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

62 / NIOS: The Way Forward
not the prime motive of these collaborators, since it has had some bad
experience of such in the past.
The establishment of study centers outside the formal school system shall
provide more space for flexibility, specially in terms of timings and duration of
contact classes. For example, classes can be held every day for different
batches or holding the classes on holidays for all the enrolled students.
Availability of full time teachers, specially trained in distance education, shall
help to overcome the adhocism inherent in the existing arrangement and
thereby regularize the functioning of study centers leading to improvement in
the quality of programme delivery.
At present the ODL system is run by the teachers of formal schools. They do
not have any special training in the methodology of curriculum transaction in
the ODL system. NIOS and other Open Schools should design a short term
training programme of 1-3 months duration for the teachers of formal system,
who may be desirous of making a career in the ODL system. The course
design of such a course may be based on the job profile of an ODL teacher,
which may include: (i) guiding students for making optimum use of the study
material, (ii) clarifying difficult concepts (iii) using audio video programmes
and designing follow-up activities (iv) participating in video conferencing and
supervising the learners when engaged in the completion of assigned activities,
(vi) checking written assignments and providing timely feedback to the learners.
The training of ODL teachers should be designed and conducted around the
tasks they are expected to perform.
ODL institutions should set up a standing mechanism for the monitoring and
evaluating of each stage of the programme delivery. Feedback regarding the
suitability of the study material, both print and non-print, should be regularly
obtained from the learners and ODL teachers and necessary modification
should be carried out in the material in the light of available feedback. ODL
institutions will have to evolve criteria for the appraisal of material which may
involve considerations like relevance, comprehensibility, adequacy and
correctness of content, quality of assignments, evaluation questions etc. ODL
institutions should institutionalize appraisal of the functioning of study centers
and take corrective measures, if necessary. Needless to say that accreditation
of a study center should depend on the continued satisfactory functioning of a
center and fulfillment of the prescribed norms.
The NIOS should take the initiative to build a cadre of school stage ODL
professionals. At present, the full time staff on the strength of NIOS and State
Open Schools have the background of formal schooling and possess some
degree in education like B.Ed and M.Ed. They might have acquired the expertise
in ODL while on the job but they do not have any formal qualification or
specialized training of ODL. It is high time for NIOS to design and conduct a 3-
6 months course for the present staff.