The UGC has recently issued a framework for universities to conduct
examinations for SWAYAM courses.
While the move will offer flexibility to
students, the universities will be required to create a strong digital infrastructure and train
faculty to handle workload involving review of SWAYAM course content, coordination with course
providers, monitoring and evaluation
of courses for effective implementation.
"To encourage more students to earn credits
through SWAYAM courses and provide re-attempt opportunities to
students, the SWAYAM Board decided that the universities may conduct examinations for courses
offered on platform, provided the university has adopted courses for credit transfer as per the UGC
(Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses through Study Webs of Active
Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) Regulations, 2021," says Manish
Ratnakar Joshi, secretary, UGC.
According to the UGC, an institution can allow
students to take up to 40% of their courses online in a particular programme in a semester through the SWAYAM platform.
The credits/marks obtained by the candidate enrolled in
universities will be counted, only if the university has adopted courses
offered on the platform for credit transfer.
The universities adopting the courses will have to create
the necessary infrastructure for invigilation and evaluation.
“The universities integrating SWAYAM courses with their existing curricula will have
to bear some additional responsibilities like arranging for occasional
interactive sessions of their faculty with candidates, conducting certifying exams for candidates
which may involve additional infrastructure, security, invigilation and
evaluation personnel,” says PV Navaneethakrishnan, former controller of
examinations, Anna University, Chennai.
Potential benefits of the SWAYAM platform's
flexibility and course selection include flexibility and convenience as the courses are
offered online,
people with hectic schedules or candidates who live in remote places can complete their education at their own schedule.
“Implementing the UGC’s credit framework involves setting up systems for seamless
credit transfer. This includes :
Ø updating academic
records,
Ø ensuring that
credits from SWAYAM are recognised, and
Ø integrating them into the
student’s overall academic performance.
For this, universities will require a designated
coordinator to guide candidates through courses, facilitate sessions and conduct transparent evaluations
for scores. Maintaining consistent quality between Massive Open Online
Course (MOOCs) and in-house courses requires ongoing monitoring and
evaluation,” says Balvinder Shukla, vice-chancellor Amity University,
Uttar Pradesh.
Some faculty may be sceptical that online courses may
have a different depth of discussion, level of critical analysis, and overall academic
rigour than already existing university courses. “There could be a mental
resistance as it is usually perceived that interpersonal connect of in-person
instruction, familiarity or comfort is missing in online course delivery.
Ensuring that the assessment
methods used in SWAYAM courses are compatible with
the university’s standards can be challenging,” says Shukla.
Furthermore, coordinating with SWAYAM course
providers can create logistical hurdles for a university, which would require
administrative support. “Ensuring faculty training and adapting assessment methods for online formats
can stretch resources.
Technical issues related to integrating the platforms for
learning must also be addressed since they complicate course management and
student tracking in universities’ respective systems. Universities need to have
strong digital infrastructure, such as reliable online examination platforms and secure
servers, to cater to the increasing traffic and data security needed to conduct examinations
for SWAYAM courses. Proper technical support and IT staff
are important in maintaining and troubleshooting systems. Additionally,
comprehensive student support services for both exam-related queries and
technical issues are necessary for smooth operations,” says M Kishorebabu,
dean, Management, Humanities and Science, KL Deemed to be University,
Vijayawada.
A key challenge in the UGC's initiative could be ensuring
the equivalency and quality of SWAYAM courses. “To
address this, universities must establish rigorous evaluation and accreditation processes.
These processes should assess course content, teaching methods, and learning
outcomes to ensure they meet or exceed the standards of in-house courses.
Universities may need to form committees or task forces of faculty experts to
oversee this evaluation,”
says Sudhir K Routray, dean, Academics, CMR University, Bengaluru.