abstract

distance and open learning systems which have all along been depending on print, video and audio media for the delivery of the courses have now found a new tool in the form of interactive web sites. this tool has, no doubt, reduced both the time and space constraints of distance learning systems. besides becoming the most viable alternative to face to face learning, the online education has the advantage of the distance learning system as well by catering to the needs of thousands of students simultaneously. the interaction between the teacher and the taught is very spontaneous and it has totally eliminated the non-involvement of the teacher in the learning process, which was considered as a drawback in the distance mode of education. taking these aspects into consideration, the indira gandhi national open university (ignou) has taken initiatives to offer a few of its programmes through the web site. to begin with information technology and management programmes are being offered on-line. currently, attempts are also underway to launch an on-line certificate programme on ‘participatory management of displacement, resettlement and rehabilitation’ with the assistance of world bank.

the present paper would describe the impact of the new information and communication technologies on education. an attempt is made to highlight ignou’s experiences in the use of ict for development and delivery of its programmes. lastly, the important issues related to virtual education at ignou in particular and what should be the future strategy for this mode of education in general is also presented.

keywords
ignou: indira gandhi national open university

cd-rom: compact disk-read only memory

tcp: transmission control protocol

ict: information and communication technologies

tlc : tele-learning centres

btec: business & technology education council

hnd: higher national diploma

bit: bachelor of information technology

adit: advanced diploma in information technology

introduction
today’s post-modern society is characterized as a networked society because of the expanding role of the new information and communication technologies (icts), which have not only speeded up communication and transportation but have actually shrunk the globe. in today’s parlance it is said that we are living in a “global village”. this new ict has made it possible to instantly transfer voice, vision and data around the globe. the ict had its impact on education too. in fact it has changed the way we can teach and learn. it is also said that it has brought about more changes in the field of education that have not taken place in the past thousand years. the new ict has not only changed the source of knowledge but also the mode of delivery, instructional methods, site and place of learning and provision of learner support. ict is growing for the past two decades and it is now an integral partof many national educational systems throughout the world. increase in population with growing awareness of the benefits of ict has forced many governments to explore the possibilities of using it to provide education on a mass scale.

internet and www are the two latest innovations that have captured the imagination and interest of researchers and educators worldwide, particularly distance educators. since the beginning of the previous century distance education institutions have explored a variety of technologies to support interactions between teachers and the learners and among learners separated by distance, time or both; for the development of courseware and delivery of course ware. it can be said that distance education has overtaken conventional education in the use of ict.

usage of new ict

icts are providing new ways of processing and distributing information; creating new kinds of learning practices; improving interactivity between students, teachers and among students themselves. the emergence of products are: digital multi-media society; digital information and communication; and digitalized learning.

the new information technology holds potentials for a whole array of activities including online education, global digital library, e-commerce, internet telephony, electronic journals, virtual museums, etc. there is enormous potential for using the it in a cost effective way so as to enhance the quality of teaching and add variety and excitement to the process of learning. it has particularly established itself as a powerful media for delivery of electronic information resources. the availability of it-based electronic information products is exerting ever-increasing pressure on for accessing web-based online full-text search services, cd rom products or online databases. more details are given in the table below:

resource based learning/ virtual learning