Notes toward M.

Phil Courses at IGNOU

Transformations and Changes

In the year 1985 IGNOU came into existence. Early 1987 the undergraduate courses in many
disciplines, though predominantly the liberal arts, began to get prepared at a fast pace.
Notwithstanding the fact that IGNOU was not the first Open University in India, special
emphasis was laid on distance education as a subject and a diploma as well as a master’s
degree were planned and launched by IGNOU. This was with a view to creating DE experts in
the country who could go on to support ODL institutions in India. Business Administration was
another major area of interest at IGNOU and an MBA programme was also prepared and
launched.

By 1997 IGNOU could turn its attention towards the formation of masters’ degree programmes
in various subjects. These were launched in 2001-2.

There has been a demand for M.Phil. courses in different disciplines from our graduates and
consequently there is a growing concern among academics to have effective, ground-breaking
and innovative M.Phil. courses at IGNOU. Some of the questions that are being mulled over are
whether we should offer these courses through the ODL mode or the conventional face-to-face
method. What should be the focus (or foci) of such courses. Through this paper the author
proposes to contribute to this debate by exploring the ways and means of transformations and
changes in pedagogy by the teachers and acquisitions of learning by the learners and benefit
from the views of the learned participants.

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Abstract No. 0196

Title Notes toward M.Phil Courses at IGNOUTransformations and Changes

Abstract In the year 1985 IGNOU came into existence. Early 1987 the undergraduate courses
in many disciplines, though predominantly the liberal arts, began to get prepared at
a fast pace. Notwithstanding the fact that IGNOU was not the first Open University
in India, special emphasis was laid on distance education as a subject and a diploma
as well as a master's degree were planned and launched by IGNOU. This was with a
view to creating DE experts in the country who could go on to support ODL
institutions in India. Business Administration was another major area of interest at
IGNOU and an MBA programme was also prepared and launched.

By 1997 IGNOU could turn its attention towards the formation of masters' degree
programmes in various subjects. These were launched in 2001-2.

There has been a demand for M.Phil. courses in different disciplines from our
graduates and consequently there is a growing concern among academics to have
effective, ground-breaking and innovative M.Phil. courses at IGNOU. Some of the
questions that are being mulled over are whether we should offer these courses
through the ODL mode or the conventional face-to-face method. What should be the
focus (or foci) of such courses. Through this paper the author proposes to contribute
to this debate by exploring the ways and means of transformations and changes in
pedagogy by the teachers and acquisitions of learning by the learners and benefit
from the views of the learned participants.

Affiliations (1) Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi, India

Authors Amiya Bhushan Sharma (1) (1) Presenting

Categories Curriculum and Pedagogy

Presentation Oral Presentation

Current University – Associate Professor/Senior Lecturer

Status

Biography Dr Amiya Bhushan Sharma is Associate Professor of English at Indira Gandhi

National Open University in New Delhi, India. He was a British Council Scholar at the
University of Aberdeen from 1980 to 83 when he worked on Samuel Johnson's
 economic ideas for his doctorate. He has been visiting faculty at Colgate University
in the US and at San'a University in the Republic of Yemen. Before joining IGNOU in
1987, Dr Sharma was Reader at Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan. From 1976 to 86 Dr
Sharma had worked at T.M.Bhagalpur University in Bihar.

Dr Sharma has written more than 50 units for IGNOU and other Open Universities in
India. His major contribution has been towards the development of courses on
poetry in English. He has also edited courses on Communication skills and mass
communications. His research papers and articles have been published in learned
journals in India and abroad.

Invitation Yes