Using Innovative Measures for Enhancing Quality in the ODL System in India

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet

Quality in open and distance learning (ODL) is defined by meeting customer satisfaction through multiple attributes, including learner- and product-centric design, value for cost, and alignment with stakeholders’ expectations. Indian ODL, now about thirty-five years old, must further improve products and services amid rising demand for innovation. The paper analyzes quality from varied perspectives to identify gaps and parameters, then proposes an implementation framework to support policymakers in assuring quality.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Quality challenges and equity, efficiency, benchmarking

Need for innovative measures and quality assurance dimensions

Abstract

Quality definition and motivation for improvement

Asian Journal of Distance Education [http://www](http://www.AsianJDE.org)[.](http://www.AsianJDE.org)[AsianJDE](http://www.AsianJDE.org)[.](http://www.AsianJDE.org)[org](http://www.AsianJDE.org) © 2019 The Asian Society of Open and Distance Education ISSN 1347-9008 Asian J D E 2019 vol 14, no 1, pp 117-127 Using Innovative Measures for Enhancing Quality in the ODL System in India Leena SINGH School of Management Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India [leenasingh@ignou.ac.in](leenasingh@ignou.ac.in | ORCID 0000-0003-2280-5048)[ | ORCID 0000-0003-2280-5048](leenasingh@ignou.ac.in | ORCID 0000-0003-2280-5048) Moumita DAS National Centre for Innovation in Distance Education, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India [moumitadas@ignou.ac.in](moumitadas@ignou.ac.in) ABSTRACT: Quality aims at meeting customer satisfaction through its various attributes in a product, process or system. Quality has to meet the requirements of a competitive environment, offer good price for cost and meet customer satisfaction. In the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, quality means the special attributes of ODL, such as being learner-centric and product centric, the value for cost, and the ability to fulfill the expectations of the shareholders. The ODL system in India is almost thirty-five years old and has met the educational needs of millions of students in India and abroad. The system needs to further improve the quality of its products and services. There is growing demand for adopting innovative measures for improving the quality of ODL system in India. This paper examines the quality aspect of the ODL system from different perspectives with the objectives of identifying the gap areas and parameters of quality. Based on the findings, this paper proposes an implementation framework for improving quality in the ODL system in India. This proposed framework is expected to facilitate the policymakers in assuring quality in the system. KEYWORDS: Open and Distance Learning System, Quality Assurance, Innovation, Creativity, Benchmarking 1. INTRODUCTION: The Open and Distance Learning system (ODL) system is a user friendly system, and as a result, has shown extraordinary growth during the past few years. The learners can learn at their own pace, and from their own place. The challenge of the distance between the learner and the institution has been considerably overcome through various learner support interventions. The open considerably overcome through various learner support interventions. The open universities and correspondence courses of traditional universities offer teacher learner interaction through the distance mode to almost half of the students enrolled in higher education in India (Ghosh & Das, This work of the Asian Journal of Distance Education is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License ASIAN JOURNAL of DISTANCE EDUCATION 2014) . In spite of the user-friendliness, the challenge of equity, quality, efficiency and benchmarking exists in the ODL system. Further improvement in quality is expected in the area of counseling, learner support services and delivery methods. The students of the ODL system constantly feel the challenge of acceptance in reputed universities. Further, due to this bias, the ODL students have very poor absorption rate in employment as compared to the student of conventional universities. To meet the quality requirements of the heterogeneous segment of students and the Millennium Development Goals, innovative measures need to be introduced in ODL system. The quality of the system will depend on the extent to which innovative measures are introduced and adopted by the ODL system. This will also fulfill the Millennium Development Goals which emphasizes education for sustainable development. It is a big challenge to implement quality assurance in the ODL system as quality has many aspects. (Chaney, 2007; Darojat [et.a

FAQs

How does the paper define quality in the ODL system?

Quality is framed as meeting requirements of a competitive environment and customer satisfaction, including learner-centric and product-centric attributes, cost value, and meeting stakeholders’ expectations.

What problem does the paper aim to address in India’s ODL system?

It targets the need to further improve the quality of ODL products and services by adopting innovative measures, while addressing existing challenges in quality assurance.

What does the proposed framework intend to do?

The framework is intended to facilitate policymakers in assuring quality in India’s ODL system by operationalizing quality improvement through the identified gaps and quality parameters.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet