MOOCs and Digital Learning: Revolutionary Education System in

India

Anjali Shokeen and Ishita

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, India

Keywords: Digital Learning, Massive Open Online Courses, New Education Policy2020, Quality Education.

Abstract: A new generation of the education system in India has adopted digital learning in the teaching-learning

environment. Technologies have played a vital part in the education system. Massive Open Online Courses

have become a productive online medium to impart education and are open to all learners. Digital learning

has become the easiest way to enlighten learners’ knowledge with a productive outcome. The new generation

in India is becoming digitally friendly and attracted to quality education in less time. This paper aims to

enlighten the role of Massive Open Online Courses and digital learning in the education system in India. New

Education Policy 2020 is ready to adopt this positive change to upgrade learners’ knowledge in this digital

era. Various Indian platforms of Massive Open Online Courses may enhance the professional skills of

learners.

1 INTRODUCTION

Education is the pillar of any developed nation which

leads to the status of a country in the whole world. All

developed countries are entertaining and adopting

digital learning in their education system. India is

coming forward to utilize digital learning in its formal

education system. Universities and colleges in India

consider Digital learning a vital part of the curriculum.

New Education Policy 2020 also emphasizes digital

learning to enhance productive education. Massive

Open Online Courses (MOOCs) act as a productive

medium to impart mass education in this digital era.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide

online learning opportunities to learners who prefer to

learn at their place. Now, Universities and colleges

adopt blended learning to impart education in place

of conventional teaching and learning in the formal

education system. Higher Education Institutions

highly demanded Digital learning to upgrade the

skills and knowledge of learners. For building

competencies, educational institutions provide ample

resources to improvise the knowledge around

information technology. Information and

communication technology plays an important role in

promoting Digital India. Digital Education and

Corresponding author

Information Technology will be useful to

policymakers and educational institutions. Major

initiatives are undertaken by the government

authorities to encourage lifelong learning which is the

vision of New Education Policy 2020.

(Chatterjee

and Nath, 2014) stated popularizing MOOCs

especially in Higher education Institutions and their

utility in the education market of India through their

case study. Some key issues of MOOCs and several

possible ways outs to extensive implementation of

MOOCs in educational institutions from an Indian

perspective. Ubiquitous Learning gives a global

platform for the Indian Education System and

MOOCs may act as an effective medium to promote

this which leads to uplifting the quality of education

as a whole. As new digital world provides more

online learning opportunities to learners who eagerly

want to learn at their own pace. For developing

successful courses through MOOC in higher

education, previous research has found that an

empirically justified framework is required (Yang,

Yusop, and Leng, 2022). Students learn through

online mode and can experience digital learning

which may enhance their skills in using digital tools.

Their satisfaction in learning leads to effective and

quality learning learners.

542

Shokeen, A. and Ishita, .

MOOCs and Digital Learning: Revolutionary Education System in India.

DOI: 10.5220/0012493200003792

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 1st Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies (PAMIR 2023), pages 542-545

ISBN: 978-989-758-687-3

2 DIGITAL LEARNING AND

MOOCs: EFFECTIVE

LEARNING AND FLIPPED

INSTRUCTIONS

Effective Learning leads to learners adopting new

skills and innovative ideas to upgrade their future

concerning holistic development. Digital learning

establishes a feasible platform to gain new skills and

advance the skills of the learners. MOOCs are an

affordable way to enhance their knowledge in each

dimension or multidisciplinary area. Constant

learning needs technological advancement which

equipped learners effectively toward quality

education. (Pant et al., 2021) aimed to investigate the

current trends for the adoption of Massive Open

Online Courses in the higher education system and

point out that millions of learners learning on the

SWAYAM MOOC platform in India. (Pant et al.

2021) found that there are several factors to facilitate

the adoption of MOOCs in the Indian Education

System. Digital learning supports all teaching and

learning strategies in electronic form which are easily

accessible to both learners and instructors. MOOCs

act as n new innovative form of organization to

deliver educational resources to teachers. (Nalla, D.,

2021) presented a paper at a conference in which a

case study was done to give training to teachers to

deliver content in online mode effectively. These

educational resources assist teachers to impart mass

education and deliver quality education to learners.

By using information and technologies, teachers can

deliver skills, and abilities and develop cognitive

practices in students’ learning process. Assimilation

of knowledge through digital learning emerges as a

new system in the education sector, leading to

efficiency and effectiveness in the Indian education

system. (Berezytski and Oleksyuk, 2016) aimed to

find the existence of Smart Universities, MOOCs, and

cloud technologies. The traditional distance learning

courses are very different from projects running on

MOOCs. Enrolment in MOOCs is growing rapidly

which leads to enhance literacy rate. (Berezytski and

Oleksyuk, 2016) further point out that with the latest

technologies, instructions should be in close

connection in each area like education, economics,

and law. Scientists and educationists are engaged in

developing a productive teaching and learning model

using digital technology. The education industry

offers various Ed-tech startups at small, medium, and

large levels that offer various digital tools and

products to academic institutions. Digital tools are

extensively utilized by educational institutions.

Flipped instruction is another modern instructional

method which is learner-centered teaching and

learning. Flipped instruction aims to motivate and

engage the students interactively. It promotes higher-

level cognitive learning. Teachers improve the skills

of learners and act as specialists. To boost the

motivation of students, a flipped classroom is a

quality medium for learners. (Wang and Zhu 2019)

studied and did a quasi-experiment in an inorganic

chemistry course to study the effectiveness of MOOC

based flipped learning and found that students had a

favorable experience in the flipped classroom.

Learning experiences and performance of learners

were examined in MOOC-based flipped classrooms.

Open online videos in flipped classrooms can

promote student participation. Students performed

better in MOOC based flipped classrooms than in

traditional classrooms. The reason behind the

development of micro-lessons in large numbers is the

rise in MOOCs. MOOC-based classrooms involved

both face-to-face learning and online learning. It

supports and encourages quality teaching and

learning process. Teachers ensured that students must

have the ability to assimilate knowledge and the

necessary concepts of the curriculum. Students-

centric activities should be encouraged like

brainstorming, problem-solving, and exploring. To

revisit the media type courses become better than

traditional courses for students in universities.

Therefore, universities are ready to establish flipped

instruction methods to impart education in their

institutions. To encourage collaborative learning

among students flipped-classroom approach has

much more utility than the traditional classroom

approach. This approach brings confidence among

students and develops self-efficacy. It generates an

internet learning environment which leads to self-

efficacy among students. (Wang and Zhu, 2019)

found that MOOC-based flipped class learning

improves students’ learning performance. Teachers

have to consider what course should be taught

through MOOC by that students’ interest would not

decline in their learning.

3 DIGITAL AND REMOTE

LEARNING INITIATIVES

ACROSS INDIA

Hybrid model placed in Indian Education System

over conventional teaching-learning. Integration of

online and offline learning during COVID in India

observed that digital education is positively adopted

MOOCs and Digital Learning: Revolutionary Education System in India

543

by learners. There were a few barriers during the

pandemic of this hybrid model of education like equal

access to digital devices for learning and internet

connectivity in different regions. India Report Digital

Education. (2021) initiatives are taken by the

government to overcome all barriers which encourage

Digital and Remote Learning in India. The India

Report on Digital Education 2021 highlights the

initiatives for digital and remote learning at various

levels undertaken by the Ministry of Education to

upgrade the Indian education system towards digital

technologies. India Report Digital Education (2021)

further mentions, to bring digital literacy, media, and

the internet, various inclusive aspects are undertaken

by each state and union territory of India. Earlier,

tablets and smartphones were provided to engage

students in some states. To overcome the digital drive,

remarkable initiatives have been made. There are

3304 schools in Bihar, where one Smart TV is in the

classroom under the Unnayan Bihar Initiative scheme

launched on 5th September 2019. Laptops were

distributed in 126 schools in Uttrakhand. “Motor

Iskool” is initiated in Chhattisgarh to provide face to-

face learning program, where teachers travel to

remote locations across the state. To ensure a digital

learning model, Alumni’s effort in Kerala took place

where all students can get access to digital classes.

Special audiobooks for visually challenged students

are also being a part of the process. Delhi government

also facilitated all regular and guest teachers with

tablets. Various measures and alternatives have been

considered to bring digital literacy where digital

devices are not available. Sharing resources through

pen drive by making audio video classes, classes

through local cable TV, and door-door learning have

been done for establishing a digital teaching-learning

environment so that learners become familiar with all

digital devices. In Odisha, these kinds of initiatives

took place.

4 REDUCING INEQUITIES:

ENHANCEMENT IN

LEARNING

The need to reduce equities in the Indian education

system is a must. Education should be accessible to

all and to attain this aim, digital transformation in the

education sector is a major step. There is huge

potential for technology in the Indian education sector

for enhancing learning. New Education Policy 2020,

aims to give quality education to all learners. A robust

digital learning system is required to reform in new

education structure which emerges as the creative

development of each child. Foundational literacy and

numeracy are required for learners. Attracting the

child’s interest is the priority so that learners get

engaged with the given activity. A most important

target population is parents who are not well educated

to avail the benefits due to lack of awareness and

illiteracy. Building Teachers’ capacity and

involvement in delivering quality education by using

digital devices are crucial as they have to upgrade

themselves with technological advancements and

accept it to the fullest. To design the capacity-

building program, different workshops should be

conducted. In NEP 2020. To upskill the students to

get the best job according to their skills, digital and

hybrid models should be considered. Vocational

courses should be part of the student’s curriculum

mentioned in the NEP2020. Some people do have not

digital devices and internet connectivity therefore it is

essential to connect the unconnected. To reduce the

dropout rate, accessibility to all should be the prior

part of the implementation of NEP2020.

5 DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION:

NEW GENERATION

EDUCATION SYSTEM IN

INDIA

Educational institutions are availing all resources and

adopting innovations towards digital learning to

resolve the academic loss that learners were suffering

during the pandemic. Technological advancement in

the educational sector is much needed for a new

generation-education system in India. India somehow

managed the pandemic situation with the availability

of technology and advancement at that time. Now, all

educational institutions have all ideas to upgrade their

institutions according to the new technologies and

demands of the education sector. Adopting digital

learning and having MOOCs in some universities is

an initiative by educational institutions to achieve

these technological advancements in teaching-

learning. (Singh and Tiwari 2021) state that new

normal educational institutions require proper

infrastructure, and well-trained teachers and students

for fast universal access to networks. (Singh and

Tiwari 2021) further mention online learning

platforms which support learning during a lockdown

like Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young

Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM), E-PG Pathsala, Digital

Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (DIKSHA),

CBSE PODCAST, National Digital Library of India

PAMIR 2023 - The First Pamir Transboundary Conference for Sustainable Societies- | PAMIR

544

(NDL), IIT Pal, Vidwan, e-Shodh Sindhu, UMANG

mobile app, One Class, One Channel, etc. To bring

digital learning and technological advancement to the

education sector, these initiatives were taken by the

government of India. Further, the government is

planning to provide financial assistance to those

sectors involved in developing digital initiatives.

Transformation is needed in each sphere for the

development of the nation. New Education Policy

2020 is a major step towards this transformation after

so many decades. Implementation of the New

Education Policy 2020 would be a bigger challenge

for academicians. All stakeholders should be

benefitted and inclusiveness of all sectors should be

the priority for the implementors. All institutions and

the government of India gearing up for this

transformation of implementing NEP 2020 at the

grassroots as it is the betterment of all associations of

the Indian education sector. The key face of future

education is Digital learning. MOOCs are the

medium to bring digital learning among learners. To

bridge the gap between connected to unconnected

with digital learning, digital transformation emerged

as the new generation in the education system in India.

Various steps are taken by the government and

NEP2020 also ensures to bring digital learning in the

Indian education system. Educational administration

should be equipped with digital tools to administer

digital learning in educational institutions. Flipped

instruction model emerges as an effective path to

impart quality education by bringing digital learning

to educational institutions. Several types of research

are done on digital learning and MOOCs, saying that

Digital learning and MOOCs are acceptable to all

stakeholders in the education sector for enriching the

quality of education. The implementation of Digital

learning and MOOCs in educational institutions

should be recommended for further research

perspective. There would be some challenges in the

implementation so this area should also be a part of

research for the researchers from an Indian

perspective.

6 CONCLUSION

The key face of future education is Digital learning.

MOOCs are the medium to bring digital learning

among learners. To bridge the gap between connected

to unconnected with digital learning, digital

transformation emerged as the new generation in the

education system in India. Various steps are taken by

the government and NEP2020 also ensures to bring

digital learning in the Indian education system.

Educational administration should be equipped with

digital tools to administer digital learning in

educational institutions. Flipped instruction model

emerges as an effective path to impart quality

education by bringing digital learning to educational

institutions. Several types of research are done on

digital learning and MOOCs, saying that Digital

learning and MOOCs are acceptable to all

stakeholders in the education sector for enriching the

quality of education. The implementation of Digital

learning and MOOCs in educational institutions

should be recommended for further research

perspective. There would be some challenges in the

implementation so this area should also be a part of

research for the researchers from an Indian

perspective.

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