ICT and Higher Education in Assam: Importance of MOOCs and SWAYAM

Abstract

The issue of increasing higher education Gross Enrollment Ratio (GER) in India is a challenge for the Government of India. Lack of quality institutions, issues of accessibility and affordability has kept a vast majority of youth away from higher education in India. The use of ICT and new technologies will immensely help bridge this gap and will push forward the learning experiences of this young generation of people. While the Government of India has pushed forward platforms like UGC –SWAYAM and MOOCs, in the state of Assam, students are yet to accept such new learning platforms. The objective of this paper is essentially to analyse the importance of online platforms like MOOCs and SWAYAM in facilitating higher education in Assam (India). Based on a field study conducted in 2019 in three state public universities in Assam, this paper highlights the challenges faced by students in adapting newer methods of learning. The lack of ‘digital environment’ has severely limited the learning outcomes of students.