second by a referee. The second column is indicative of the details of such content that enhance the learning experience of the student. In ways similar to the first component, we may give a CQM value to the other components as per Tables 2-5.

The term 'bisociation' in the last part of the Integration component refers to the word Arthur Koestler coins to explain the capacity for associating two seemingly different subject areas by the similar underlying paradigm that may have been evolved in the module. It may not be relevant for every kind of module. It is important and interesting to note in all the five components of the module, good to very good rating is achievable without recourse to complex multimedia or expensive simulation type content.

Fair assessment by CQM vector rating

As an example of how the CQM helps, let us say a learning module has the rating 2 - 4 - 3 - 5 - 2. In one stroke the metric tells the following: the LM has (i) satisfactory or usable problem based introduction; (ii) good descriptive part that communicates effectively the approach to the problem; (iii) better demonstration, case studies, etc.; (iv) very good home work and self-test to help check learner's understanding; and (v) satisfactory integration part that challenges the learner's capacity to apply what has been taught. Thus CQM allows for a fair assessment of the different dimensions that constitute the codifiable parts of learning processes.

Course expert group (CEG) of three faculty from best available in the subject

Role of Course Expert Group

Education Grid envisages the setting up of Resource Centres in premier institutions that have good faculty. In each subject area at a given level (say UG core, UG elective, UG senior and PG) the project will identify a Course Expert Group (CEG) of three faculty (from the best available in the subject) and associate a Resource Centre (EGRC) for the content development. The CEG will identify the courses to be taken up for content development and come up with the syllabus broken appropriately into modules. This is submitted as a proposal for funding by the project for content development.

Once a Course Development Proposal is received, it is scrutinised and funds for its development will be given from the project. The CEG will be rooted in one of the EGRCs and may co-opt experts and eminent faculty from anywhere in the country to help develop the course. EGRC will be adequately equipped with the tools for content development and web-hosting servers.

Price for courses with good content rating

Financial Viability of Education Grid

In the long run we propose to the APCU that a course with minimum good content rating in at least 70% of the modules will be placed in the colleges for a price. For each student taking such a course, the user college will be asked to support the Education Grid activity through a levy of INR 200 per student per course. Economies of scale show the following. Suppose we address 5 lakh students, each talking 10 courses in a year. Let us say 10% of the courses are mature enough within one or two years for service charges. The collection at INR 200 per course amounts to INR 10 Million per year. Over time as more courses mature, the collection will be several times higher. This is for Kerala alone. At national level, the collection will be at least ten times higher. Out of this collection, a part, say 25%, will fund the college's IT infrastructure servicing and teacher's training. The remaining will be ploughed back to support content development, maintenance activities and network services under the Grid. This will ensure that the Education Grid becomes self-sustaining in the long run.

Maintaing CKCS consistently, a major challenge to the Education Grid Project

What is the Course Knowledge and Collaboration Space?

The way the diverse component activities are proposed to be maintained across geographically distributed institutions is to establish and maintain Course Knowledge and Collaboration Space (CKCS) for each course. A major challenge of the Education Grid Project is to establish and maintain this CKCS consistently in the respective Education Servers of the participating colleges. This space is figuratively shown in figure 2. What the figure implies is that such a well maintained information and collaborative space with refereed content as explained in earlier section and supported through processes by the CEGs as stated in earler section for each applicable course will be made available through the college Education Server under the Education Grid.

Two key assumptions in the approach to content creation and management are that (a) there is a reasonable quality of Internet connectivity across the colleges (this may be solved by requesting ERNET to install and maintain the network) and (b) each college is endowed with quality Education Servers and LAN based access. The servers should have (i) Learning Management System and (ii) Groupware with Collaboration tools to provide distributed Intranet support for the course experts, mentors, referees and teachers across the colleges. The servers should also support adequate digital library and e-publishing facilities in the colleges.

Stand alone web enabled course servers such as webCT, blackboard are satisfactory

Choice of Suitable Platform for the Education Grid

Till date a few institutions such as some IITs and IIMs have installed some popular Course Tools packages such as WebCT, Blackboard, Virtual Manhattan (Free Software) or similar ones (almost all from North America). A good comparison of several such tools in the market is available in the site www.edutools.info and in the comparisons therein by Bruce Landon of the University of British Columbia. As standalone web-enabled course servers, these are quite satisfactory. From the education grid point of view we are looking for the following features in the server platform.

i) Learning Management System

ii) Groupware and collaboration tools with group specific documents library, workflow support for e-publishing, published documents, directory services, informal knowledge repository, etc.

iii) Support for recorded multimedia streaming services

iv) Master Digital Library with personalized library view through links and bookmarks

v) Grid transport framework that maintains consistency in relevant group spaces and LMS areas across geographically distributed servers

vi) Low life cycle cost of ownership.

All functions of education grid are not covered by stand alone servers and they are more expensive as well

The ready available servers mostly from North America are best suited for expert teachers to establish support their own courses. Except for the Virtual Manhattan, the packages cost (INR 0.5-1 million per year as license fee) makes them expensive for the Indian colleges. Their inadequacy in supporting several of the functions stated above coherently make them inadequate for the Education Grid. In addition, we also look for efficient web-enabled administration of components services, and API type interfaces for custom functions to help develop new components functions by the owners.

New technology class education server was initiated at HT Kanpur

It was in the above context a major thrust in developing a new technology class Education Servers was initiated at UT Kanpur in 1999-2000. The group of IITK developers shifted to IIITM-K at Thiruvananthapuram in May 2001. Augmented by local engineers the group completed the early version of this server by December 2001. By that time IIITM-K became the first fully Web-enabled institute using this package with server farm supporting the diverse kind of services from behind. The new technology class Education Servers are now fully supported by the original developers moving over and forming the first company to be incubated in IIITM-K and now established in Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram.

The group from IIITM-K that created server formed the company Transversal e-Networks (P) Ltd. or TeN

This new company is called Transversal E Networks (P) Ltd., or TeN for short. TeN has already delivered whole new generation of servers and portals for Education, Enterprise Knowledge Portals and Digital Libraries. The users include UT Madras, USc, UM Ahmedabad, IIITM-K, Indian School of Business-Hyderabad, TCS Corporate, Ashok Leyland, Cochin University of Science and technology, Technopark - Thiruvananthapuram, Aeronautical Development Agency, Regional Research Laboratory - Thiruvananthapuram, Medical Council - Thiruvananthapuram, ER&DCI and several others. The server is being developed further to include the functionalities needed for the management of Education Grid. For details one may visit www.iiitmk.ac.in and www.transversalnet.com.

The CKCS over this network of servers is best visualized as one among several such course intranets (or as we call it a transversal network) across the servers in the multiple college and EGRCs and the EGOC. This is shown in Figure 3 below. Each course has three 'Intranets' of services. The first is the Learning Management System (LMS) that is used by the registered students of the class and the instructor(s) in the respective colleges. Common content including the refereed content as approved by the CEG and permitted by the university, threaded discussions boards, FAQs, linked libraries, etc.

The list of users includes IIT Madras, IISc, IIM Ahmedabad, IIITM-Kerala, Aeronotical Development Agency and others

The second is the Content Development and Collaboration space. This is like the shadow space behind the LMS part. This is an area for collaboration driven by the respective CEGs and used for refereed content generation, teachers' training and orientation, supplementary informal content exchange and the back-office work for the portal management of the course. The third is the Digital Library and other resources that are accessible and common to all the courses. This can be made very rich by including professional and popular journals in the different subjects, linked libraries, etc.

Access to digital library and other resources

Race and Role of Education Grid in Formal Higher Education

The present administrative discipline of the university and colleges system has three layers : (i) Program administration, monitoring and accreditation; (ii) College level curriculum, instruction planning, scheduling and evaluation processes, and (iii) lectures, tutorials, practical and related work. We need a 4th layer in this education hierarchy, viz , the Facilitation Layer with Learning Environment and Content Management processes built into it. In this, the 'across' functions of the colleges under the Education Grid are invoked. These Education Grid functions are fundamental in ensuring the effective use and management of the learning processes and learning environment of the colleges. This four-layer model is illustrated in Figure 4.

We call the Education Grid support services for the Learning Environment and Content Management as the Online Assisted Learning Environment, or, OALE for short. With the rapid expansion and reach of IT and Internet in the colleges, Education Grid has the potential of becoming an indispensable component in the formal education.

However, in the Indian context, the shortage of dedicated quality teachers is severely acute. Hence, we recommend the Education Grid approach for addressing quality education.

Eduction grid approach for quality education

Education Grid as Unifying Infrastructure for Higher Education

Today, marginal use of web-enabled content in the few institutions that use them is informal and maintained by a few interested faculty by themselves. To give adequate weight to the whole process, the universities, institutions and colleges need to give formal recognition to establishing and maintaining the following processes under the facilitation layer of Figure 4 supported by the Education Grid. This function presupposes that there exists an Education Grid (or equivalently, an Educational Services Centre of an Institute) with formal processes to establish and sustain the OALE functions. The different aspects of the OALE functions are summarised below.

i) Recognition of Course Knowledge and Collaboration Space that have content of sufficient quality and worth in improving the standard of instruction in the course. This is done by a due approval process through formal sub-committee of Academic Councils in the university/institutional system.

ii) The above presupposes that adequate content is available through an initial thrust under the Education Grid project. The EGRC's are funded and empowered to develop and maintain the content organized as a set of Learning Modules with refereed CQM rating as outlined earlier. Recently MHRD has launched a major thrust to develop and supply quality content to all the engineering colleges developed by all the ILTs and USc. Education grid complements this effort and ensures that the colleges and teachers are equipped to use this content effectively to enhance the quality of education. This is called the National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning, or NPTEL (see www.nptel.iitm.ernet.in). In the Kerala Education Grid case, the Department of Higher Education has formalized the roles of EGRCs and the administration and coordination role of EGOC hosted at IITM-K. Effective management and policy groups for the Education Grid have been constituted through necessary government orders.

Approved notes, case studies made available to teachers and students

Course specific teachers training and orientation programme

iii) A set of approved printable materials - notes, homework, case studies, and textbooks, etc. made available for teachers and students to take home and practice with.

iv) A process of formally registering, assigning, administering and modifying the list of students accessing and using the CKCS by the concerned colleges.

v) Recommended schedule and calendar of events to be managed over the CKCS. This schedule will help improved synchronisation of the diverse functions associated with management and conduct of the course.

vi) Recognition and liaisoning with the experts and mentoring team - Course Expert Group, or, CEG - associated with the course by the Education Grid. This group will be a standing body actively involved in assisting the teachers of the different colleges who conduct the course.

vii) Approved teachers' material, references, classroom assistance, and mentoring network access.

viii) Course specific teachers training and orientation programs, teachers' evaluation and certification processes.

ix) Development and deployment of course-specific online assisted examination and evaluation systems.

x) Course portal management and authoring assistance by EGOC and EGRCs.

xi) Maintenance of course-specific Digital Library and reference collections maintenance; monitoring of IPR and copyright concerns in the course materials.

xii) Role and orientation of librarians and academic administrators of member colleges as Knowledge Officers/Managers and administrators of relevant OALE components in their respective colleges.

Course specific library will be created

EGOC role will be central administration, development, monitoring and coordination

Role of the Education Grid Resource Centres and Operations Centre

The Kerala Education Grid plans to set up the EGRCs in a few premier institutions as already stated. The roles of the EGRC and course development and maintenance activities are explained below:

1. The EGRCs will be funded and equipped with necessary servers, systems, tools and Internet for carrying out courses development and maintenance.

2. EGRC will develop and maintain content in those subjects identified and assigned to them by the APCU.

3. Each course will be supported through funds and resources in one of the EGRCs. This helps avoid duplication of efforts.

4. Each course will have a three member course expert group (CEG) drawn from the best of faculty and experts in the subject from anywhere in the state. The CEG will be approved by the APCU. We expect at least one of the expert in the CEG will be from the host institution of the associated EGRC.

5. The CEG will draw up the syllabus and the set of proposed modules to be developed, and get it whetted by the APCU. This syllabus will act as the reference curriculum for the course.

6. To encourage wider participation of enthusiastic faculty anywhere in the state, APCU will welcome proposals for the development of a course or specific learning modules. Once APCU (or a committee constituted by it) approves, the faculty concerned may use the services of one of the EGRCs or the EGOC to develop the module.

7. EGRC will maintain the course-specific library and conduct teacher training programmes.

The objective is that the EGRCs will be the nodal centers for supporting all course -related activities. All EGRCs will be monitored and assisted by the EGOC. EGOC is effectively the central project coordination office that supports the APCU and Governing Council meetings and channel the funds to approved activities. EGOC will also monitor and actively assist the EGRCs, CEGs and other programmes of the Education Grid. EGOC will play the central administrative, core technology development, project monitoring and coordination role required to support the several activities related to infrastructure and IT related processes as stated below:

i) Planning, configuration, installation, commissioning and management of a number of systems and underlying technologies that support the Education Grid and its services.

ii) R&D and referral center for technology development, system integration and maintenance

iii) Managing the large higher education network across Kerala. This is not addressed effectively by the ISPs in India. ERNET India does this for academic and research institutions. ERNET will function through the EGOC to install and maintain the network.

iv) Maintenance of the Education Grid and course-specific portals.

v) Courseware related configuration management, version control, consistency and integrity maintenance.

vi) Support for the EGRCs, authors and referees for content development,

vii) Overall project planning, facilitation, coordination and monitoring,

viii) Support services for the Governing Council and APCU.

Education Grid and the Colleges

Today most of the colleges lack basic academic resources such as good library, quality teaching faculty, support for interdisciplinary and flexible curriculam for the students, etc. Through its facilitation Layer, the Education Grid will provide dynamic support in all these areas. Good and experienced teachers of the colleges will be able to directly contribute to the Education Grid processes. Online assisted teacher training, opportunity for teaching quality assessment with associated incentives will act as major booster for motivating the teachers. Students are motivated already in becoming demanding users of Internet in education. It gives them flexibility and self-pacing in learning. Makeup courses for students lagging behind are easy to conduct. Alternative channels to take special elective courses from other institutions and industry give them opportunity for interdisciplinary education. Colleges will be able to modernize quickly by sharing best practices from other colleges and institutions. New funding for Digital Library and information resources for curricula support are best funded through the Education Grid processes. Education Grid makes possible applications of Knowledge Management practices at all levels within and across the colleges.

Sharing of best practices among colleges and institutions

Proposal for a National Initiative

The project aim is to deploy quality e-courseware that has value in the Educational Process. The goal is to improve substantially the standard and quality of instruction and efforts by both the teachers and the students. The approach is to use state-of-the art IT facilitated information systems and methods that are in tune with the emerging knowledge era. The paper is being submitted for the readers to study critically the document holistically and send their constructive inputs (by email to director@iiitmk.ac.in) so that an acceptable national cousensus is evolved. The approach suggested will strengthen and complement the current initiatives of bodies such as the Indian Society for Technical Education, UGC, MHRD, AICTE, Inflibnet, etc. and help modernizing their activities. It will also promote e-publishing industry and making it relevant to the future of higher education system and R&D. We propose to the Government of India to accord highest priority and make Education Grid a national thrust and initiative and thereby address the national concern for quality education.

Constructive inputs can be sent at director@iitmk.ac.in

The challange is to crete a national movement and create quality content

The size and complexity of the task of referred Web-enabled courses, their deplyment and usage are not as daunting as they may appear. We are dealing with a few hundred courses with a total of about 5000 modules. To begin with, in at least a hundred standard courses there is much content available on the Internet from leading universities, industry and the publishing industry. There is also a huge collection of paper based notes and assignments from eminent faculty across the country. Furthermore, it does not take more than a reliable 2 Mbps bandwidth per college connected to an IP-VPN backbone over a typical MPLS network of today. If we cost a module development of INR 1,00,000 we are looking for an effort of INR 500 million in content development and perhaps an equal amount in support programmes at the starting level. This is well within the means of MHRD and ACITE. The infrastructure issues are already being addressed by MHRD, AICTE and ERNET. Education programs in Health, Agriculture, Social Welfare, Administration, Law, etc. under other Government departments may commence similar education grid activities in parallel. The challenge is to create a national movement and swiftly create quality content and put in place processes as outline here for realizing the value proposition and promise expected from IT facilitation in higher education.

The only irreplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and the ability of its people.

The productivity of that capital depends upon how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it

The Global Revolution in Education

There is a revolution on particularly in the developed world where in education is undergoing a sea change with disciplined and free participation of very large number of teachers, students, industry, with the governments actively involved in its promotion. Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel and originator of the famous Moore's Law in Electronics in his parting address on the day of his retirement in April 2001 said, "Education is our Achilles heel". More than a century ago Andrew Carnegie stated that, "The only irresplaceable capital an organization possesses is the knowledge and the ability of its people. The productivity of that capital depends upon how effectively people share their competence with those who can use it." Christopher Galvin, the chief of Motorola says, "Motorola no longer wants hire people with a four year degree; one issue: attend to quality education. Make the university/colleges and institutions system participate in the continuing education needs for industry, government, education, organizations and individuals. Do not compromise on quality. Progress and results will follow. Realizing the importance of the Internet and Web in Education, the then President of the United States appointed a Web-based Education Commission in 1999 to come up with national action plan (see www. webcommission.org) for its use in Education. One of its findings show that the dropout rate of the weaker students in higher education reduced by at least 35%. Several national bodies of USA such as the National Science Foundation have funded major web-based content developments in different subjects.

Higher education system as engine of growth

The progress of our country, its due position in the coming era of knowledge economy and society depends upon how efficiently we empower our higher education system to become the engine of growth in this increasingly inter-dependent and globalized world. Coming years will see increasing emphasis on creation of wealth through knowledge. This depends upon the capacity to apply knowledge to create value. This capacity is best created through quality and holistic higher education with built-in development of the learner's values, ethics and character. It appears that the approach of the Education Grid as envisaged is the best natural way to leverage upon IT and catapult India in to the Knowledge Era of the 21st century.

Acknowledgements

This document was prompted by the need to address the critical issues of how to identify, imbed and exploit the IT facilitated processes and make them accountable in the formal higher education through the Education Grid. It is also needed to effectively manage the Education Grid Project itself. Management and accountability of such large finance deliverables against the expenditure. The approach described here was encouraged by the discussions in the Kerala Education Grid Apex Project Coordination Unit, Education Grid Governing Council and one-on-one interactions with their members. Specific interactions with Prof. S.S. Prabhu, Shri Arvind Mohan and Ms B.V. Laxmi of IIITM-K, Prof. K.B.M. Namboodiripad of NIT- Calicut, Dr Mangalasundar Krishnan of UT Madras, Prof. R. Sharan of UT Kanpur, Prof. P.N. Murthy and R. Narayana of TCS, Shri K. Mohandas, Principle Secretary, Higher Education and several others are gratefully acknowledged.

K. R. Srivathsan

Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Kerala

Copyright Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management (GIFT) Jan-Jun 2003
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