Promoting usage of ICT in Open and Distance Education Programs

The idea of widening access to education, promoting independent and lifelong learning and adopting new methods to delivery of education is prominent in the goals of education in India. To facilitate human resource development in the country and widen access to education at all levels, the educational policy of the country has emphasized the promotion of use of ICT in its distance education programs. With the support of information and communication technology, thousands of people from remotest parts of countries have been able to access education through distance learning. The traditional method of education occurs in personal contact between the teacher and the learner in the classroom setting. This is anchored in the reality that teaching and learning take place at same time and same place. With the introduction of communication technology it has became clear that formal, informal or non-formal teaching and learning at the higher level could also be done via technology. This paper focuses on the concept of ICT and how it useful in open and distance learning and also discusses about various problems in usage of ICT in open and distance learning.