Introduction
Education plays a key role in the growth and development of an individual. Hence, everyone should have access to education to improve their lifestyles and achieve better things in life. Education also contributes to the economical and technological development of the countries. Therefore, nations around the world are in constant pursuit of making education accessible to everyone, including the marginalized groups in society. SWAYAM is one such movement by the government to democratize quality education for everyone across the country. The article will give you a detailed explanation to understand what is SWAYAM. Read on to learn more.
What is Meant by SWAYAM?
If you are wondering what is SWAYAM full form, here is the answer for you. The full form of SWAYAM is Study Webs of Active–Learning for Young Aspiring Minds. Swayam in Hindi and Sanskrit means, ‘self’. SWAYAM portal came into existence for the learners to indulge in self-learning or self-inspired study, hence the name.
Idea Behind SWAYAM
SWAYAM refers to a government initiative that aims to uphold the three guiding principles of Indian education policy—access, equity, and quality. Another main objective of SWAYAM is to bridge the digital divide to make online learning accessible to all including those who do not have access to it. It makes education affordable to everyone by offering free courses to learners.
To make it easier to provide education to everyone, President Pranab Mukherjee launched the Swayam and Swayam Prabha platforms. With the use of internet and satellite connectivity, the Swayam program provides digital classrooms to areas that have little access to it. It opens a door for self-learning as the enrolled individuals have access to carefully crafted online learning resources. This enables self-paced learning as students can access the materials anytime and from anywhere.
In addition to these, there are several other reasons why SWAYAM online course is gaining popularity.
Cost-Effective
One of the main attractions of SWAYAM courses is their cost-effectiveness. Reading this, if you are thinking, ‘ are SWAYAM courses free ?’ The answer is, YES, they are. You can learn whichever course you like free of cost. However, you would have to pay a nominal fee for the certificates after the exams.
Carefully Crafted Courses
These courses have been prepared by more than 1,000 faculty members and teachers who were carefully selected from across the nation. Audio-video and multimedia tools are used to enhance the learning experiences of the learners. Thus, SWAYAM NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) courses open a door of possibilities for all learners.
Systematic Learning
SWAYAM portal has adopted a systematic approach to facilitate the learning process for the learners. There are four kinds of quadrants available for them to learn the course. It includes video lectures, downloadable or printable study documents prepared by the best teachers, readymade quizzes and tests for self-assessment purposes. The learners can attend the exams and pass them to receive the certification.
Benefits of SWAYAM Online Course to Learners
Better Opportunities
Learners can learn courses that are in demand and can achieve better career opportunities. In this approach, NPTEL SWAYAM courses are providing students with a diverse range of possibilities.
Career Transition
Individuals who are interested in switching to a different career from their current ones can opt for SWAYAM courses. Learners can pursue courses for upscaling their skill sets and to land the jobs of their choice.
Self-Paced Learning
Since the study resources are available online, learners can access the study materials anytime. They are always available on the SWAYAM portal, hence, it paves the way for self-paced learning.
Credit Transfer
The UGC (Credit Framework for Online Learning Courses Through SWAYAM) Regulation 2016 has been released, instructing Universities to identify courses where credits can be transferred to students' academic records for courses taken on SWAYAM.
Coordinators of SWAYAM
In order to improve the quality of education, SWAYAM has 9 coordinators and they are:
- AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) for self-paced and international courses
- NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning) for Engineering
- UGC (University Grants Commission) for non-technical post-graduation education
- CEC (Consortium for Educational Communication) for under-graduate education
- NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) for school education
- NIOS (National Institute of Open Schooling) for school education
- IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open University) for out-of-school students
- IIMB (Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore) for management studies
- NITTTR (National Institute of Technical Teachers Training and Research) for the Teacher Training program (Source: swayam.gov.in)
It offers hundreds of courses that are taught at the high school, college, and university levels. The coordinators of high school courses are NIOS and NCERT. As far as undergraduate and postgraduate are concerned, they are offered by NPTEL, AICTE, CEC, IIMB, and UGC.
Validity of SWAYAM Certificate
One of the key benefits of completing SWAYAM online courses is the certification. The learners who are eligible for a certificate would receive one. These certificates are valued and would boost your resume. Moreover, students can transfer the credits to their scorecards. Hence, it will be an added advantage to the students.
Conclusion
Learning new things can always help in your growth and development. Through SWAYAM online courses you can broaden your horizons and acquire knowledge in subjects that interests you. Since the courses are framed by experts, the completion of the course would improve your knowledge and would help in your skill development. Hence, SWAYAM would be a great option if would like to learn something new and upscale your knowledge.
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Written by Athira VS