Management of Learner Support Centres in Open and Distance Education

MANAGEMENT OF LEARNER SUPPORT CENTRES Ramesh C. Sharma

Providing Instruction at a Distance

differs radically from that of other conventional universities

multimedia approach to instruction

self-instructional materials

counselling sessions, both face-to-face and via teleconferencing mode

practical classes

Student Support Services

Advice / counselling

Tutoring individually and in groups

The learning of study skills, including examination skills

Peer group support

Feedback concerning assessment and progress

Language support

Career guidance

Information service

Library, A/V and CD facilities

Conduct of examinations

Administrative, problem solving

Technology-mediated instruction

Network

Regional Centres

Study Centres

Programme Study Centres

Special Study Centres

Work Centres

Sub Study Centres

Partner Institutions

Distance Learning Facilitator

Jan Shikshan Sansthans

Educationally Economically Backward Blocks

Poverty Index Pattern Centres

Village Knowledge Centres

Confederation of NGOs of Rural India

STUDY CENTRES

an interface between the learners and the University

equipped with books (course material and reference books)

access to modern technology

Types of Study Centres

Study Centres

Work Centres

Sub Study Centres

Partner Institutions

Distance Learning Facilitator

Jan Shikshan Sansthans

Educationally Economically Backward Blocks

Poverty Index Pattern Centres

Village Knowledge Centres

Confederation of NGOs of Rural India

Regular Study Centres

established in educational institutions of high repute, and

established academic credibility like university departments, affiliated colleges of a university,

Research and Development Institutions of Central / State Governments

Functions of Regular Study Centres

Promotion and publicity of IGNOU programmes in the operational area,

Sale and receipt of admission forms and their submission to the Regional Centre along with requisite fee for the programmes activated at the centre. Fee will be received from each student in the form of a demand draft drawn in favour of IGNOU payable at the city in which the Regional Centre is located.

Generation of bio-data for the empanelment of Academic Counsellors and forwarding the same to the Regional Centre.

Organisation of Induction Meetings,

Organisation of counselling, practical, audio – video and tele-counselling sessions as per requirement of the programmes activated,

To receive assignment response from the learners and get them evaluated by the approved Academic Counsellors, provide feedback on assignment responses and forward the assignment grades to the Regional Centre is the prescribed format,

Maintenance of records of admission of the centre,

Maintenance of furniture and equipments supplied by the University in good condition,

Maintenance of accounts of the study centre,

To send weekly feedback reports on academic counselling and evaluation of assignments electronically to the Regional Centre by using online web-based submission form available at

http://www.ignou.ac.in/divisions/rsd/counselling/search.asp

To help the University conduct the term end examinations.

Functions of Regular Study Centres

Functions of Assistant Coordinator

• To attend to the students’ queries.

• To help the Coordinator in conduct of induction meeting and orientation programme of academic

counsellor and other resource persons.

• To facilitate conduct of practicals and project evaluation and viva voce, if any.

• To assist the Coordinator in preparing the monthly counselling schedule and the monthly report

of conduct of counselling session and evaluation of assignments.

• To provide pre-admission counselling and assist the Coordinator in organizing on the-sport

admissions.

• To assume the charges of the Study Centre on the absence of the coordinator.

Functions of the Assistant (Class III)

• To help the Co-ordinator in handling student’s queries, per-admission counselling and on-the spot

admission wherever applicable.

• To receive and acknowledge assignment responses from the learners, by issuing receipts and give

them to the evaluators, return the same to the learners after obtaining the comments from the

evaluators and maintain the records thereof.

• To consolidate grades of evaluated assignments and help the Coordinator in transmitting the same

to the Regional Centre within due date.

• To assist the Coordinator in respect of all administrative matters of the Study Centre.

• To help the Coordinator in maintaining the accounts of the Study Centre.

• To provide necessary assistance to the Coordinator and Asst. Coordinator as per their instructions

in respect of functioning of the Study Centre.

Function of the Attendant (Class IV)

To ensure the opening of Study Centre in time and the provision of teaching aids to the academic counsellor.

To act an “Office Messenger” and “Orderly” to all other members of the staff at the study centre.

Function of the Safaiwala (Class IV)

To regularly maintain cleanliness and upkeep of the Study Centre premises.

Guidelines in respect of timings for study centre functionaries

The working hours of a part-time functionary of the study centres can be fixed as follows:

a) Sundays : 8 to 9 hours

b) Thursday, Fridays

and Saturdays : 3 to 4 hours each day

preferably in the evening or

outside normal working hours

of the host institution.

(The total working hours in a week should not be less than 20 hours)

All part-time functionaries including Assistants and Attendants should preferably be drawn from amongst the regular employee of the host institution or, even retired persons could be considered for this job

By the nature of job, part-time employers are not entitled to any leave. However, if they are regular employees of the host institution, if a person is on long leave from that institution (30 days or more) then the Coordinator may engage a substitute with the prior approval of the RC concerned. In such case the part-time employee will not be entitled to any remuneration for the period of leave. It will in turn go to the substitute.

Other part-time employees will not be entitled to any leave and their salary will be dedutced for the days on which they remain absent at the study centre during their allotted working hours.

Recognised Study Centres

Rent – free accommodation by the host institution,

Furniture and equipments provided by the host institution,

Expenditure on conduct of counselling and practical sessions, stationeries and administrative expenditure are borne by the host institution,

Part–time Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator are appointed and their remuneration paid by IGNOU,

All other staff are appointed and paid by the host institution,

IGNOU pays charges for evaluation of assignments and also bears expenditure on conduct of the term end examinations,

Host institution provides library facilities,

Established for specialized academic programmes in science, technology, engineering, health sciences, computer, library and information science, Agricultural, professional and vocational studies

Main features of a Programme Study Centre

Rent – free accommodation is provided by the host institution,

Expenditure on counselling and practical sessions, stationeries and administrative expenditure, is borne by IGNOU,

Headed by a Programme – in - charge (PIC). The PIC is appointed and his remuneration is paid by IGNOU.

The PIC plans and organises all academic activities of the programme; i.e. counselling, practicals, demonstration, field work, assignment evaluation, maintenance of records as per prescribed norms of IGNOU,

The PIC is paid lump sum charges on per student basis for organising all academic activities of the programme as per prescribed norms of IGNOU,

IGNOU pays charges for evaluation of assignments and also to bear expenditure on conduct of the term end examinations,

Host institution provides library facilities,

FUNCTIONS OF PROGRAMME-INCHARGE

1) Ensure availability of necessary Infrastructural facilities in consultation with Head of the host institution:

a) Space for counselling and audio-video sessions

b) Laboratories/Hospitals/Public/Health/Centre/Industries/Libraries/Computers as and when required.

c) Installation of Equipment/Apparatus/Instruments etc.

d) Ensure that the Equipment/Apparatus etc. are in working order.

e) Arrange proper consumables as well as other materials required for practicals.

2) Demonstrative access to workshop apparatus/Computers/Site Equipment’s/Drawing Board/Technical Library.

3) Conduct of Practicals/Field Sessions and Examinations as per Schedule.

4) Organising of Counselling and Audio-Video Sessions:

a) Identify course-specific academic counsellors

b) Prepare schedules of Counselling/Practicals/Clinical Sessions in consultation with Head of the Host Institution.

c) Oversee conduct of Counselling /Practicals/Clinical sessions and maintain a record of

attendance.

d) Arrange periodic meetings with the counsellors and students to review progress of the

programme.

5) Assignment Handling: Receive assignments and get them evaluated from the concerned counsellors and arrange to send the feedback to the students and award lists to SRED.

6) Feedback & Quality Control:

a) Give programme specific information to the prospective and the enrolled students.

b) Send monthly feedback reports on counselling, audio-video and practical sessions conducted

and student response to the programme.

c) Maintain session-wise record of practical work and prepare an evaluation report of students

in consultation with Counsellors/Supervisors.

7) Arrange payment to the counsellors/evaluators and others as per payment norms of the programme

and maintain a record relating to such payments.

8) The host institution of the Work Centre will be paid hire charges towards the use of laboratories/

equipments/consumables as per the approved norms of the University.

9) Remuneration to the personnel approved by the University working at the Work Centre will be

paid as per the approved norms of the university.

10) Arrange practical sessions, demonstrations, field work etc. as per the IGNOU Programme

requirements.

11) Receive assignments from students, get them evaluated by the IGNOU approved Academic

Counsellors & send feedback to students and grade sheets to SR&ED Division and the RC.

FUNCTIONS OF PROGRAMME-INCHARGE

Regional Consultant and Assistant Programme In-charges (APIC) for BEd Programme

Group A: Core courses

Group B: Content-based Methodology course

Group C: Special Courses

Group D: Practical Courses

ES-381: School based practicals

ES-382: Workshop based practicals

ES-383: Practice teaching

Among the practical courses ES-381, 382 and 383; ES-382 gets monitored during the workshop by the Workshop Director .

For proper monitoring of ES-381 and 383 two Part-Time Faculty in addition to the PIC and APIC may be engaged at the PSCs.

Assistant Programme Incharge

to attend to students’ queries

to help in identification of academic counsellors

to assist the PIC in the conduct of induction meeting and orientation programme of academic counsellors and resource persons

to facilitate the conduct of practical workshops

to assist in monitoring and evaluation of various activities to be carried out during the workshop

to help the PIC in identifying teacher educator, who would be conducting supervision during practice teaching

to assist the PIC in preparing counselling schedule

to provide guidance to learners regarding identification of mentors

to assume the charge of PIC in the absence of PIC

Part-Time Faculty

The Part-Time Faculty (PTF) is identified from among the academic counsellors available at that PSC.

They may be identified in consultation with the Head of the Host Institution and PIC.

Part-Time Faculty (#1)

The Part-Time Faculty would look after the various activities under School-based Practicals (ES-381) as to be done by the students.

They shall take care of making arrangements for successful practicals in coordination with school administration where such practicals are conducted.

They would also redress the student grievances which may appear prior to, during or after the school based practical.

Part-Time Faculty (#2)

The Part-Time Faculty would look after the Practice Teaching sessions (ES-383) and thus deal with preparation of lesson plans by the pupil-teacher, organisation of practice teaching, resolving problems of the learners in the organisation of practice teaching sessions.

Promotion and publicity of IGNOU programmes among the disadvantaged groups,

Sale and receipt of admission forms and their submission to the Regional Centre along with requisite fee for the programmes activated at the centre. Fee will be received from each student in the form of a demand draft, drawn in favour of IGNOU payable at the city where the Regional Centre is located,

Generation of bio-data for the appointment of academic counsellors and forwarding them to the Regional Centre for their empanelment as academic counsellors,

Organisation of induction meetings,

Organisation of counselling, practical and audio-video sessions as per requirement of the programmes activated,

To receive assignment responses from the learners and get them evaluated from the approved academic counsellors, provide feedback on assignment responses and forward the assignment grades to the Regional Centre in the prescribed format,