UoH, first in the country, adopts online education policy

"The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has adopted Online Educational Policy (OEP), the first Central University in the country. Addressing a joint press conference here today, University Vice chancellor Prof Appa Rao Podile and University Faculty Coordinator Prof J Prabhakar Rao, said as the European Union funded International Collaborative project (EU Project) ending this month, the University has adopted OEP. Under this policy, the University has set up an e-Learning centre where developing studio and multi media and other infrastructure with an estimated cost of About Rs 60 lakhs, will formally launch in couple of months, they informed. The aim of the centre is to promote, implement online courses designed by the teachers of the University, providing training to the teachers on developing e-Content by using enhanced technology of teaching and learning and operation, maintaining E-labs, virtual classroom, video conferencing room, they said. As per the UGS mandatory, 20 per cent of regular courses made on online by the UoH, they said the centre will also develop online courses Swayam platform which is a initiative of HRD Ministry to promote Open Educational Resources (OERs). There are plans to go for National and International collaborations for developing these, however, the centre initially focus on Capacity Buildign courses for both teachers and students, they added. Mr Prabhakar said that the EU project, which started in 2013, implemented by consortium of six university partners (four from India and two from Europe). Funding over one million Euros for the all six universities . The main objective of the project to enhance the quality, access and governance of undergraduate education in India through technology enabled learning with Indo-EU Higher Education partnerships and collaborations, he added."