Distance Learning and Education in Nepal
Open & Distance learning (ODL) refers to a learning setting in which learners have control over the time, place, instructional techniques, and other aspects of their learning. Distance learning is a relatively recent phenomenon in education, having emerged in the previous two decades. Distance Learning & Education in Nepal have many things to be added.
This current spike in ODL owes much to students’ desire to study in their own time and place, as well as teachers’ willingness to move away from established norms. The word “open” was initially used in reference to the operations of the United Kingdom’s Open University. It was the first ‘open’ university. Since then, open learning has given way to remote learning, and eventually to open and distance learning.
Physical Learning has traditionally dominated Nepal’s educational culture. The country’s education culture has a lengthy history, dating back to the ancient Gurukul teachings and continuing to the modern formal education system. Technology in education has recently emerged, with online learning being advocated as a type of distant education.
Open and Distance Education Center of Tribhuvan University (ODEC, TU)
In 2015, the Tribhuvan University Executive Council established the Open and Distance Education Center (ODEC, TU). It is a Tribhuvan University component independent academic body. It enables students to receive higher education in all Tribhuvan University courses through conventional instruction. It also functions as an outreach campaign for potential students’ educational needs. It provides high-quality higher education to a diverse group of people in Nepal and throughout the world through open and remote learning options.
The fundamental purpose of ODEC is to provide open and remote learning forms of higher education to a diverse group of individuals.
DEC adheres to the admission policies established by the individual Faculties and Institutes. The qualifying requirements mentioned in the admission standards are likewise applied to ODEC program entrance. The qualifying requirements may be found in the admission policies of the Institutes and Faculties’ relevant departments.
ODEC evaluates pupils’ learning in a multi-pronged manner. The Moodle platform of internal assessment is utilized for continual evaluation of students’ performance, and a variety of methodologies are used for this purpose. In addition, students will attend the sit-in test and the face-to-face exam for the end-of-semester exam.
ODEC now provides the following programs:
- Master of Education in English Education
- Master of Education in Mathematics Education
Nepal Open University
NOU is Nepal’s premier open university, with the same legal status as other Nepalese institutions. The idea is to make higher education more accessible to individuals who have never had access to traditional higher/tertiary education. The university is trying to deliver inclusive and relevant programs that meet the national needs of establishing a knowledge society and preparing young people for employment in Nepal and worldwide markets.
Nepal Open University’s goals are as follows:
- Close the gap in higher education demand presently being disappointed by the combined capability of all schools through open and remote processes.
- Increase access to higher education for Nepal’s rural, remote, and disadvantaged people, particularly women and unrecognized communities such as Dalits. Due to familial obligations, cultural impediments, and economical constraints, they have been confined to villages.
- Allow instructors and government employees living in rural and remote places, as well as those who are jobless, to enhance their education, skills, and careers.
- Make it possible for young people who work in foreign countries to complete their education, either temporarily or permanently.
- Promote computer-based education in rural Nepal in the areas of health, social systems, productivity, economic progress, and sustainability.
NOU presently has 23 programs available, ranging from BBA to MPhil. More information may be found here.
Online Foreign Courses in Nepal
Degrees are available in Nepal from foreign universities such as Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Amity University Online, and Sikkim Manipal University-Distance Education. Significant institutions, on the other hand, are beginning to provide partial degrees as a result of the Covid-19 epidemic.
Conclusion
There is still a long way to go before campus-based higher education’s current dominance diminishes. ODL looks to have a lot of potential in countries like Nepal because of the availability of learners, the accessibility of libraries, and the promise of future collaborators. However, we encounter challenges such as a hostile political atmosphere, a lack of electricity, and academics’ skepticism of the degree’s power, making tackling it practically impossible.
You might also be interested in : Pros and Cons of Outsourcing IT Services
