Massive Online Open Courses, or MOOCs as they are popularly known – have found a unique appeal amongst Indian students. Students and working professionals have been enrolling on MOOC platforms to join open courses online and delve deeper into subjects of interest. MOOC certifications are turning into stepping stones for career growth in an intensely competitive job market like India.
And therefore, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) have developed SWAYAM or the Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds.
What is SWAYAM?
SWAYAM is an integrated MOOCs platform for distance education that aims to offer all courses from 9th standard in school to post-graduation level. The initiative is driven by the objective of taking the “best learning resources to all, including the most disadvantaged”, states the SWAYAM website.
SWAYAM MOOCs platform is the world’s largest free e-learning platform. It has been designed keeping the three principles of the new education policy in mind. They are –
- Access to education
- Equity in education
- Quality education
The platform offers courses for school-level learning, vocational education, undergraduate level, postgraduate level, engineering, and other professional courses.
What are the Major Features of SWAYAM?
- Course Type & Duration – SWAYAM offers credit and non-credit courses to students. Courses taught over a semester as a part of a qualification or degree are credit courses. Non-credit courses deal with subjects of awareness, specific skillset, and other trainings are non-credit courses. Non-credit courses may be shorter in duration.
- Eligibility – There are no eligibility criteria for the MOOC courses offered on SWAYAM. Anyone anytime and anywhere may access and learn from these courses.
- Course Components – Each course has four components: video lectures, downloadable/printable reading material, self-assessment tests and quizzes, and an online discussion forum for resolving queries or doubts.
- Course Fees – All MOOC courses offered on SWAYAM are free of cost for all residents of India. However, students may need to pay a nominal fee to obtain a certificate.
- Certification – After successfully completing a course, the students are awarded a certificate. The students must register themselves on the SWAYAM platform to obtain the certification.
- Credits – Students must appear for a proctored exam at the end of every course. It helps determine the knowledge gained by the student at the end of a MOOC course. The marks obtained by the student in this exam can be transferred to their academic records.
The SWAYAM initiative is a step in the right direction to creating an inclusive education system in India. With the help of the SWAYAM platform, numerous Indian students can access the education they need to prepare for the future. It is also an excellent opportunity for colleges to showcase their expertise in the public domain.
CollPoll offers authentic information about MOOC courses and the SWAYAM platform. If you are a higher education institution that wishes to host a MOOC course on SWAYAM, get in touch with our experts. We will be happy to guide you through the process!
