UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
Jan 2014
1 st Quarter Edition Greetings From the Director’s Desk
A unique initiative by Sikkim Manipal University Distance Education to share updates on current activities by the University and faculty. A Newsletter is somewhat of a record of the happenings of the immediate past at the ‘work-place’, if one may call it so, although this connotation may partake of activity as dispersed as academic engagement or purveying the requirements in the ‘business’ of education. The Directorate of Distance Education of Sikkim Manipal University indeed presents this diversity, where academics jostle with corporate minds as they go about identifying industry needs, creating a range of learning resources, and working with senior experts from industry and academia. This strange mixture makes for interesting observation even as it enlivens and enriches the entire atmosphere. The revival of a DE Newsletter could not have come at a better time because DE in general and SMUDE in particular is at the crossroads, poised to take off in a direction that seems pregnant with interesting possibilities. Governmental thrust on setting up benchmarks for a strong DE as a viable alternative to campus education, the opening up of new frontiers of challenge in the wake of giant strides in technology-enabledlearning and the burgeoning demand from an ever-growing student community made up of students, professionals and academics presents myriad possibilities waiting to be cracked. Such an environment demands a thinking that may be at variance with established norms. Program design and course curricula may have to change drastically to suit changing needs. The emphasis on ‘skill-based’ learning and the keen need for vocational courses may trigger the fashioning of programs to meet specific demands of industry and the market.
Dr. Ramesh Murthy
Director, Distance Education, Sikkim Manipal University
At Sikkim Manipal University, we have always believed in forging uncharted paths, not only for the sheer thrill of embarking upon the unknown but also in being the first among equals to try and test new methods.
At SMU, we have always believed in forging uncharted paths, not only for the sheer thrill of embarking upon the unknown but also in being the first among equals to try and test new methods. It is this appetite for the new and unknown that spurs our academic endeavours. Over the months following, we hope to savour new academic flavors to suit the palate of new and varied forms of learning and businesses that would grow. We shall be happy to share our experiences with our peers, experts and the student community.
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UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
DISTANCE EDUCATION: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS & REGULATIONS In August 2010, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Madhava Menon in respect of regulation of standards of education imparted through distance mode. In view of the acceptance of the Report submitted by the Madhava Menon Committee by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and its recommendations for the creation of a new regulatory body for ODL system, the Distance Education Council of India (DECI) has been suggested to be formed under an Act of Parliament. The Madhava Menon Committee also decided that as an interim measure, the DEC of IGNOU may be shifted to UGC. Subsequently, the MHRD issued an order, dated 29th December, 2012, transferred the regulatory authority of distance education from IGNOU to UGC. Thereafter, IGNOU notified the repeal and deletion of Statute 28 of IGNOU Act and dissolution of DEC on 1st May 2013. UGC issued an order taking over the physical infrastructure of erstwhile DEC on “as is where is basis” and the staff working at erstwhile DEC on “deemed deputation basis”. This is an interim measure till such time an independent body namely Distance Education Council of India is created by the Parliament.
Dr. Shivram
Dean-Academics & HOD Arts & Humanities & Vocational Sciences
In August 2010, the Ministry of Human Resource Development constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Madhava Menon in respect of regulation of standards of education imparted through distance mode.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development, vide its Order F.No.6-20/2010-DL dated 29th December, 2012, had issued certain directions under section 20(1) of the UGC Act, 1956 with regard to regulation, maintenance of standards, and according recognition in respect of Distance Education programmes conducted by institutions of higher education. The directions inter alia contained the following : i
UGC shall act as a regulator in respect of ODL programmes, and Universities/institutions need to seek recognition/permission from UGC for conducting such programmes
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ii UGC will develop regulations for maintenance
of norms and standards in ODL programmes in accordance with the recommendations of the Madhav Menon Committee Report (December, 2011)
iii UGC
will create necessary physical infrastructure and manpower to discharge the regulatory functions, and for the purpose utilise the staff of erstwhile DEC, in consultation with IGNOU
iv
UGC shall, as soon as DEC is dissolved, start performing its functions as the regulator of ODL programmes In pursuance of the above directions, the UGC has taken several steps among which two important steps are as follows:
(a) The UGC, vide its communication dated 6th May, 2013, constituted an Expert Committee under the chairpersonship of Prof. N.R. Madhava Menon to frame appropriate regulations for the conduct of distance education programmes in the country. The UGC vide its notifications dated 17th June, 2013 has laid down the mechanism for dealing with the institutions engaged in open distance learning till such time the new regulations are framed/notified. It has been inter alia decided that the present guidelines of DEC would govern the decision making process for grant of permission for ODL programmes till the new regulations are notified by the UGC. (b) The UGC has on 19th June, 2013 constituted an Expert Committee under the chairpersonship of Prof. Mohammad Mian, Vice Chancellor, MANUU, Hyderabad, with Dr P Parakash, Vice Chancellor, Dr Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad and Prof Hari Chandan, Director, Institute of Distance Education, University of Mumbai as members to give its recommendations on all the pending applications with the erstwhile DEC. This Committee has held three meetings & has given its recommendations in respect of 210 institutions whose applications were pending at various stages.
Pending the formulation of the Revised ODL Regulations by the University Grants Commission (UGC), a Notification was issued by the Commission in June 2013 adopting the “Guidelines of the Distance Education Council (since dissolved) on Minimum Requirements for Recognition of ODL Institutions�. This was an interim arrangement intended to avoid a vacuum in the regulatory regime which arose on the repeal of Statute 28 of the IGNOU Act, 1985.
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UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
News from the EduNxt Team: Edunxt mobile app tm
tm
Profile This feature allows students to view their online updated profiles on their mobile Learn All learning content like SLM, MQPs, videos on the mobile. Once these content types are viewed online, they are available for offline view Notes With this feature, they can make notes on their mobile itself, without carrying a separate notebook
LEARN
Quiz Access to 180+ quizzes per subject. The students, who once attempt the quiz, can go back and reattempt even in offline mode. They also get a chance to view their scores, get feedback on incorrect answers and check their rank in the program based on their scores, on the leaderboard
ASK
CONNECT
During the month of June 2013, the team has released a Blockbuster
Announcements This feature helps students to stay connected to their program anywhere, anytime. All announcements posted on EduNxt, can be viewed on the mobile as well. Regular program related information sent from the University is received on the student’s mobile via Push Notification
Mobile App
Recently Read Allows students to bookmark their last read page on the App and get back to the same.
EduNxt Mobile App is a step ahead from e-learning to m-learning. This App was released on June 21st, 2013 & is available on Android and Apple platform. The App will help students to study on the go. Since then we have released several features like:
Help desk Allows students to raise their operational, technical or academic queries to the concerned department with a few clicks on their mobiles
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To know anything and everything about the Mobile App, they can view the “Take a Tour” feature As of now we have crossed 28,000+ downloads! Download the App and study anywhere, anytime!
UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
Department of Training & Research: A new initiative In Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, the teacher’s role is designing the course, authoring the course, conducting tutorials or counseling, checking assignments and giving feedback, etc. The ODL teacher interacts primarily through print material to a group of students who are widely divergent in their age, capability and interests. Staff training & development is an essential department in DE institutions, since their role is substantially different as compared to a conventional educational system. The core competencies for distance educators are - needs analysis and assessment, program design and development, instructional design techniques, identification of job related training, understanding of teaching-learning styles and preference of adult learners, determination of appropriate training methods, management of programs, use of communication technology and media, evaluation methods and planning & research.
Dr. Gayathri
Dean Training and Research
Most of the functions to be performed by DEIs, ranging from course development to evaluation, require the involvement of several experts/specialists working as teams.
Staff training & development is an essential department in DE institutions, since their role is substantially different as compared to a conventional educational system.
Research is a core element of the mission of higher education institutions. The extent to which higher education institutions are engaged in research and development activities plays a key role in determining the status and the quality of these institutions and also in assessing the contributions which they make to economic and social development. It is with this intent that a Training and Research Dept. has been set up at SMUDE. The Department of Staff Training and Academic Research (DSTAR) will promote the domain, distance education and interdisciplinary researches and also involve actively in Staff Training and Development. www.smude.edu.in
UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
The new BBA – Employment & beyond! The distance BBA is a good option for both, the employed and those seeking employment with a graduation degree. The new SMU BBA program ready to be launched in Fall ’14 is a step in the direction of employability. For those seeking employment or preparing for a MBA program, the BBA offers a solid foundation. For those already employed, the BBA provides usable knowledge that supports career growth.
The BBA program is a door towards a rewarding career as it provides a UGC/ Distance Education Council approved undergraduate degree which has been built to provide a balanced and broad overview of business over a three year period. The program covers general management, accounting, basic statistics, skill based subjects such as business communication as core courses. The new BBA is designed to make learning fun, interesting and worthwhile. It is a good option for both those seeking immediate employment after graduation as well as working professionals who want to enhance their career.
Dr. Sudhakar
HOD Management & Commerce
The distance BBA is a good option for both, the employed and those seeking employment with a graduation degree. The new SMU BBA program ready to be launched in Fall ’14 is a step in the direction of employability.
In the last two semesters of the program, a large number of elective courses are offered as part of the program. These provide the student with career-oriented skill enhancing learning opportunities in general or a specific industry vertical. The electives offer students the opportunity to design their qualifications to fit career goals. For example, combining courses like Bank Management, Management of Financial Services, Customer Relationship Management & Advanced Accounting could be good for entering the banking industry, while a combination with courses such as Retail Management, Services Management, CRM and Excel for managers will be useful to join the retail industry. The new BBA is designed to make learning fun, interesting and worthwhile.
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UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY Cloud Technology is seen as the next generation technology by an organization which wants to set up IT infrastructure. With the ubiquitous presence of Internet and with an ever increasing download speed, cloud model will have a greater acceptability. Mainframe, Distributed, Grid and then Cloud summarizes the technological evolution. Cloud technology is seen as the new avatar of mainframe. The similarities are that, both adopt a centralized computing concept and support thin clients as end devices. However the differences lie in terms of cost, location, elasticity, security and reliability. Mainframes are huge, monolithic centralized computing systems put in a location, whereas, cloud system is scattered across locations and is connected through networks. Cloud systems support on demand computing and storage resource allocation and de-allocation. This feature of cloud technology supports a pay on use model thereby reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Security and reliability are seen as deterrents when adopting cloud technology. Use of third party servers for computing and storage and use of Internet undermines the security of a cloud system. Popular cloud system deployment models include public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. A cloud system which is open to public use over Internet is called public cloud. Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Google AppEngine and Windows Azure are few examples of public cloud. Gmail, Office365, Dropbox are few examples of public cloud services. A private cloud too is similar to public cloud, however it provides computing resources and services within an organization/ institution boundary, under the control of the host IT department. A hybrid cloud system comprises both public and private cloud network that are usually connected through a virtual private network for security aspect.
Dr. Senthil Kumar HOD Department of IT
Cloud technology is seen as the new avatar of mainframe. The similarities are that, both adopt a centralized computing concept and support thin clients as end devices.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) In this service model the cloud service provider delivers services to an organization to access raw computing, storage and networking resources. An organization uses these resources as per their requirement. The organization has complete control on all the resources. Platform as a Service (PaaS) In this model the programming languages, libraries, services and tools supported by the cloud service provider are used by an organization to create and deploy custom applications. The organization has limited control mainly over the deployed applications. Software as a Service (SaaS)
Cloud services offered as on today fall under three models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service (SaaS).
In this model an organization outsources its entire IT requirement including the application software to the cloud service provider. The ownership and the maintenance are with the service provider and the organization pays on a usage basis.
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UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
Practical skills: initiative in Allied Health sciences The teaching of practical skills via distance learning poses a challenge, especially for lab based programs. Teaching practical skills, within a regular system or distance education system, requires the use of precise instructions to enable learners to follow the process and thereafter repeat the skills. Presently, at SMUDE, practical skills acquisition is consolidated through handson activities in laboratories during face-to-face contact programs at the University Learning Centers or Nodal Centers under the supervision of an instructor/tutor. From Fall-2013, Department of Allied Health Sciences (DAHS) has revised programs to enrich the practical skills required for the students to work in the industry after successful completion of the program. Following are program-wise initiatives that DAHS has taken to enrich the content and enhance practical component in AHS programs of SMUDE.
Dr. Manoj Nagasampige HOD Department of Allied Health Sciences
Biotechnology Programs:
From Fall-2013, Department of Allied Health Sciences (DAHS) has revised programs to enrich the practical skills required for the students to work in the industry after the successful completion of the program.
All Biotechnology programs have mandatory practical training. The University is conducting practical training in state-of-the art Biotechnology laboratories at select locations.
BSc Medical Laboratory Technology (BSc MLT): Revised program has practical subjects in 2nd to 6th semester, which comprises about 150 experiments. In addition, the University provides recorded videos of practical through its e-learning platform, EduNxt. These videos would help students view the requirements and procedure of each experiment before they participate in face-to-face practical training.
BSc Medical Imaging Technology (BSc MIT): Revised program has practical subjects in 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th semesters, and comprises more than 100 practical exercises on various radio diagnostic procedures. It also includes case based Self Learning Material (SLM) especially for routine and special radio diagnostic procedures. Student has to undergo mandatory practical training at select study centres. University also provides videos of various radiographic positioning through EduNxt using Open Educational Resources (OERs).
MSc Clinical Research & Regulatory Affairs (MSc CRRA): Revised program includes 4 modules of Regulatory Affairs, which covers regulatory requirements of India, US, South America, Europe, Japan, China, Middle East, Australia, Africa etc. University also provides OERs related to various clinical research activities.
MSc Bioinformatics (MSc BI): Revised program includes practical subjects in 2nd and 4th semester to provide a platform to learn practical skills through Open Educational Resources and virtual lab project initiated by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, under the National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology.
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University Notice Board: New Circulars Circular No. 17 is on the process of conducting practical courses at the Learning Centers and ensuring minimum attendance requirements and practical records at the Learning Centers. Circular No. 18 is about the process of submitting Project Work for relevant programmes and obtaining approval of the Project Guide and Project Synopsis from the University. The Circulars were sent to the Learning Centers and were made available on EduNxt. SMU-DE Placement Update
Steps taken by the University to improve the quality of Examination and Evaluation: The University took several steps to enhance the quality of Internal Assignment, Term end Examination and the Evaluation. The University has issued circulars pertaining to these matters and these have been made available through ‘EduNxt’. Given below are the circular numbers & titles 1. S MU DE/Circular No. 15/ 08/13 on ‘Internal Assessment’ 2. S MU DE/Circular No. 16/ 08/13 on ‘Internal Assessment-Evaluation’ 3. S MU DE/Circular No. 17/ 08/13 on ‘Practical Courses’ 4. S MU DE/Circular No. 18/ 08/13 on ‘PG Program-Project Work’
Circular No. 15 is about the process of submitting typed and handwritten assignments. Circular No. 16 mentions the process of uploading the assignments, approval of Learning Center faculty as evaluators, training of the approved evaluators and periodic audit of evaluated assignments.
“Life is not a matter of chance… it is a matter of choice.” ― Mark Woods As quoted by the famous author, it’s the choice which our participating students and partners made while participating in our Job Drives this year. As on 31/12/2013, the 655 SMUDE Placement Drives conducted saw participation from 36,000 students and over 450 companies leading to 8367 unique offers with salary ranging from 85K - 480K per annum. These pertained to domains like Finance, IT/ITES, Sales & Marketing and Operations covering varied job profiles like Business Development Manager, Territory Executive, Management Trainee etc. to name a few. Many new corporate houses including Wipro, IBM, Vodafone, Reliance, Godrej, ICICI Bank, ING Vysya Bank, Axis Capital, Manipal Global and Bajaj Capital showed great confidence in recruiting from SMU-DE. The Way Forward… As the Indian & global economies take firm strides on the path to recovery, the need for fresh talent echoes throughout the business world. With the emphasis on skills increasing in the corporate world, the demand for resources equipped with specialized skills have increased substantially and thus it is imperative for SMU-DE students to equip themselves with these skills. Some of these skills are Business Communication, Advanced Excel for Analysis, PHP & Android App Development etc. There are Short Duration Certification courses available in Finance & IT domain to address this skill gap which students can check up on: www.manipalglobal.com
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Examination Department: online Exam booking
Nearly 90% of assignments have been submitted by students to the University and the evaluation of these assignments through Onscreen Marking System (OSM) is underway by the respective authorized centers with University approved evaluators.
For the first time, a provision was made for students of Fall 2013 session to upload the handwritten scanned assignments through their EduNxt login in addition to the existing method of soft copy uploading. Nearly 90% of assignments have been submitted by students to University & the evaluation of these assignments through Onscreen Marking System (OSM) is underway by the respective authorized centers with University approved evaluators. The term-end examinations of domestic students who had registered during Fall 2013 session, had commenced on January 18, 2014
and will continue till February 05, 2014 at few locations. The mode of examinations is being either computer based (CBT) or paper based depending on the program & location where examinations are conducted. The examinations are being conducted at 209 locations in 229 CBT & 214 PBT examination centres. Nearly 90% of the eligible students who are appearing for CBT mode of examinations have booked their respective examination schedule using Online Examination Booking System (OEBS). Two major changes have been made in term end examinations from Fall 2013 session onwards. The duration of examination has been increased almost by 50% and an option for choice in descriptive questions provided. The internal assignment (IA) upload tab for students registered during domestic Winter 2013 session and international Fall 2013 session has been made available in their respective EduNxt logins. The Fall 2013 examinations for international drive students have been scheduled from 29th March ‘14 to 7th April ‘14 and Winter 2013 examinations for domestic students have been scheduled from 20th April ‘14 onwards.
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Admissions SECTION: Student life cycle management More than 1.35 lakh students have been admitted using Student Life Cycle Management!
Student Life Cycle Management (SLCM)– An Easy Way to Facilitate Admissions in SMU DE. Admission process under Distance Education mode has been fully automated by developing SLCM Software, right from the application generation for admission to a program up to the completion of the program. More than 1.35 lakh students have been admitted using SLCM! A candidate interested to join the programs is provided an option to download the application form for admission wherein one is required to enter basic details (name, date of birth, contact details, program chosen & semester).
Once the hard copy of the application and eligibility documents reach the University, the eligibility of the candidate is again verified thoroughly. There is also an option to upload the photo, signature of the student & scanned copies of testimonials. These copies can be viewed at any point in time & act as a permanent record in place of the traditional way of maintaining hard copy of the form & documents. A Roll Number is allotted to the candidate if found eligible & on receipt of requisite fee. The email confirmation gets triggered to the respective student’s email id once the student is admitted. There is also a link provided in the University website to check the status of the form submitted by the candidate. The candidates can get live information on the status of their form on real time basis. Other student services are also automated, like:
The beauty of the system is that this PDF can be sent to anyone & the editable fields can be filled anywhere. The payment of fee is also linked to the process of submitting online application form. The fee is payable by Card swiping or Net Banking through the Online Payment Gateway in addition to the normal process of DD.
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Re-registration
Re-sitting
Change of specialisation/elective
UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
Logistics: the moving factor the registration. Shrink packs are dispatched in specially designed cartons to avoid any breakage in transit. An auto packing system is used to seal and strap the cartons securely. The logistics section also caters to the dispatch of prospectus & marketing collaterals. The entire logistics operations are backed by a robust SAP software. The software is linked to the student information system and the requirements to be sent to the LCs are generated automatically. On dispatch of the SLMs, the dispatch particulars are uploaded to the LC section of the Student Life Cycle Management system and the Learning Centres can view this along with the details of the SLMs sent. Besides this, the software also triggers an email intimation to the LCs on the dispatch of SLMs.
Innovation has been the key word and there is continuous improvement in the process and dispatch.
The Self Learning Material (SLM) of Sikkim Manipal University are printed and dispatched at Manipal to all International and Domestic Learning Centres and students by the Logistics Department. The state-of-the-art facilities available to carry on the operation is worth a mention. Innovation has been the key word and there is continuous improvement in the process and dispatch. We were the recipients of the prestigious SCM Innovation Award by Indian Institute of Materials Management in the year 2012. The books are printed and shrink packed into sets according to the course, semester and specialization of the student registration followed by labelling. Study materials are dispatched to the Learning Centers and students depending on
Note from the Editorial Team As of now the Newsletter will be quarterly. You can expect vibrant changes in the content in future issues. Comments of readers are invited.
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UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
STUDENT INITIATIVES
Sikkim Manipal University Distance Education always follows a student-first approach. Bearing this in mind, the University launched 2 unique Scholarship initiatives to provide holistic quality education to all who enter the portals of SMU-DE. The Vidyadeep and Gyandeep Scholarships aim to give students the platform to achieve their dreams of a succesful higher education.
Scholarship overview
Scholarship overview
Vidyadeep is a nationwide scholarship offered to meritorious and deserving students of Sikkim Manipal University - Distance Education (SMU-DE) programs. This scholarship is a first of its kind in the field of distance education in the country. The Vidyadeep Scholarship is offered to students from the following streams – IT, Management, Journalism & Mass Communication, Allied Health and Bioinformatics and Biotechnology. Scholarship highlights The scholarship is currently offered to 10,000 students across the country with special scholarships to students from the North-East. Meritorious students can receive up to 100% scholarships
Gyandeep Scholarship is a special scholarship crafted to help the students who have pursued any Undergraduate program from SMU-DE to pursue a Postgraduate program of their choice with SMU-DE. Scholarship highlights Opportunity for Undergraduate alumni of SMU-DE to avail of scholarships and pursue a Postgraduate program from SMU-DE. The scholarship is applicable to all SMU-DE Undergraduate alumni. Up to 30% scholarship opportunities have been provided to eligible students.
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UniversityNewsletter-Jan2014Edition
HALL OF FAME
Recent Award
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Over the years, SMU-DE has set new benchmarks in Distance Education. With its tradition of quality, widespread reach and pioneering innovations, it has earned accolades and appreciation from the top critics of the industry. This is a testimony to the fact that SMU-DE is a name students across India have come to trust.
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