IGNOU Portal for Teacher Training

Indira Gandhi National Open University through its e-portal aims to provide quality teacher training even in the non-urban areas of India

The Indira Gandhi National Open University is set to launch its portal for teacher training. This is a welcome move considering the university’s commitment to distance and open education, the cornerstone of its foundation. As part of its mission to provide learning and higher education opportunities to the disadvantaged sections of society, this portal will help to quicken and enhance the training of teachers, especially in semi-urban and rural areas.

What is an e-portal?

An e-portal or enterprise information portal is a single gateway through which one can gain access to all information, data, systems, and processes used by members of an organisation. The user's experience of the e-portal is uniquely personalised to his or her individual needs, and the user can access the e-portal through the intranet, extranets, or the Internet.

Uses of e-portal

In the context of a learning method, IGNOU’s portal will have the following advantages and features:

1. An e-portal is useful so far as a vast gamut of information can be uploaded. The IGNOU portal has been specifically created so that multimedia content maybe shared between all members and for the democratic dissemination of knowledge.
2. The portal will not remain a mere reservoir of knowledge. The audio, visual and textual catchment of information and data will be carefully sieved. Experts have been appointed to assort material according to subject and relevance. All material will be converted to teaching modules for specific subjects.
3. The portal targets teachers in semi-urban and rural areas. Hence, all content will be available in multiple vernacular languages. It will be linked to community radio stations and local media platforms.

Expectations

The portal is an effort to both revolutionize teaching methodologies as well as induce some degree of consistency in teaching standards. KR Srivasthan, pro vice chancellor of IGNOU, states that the e-portal facility will help in securing a uniform standard in the quality and methodology of teaching across the country.

The IGNOU portal itself will serve as an example for heightened student-teacher interactivity wherein students will learn effectively to correlate to concepts and reflect upon their own intellectual development. E-portals are considered to be a breakthrough in pedagogical methodology because unlike a traditional overpopulated classroom environment, they allow greater focus on the individual needs of the student. Thus, teachers will not only receive this form of training but they will also be able to synergise their ideas and share resources to bring forth an era of smarter forms of communication between instructor and instructed.