Digital Varsity : a suggested Blue-print

 

Context :

Digital varsity for world-class quality education on the cards  /  HT  /  02 Feb 2022

Extract :

The central government will set up a digital university to impart “world-class quality education” and promote online learning in different Indian languages amid the Covid-19 pandemic, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech in Parliament on Tuesday.

“A digital university will be established to provide access to students across the country for world-class quality universal education with personalised learning experience at their doorsteps,” the finance minister said. “The best public universities and institutions in the country will collaborate (in the digital university) as a network of hub-spoke.”

To address “learning loss” due to school closures, the government will also expand the One Class One TV Channel initiative under the PM e-Vidya scheme.

The proposed digital university and the expanded TV education programme will lead to “a modern, pioneering and practical blueprint for steering India in the Amrit Kaal,” education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said. “The universalized quality education will gain strength with these initiatives.”

 “Such a digital university will be particularly of great help to students coming from the economically poor, marginalised and rural backgrounds,” Kumar said. “Since this university will be based on a networked hub-spoke model, it can develop student-friendly digital platforms and digital content using modern technologies.”

 

MY  TAKE  :

 

Dear Shri Dharmendra Pradhanji,

 (  Minister.sm@gov.in / app-hrd@gov.in / d.pradhan@sansad.nic.in )

 

I urge you to consider my following earlier e-mail, while developing a BLUE-PRINT of proposed DIGITAL UNIVERSITY

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh  /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  /  08 Feb 2022

 

 

National Skills University : Virtual is the only way………………[ 03 Apr 2021 ]

 

Extract :

 

MY  SUGGESTIONS :

( A )   STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY

                Ø  It should be an AUTONOMOUS university as per DETAILED STRUCTURE

                    outlined at :

                DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR UNIVERSITY    

( B )    ROLE

                Ø  It should NOT engage in direct / face-to-face / physical Skilling on its

                    own campus

                Ø  It should be a VIRTUAL university, offering ONLINE courses to anyone

                    desirous to take a course

                Ø  It will mostly concern itself at

 figuring out those hundreds of Skills        

 required by the Industries /    

                    Businesses / Enterprises, and publish on its  Portal ( “ WHO wants WHAT skill “ type matrix ).

                    For such compilation, it will invite TRADE ASSOCIATIONS –

                    PROFESSIONAL BODIES 

                Ø  It will invite and collaborate with entities which can develop / create “

                    Skill Delivery Contents “ for these kills,

                   ( at levels such as, Semi-Skilled / Skilled / Highly Skilled / Master

                     Craftsman ) .

                   For each of these LEVELS ( and for each SKILL ), it will develop

                   CERTIFICATION EXAM QUESTION BANKS for download by Users

                   

               Ø  Such entities could be existing ITIs – Engg Colleges – Foreign

                   Universities – Public/Private Sector Companies - Online portals such as

                   ByJu – Khan Academy etc

                   

             Ø  The cost / expense incurred by the Content Contributors, will count

                  against their CSR obligations

             Ø  University will be free to BUY such content from contributors

             Ø  University will approach entities like Google to join in this effort

            Ø  University will approach all Internet Service Providers for giving FREE

                 bandwidth to Users for downloading content or for streaming ONLINE AR

                / VR instructions

                

            Ø  University will approach AR / VR headset manufacturers ( such as Occulus

                – Facebook – Apple – Google – Microsoft – IBM etc ), to develop very light

               weight and cheap ( Rs 5,000 ) glasses for REGISTERD users of Skills

               University ( Central Govt may consider subsidizing such glasses to

               REGISTERED users  ONLY )

                               

          

         Refer :

              Microsoft gets contract worth up to $22 billion to outfit US Army with 120,000 AR  

              headsets

         XR Learning Market in the US Surges to $6.7 Billion by 2026  

         Extract :

        #   "In educational psychology, there are two phases of the learning

              process:

              knowledge transfer and learning transfer," comments Adkins

        Knowledge transfer is the transmission of information and skills to the

       learner.  Learning transfer is the ability of the learner to demonstrate

       mastery in a  real-world setting.

      

       Next- generation XR Learning products (particularly the new augmented

       field force performance support  products) effectively accomplish both phases

       simultaneously

      

( C )    PORTAL

                 Ø  It will have TWO sections, one for CONTENT CREATORS /

                     CONTRIBUTORS / DONORS , who ( after registering ) will upload their

                     content on the portal

                     

                Ø  Content itself could be TEXT- FORMS – IMAGES – DRAWINGS -

                    DIAGRAMS – PODCAST – VIDEO – AR / VR based INSTRUCTION SETS

                    etc

                    

               Ø  After thorough evaluation of the uploaded content, portal admin will

                   approve it for getting published / making available for downloading by

                   USERS

                   

              Ø  Second section will be for CONTENT CONSUMERS / USERS ( who can

                  be any Indian Citizen ), who will need to register by providing full details

                  about himself / herself , such as ( Name – Current Address –Aadhar

                  Number–PAN details–Employed–Self Employed–Trade/Profession - Mobile

                  No – Email ID  etc )

                  

              

             Ø  A duly registered USER will be able to download ANY content

                 ( totally FREE – but only once ), details of which will be entered into

                 user’s “ Download History “ page

                 

            Ø   A “ Summary Download History Page “ ( Skill-wise / Industry wise /

                 User’s State wise etc ), for ALL the REGISTERED users ( anonymized /

                 aggregated ) will show-up which SKILLS are in demand

                 

           Ø  Download will require :

             #   Internet enabled Mobile/Tablet/Desktop/Laptop…......for Text – Video –

                  Podcast 

             #   Internet enabled AR / VR headsets ( glasses ) ……..for AR / VR content

           Ø   Portal will allow any User to appear ONLINE in any Certification Exam for

                any Skill, at any LEVEL , and obtain a “ digital-locker ” based, PASS

                CERTIFICATE

 

              

CC :

Smt. Annpurna Devi ………………….  mosedu-ad@gov.in

 

Dr. Subhas Sarkar……………………. Mosedu-ss@gov.in

 

Shri Mahendra Nath Pandey….

mahendranath.pandey@sansad.nic.in /  drmnpandeymp@gmail.com