Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Open University (BRAOU), Telangana state, India became the latest Indian open university to offer CEMCA’s MOOC on developing courses for the SWAYAM learning platform.

At the course launch, Professor R. Limbadri, Chairman, Telangana State Council of Higher Education, spoke about its relevance during the Covid-19 pandemic which had caused havoc in the education system.

To reach learners, Indian universities and colleges were encouraged to make use of SWAYAM, and earlier this year India’s University Grants Commission initiated a call for educators to submit expressions of interest for creating undergraduate and postgraduate courses for the platform.

Developed in partnership between CEMCA and experts from the Netaji Subhas Open University, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Uttarakhand Open University, the MOOC introduces learners to the framework for course development and implementation and provides step-by-step guidelines.

Over 240 BRAOU faculty participated in the latest course offering. Among its most significant outcomes, they noted an increased awareness about the digital initiative of the Indian government and a better understanding of OER for learning, teaching and professional development.

According to Professor Madhu Parhar, Director of CEMCA, there are plans to promote the MOOC among other universities in India, so that a large number of teachers are trained to develop online courses for SWAYAM.