NIOS : The Way Forward - The National Institute of Open Schooling

8 / NIOS: The Way Forward
stage of education are roughly of the same age group and belong to the
same geographical and in good measure also belong to comparable sociocultural
contexts. Therefore, from the viewpoint of physical, social, emotional
and mental development, they more or less constitute a homogeneous group.
This makes it easy for the school or college to organize common and culturespecific
experiences for the students. But the situation in the case of open
learning is much more challenging as the learners come from diverse
backgrounds and there is a sharp difference in the age range. In the open
learning system, most of the learners are young adults, likely to be in their
20’s or 30’s or even older. In fact, since there is no upper age barrier, even a
senior citizen can enroll. In the formal system, the students generally do not
have any experience of the world of work but in the open learning system, a
large number of students may be working persons or have had work experience
and choose the Open Learning channel to continue their education or to update
their skill. As a result, we are dealing with mature adults and with greater
capacity for independent learning. It is unfair to compare the two.
Because of the major differences in the leaner profile, the ODLS introduces
many changes to accommodate to the needs of its learners. Accordingly, the
Open Learning system students have the freedom and flexibility to pursue
courses of their choice at their own pace and as per their convenience and
may take a much longer time to complete a particular course. The ODL students
have more autonomy and freedom to study at a place and time of their choice.
Still another difference in the two systems is in the mode of curriculum delivery.
In the formal system, there is a set pattern of curriculum transaction, that is
sequential teaching of different syllabus units by the teachers and following
the prescribed textbooks. However, the learners of the ODL system can learn
on their own with the help of specially prepared Self-Instructional Material
(SIM) at a time and place of their choice and convenience. Through the Personal
Contact Programme, they do get an opportunity to seek guidance periodically
from the tutors at the study centers.
The several differences between the two systems mentioned above, highlight
the need for a curriculum for the ODL system, which is different from the
curriculum of the formal system in several ways.
Some of the distinguishing characteristics of the open learning curriculum are
mentioned below.
1.3.9 Paradigm Shifts in the ODLS
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Shift of learning from only the classroom to anywhere
From teacher-centric to learner-centric
From teacher as instructor to teacher as a facilitator of learning
From mainly oral instruction to also technology-aided instruction