Terminology
Title page
INDIRA GANDHI NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
School of Agriculture
| Terminology used in reference to development of Programmes |
i)Programme: By a programme, the University means the curriculum or combination of courses in a particular field of study. For examples, Undergraduate programme, Diploma programme in Management, Diploma programme in Distance Education, MA programme in English, etc.
(ii) Course: The programme is divided into courses. Normally, a certificate programme consists of 3/4 courses, and a diploma programme consists of 6-8 courses. The Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Science and Commerce consists of 12 courses of eight credits each spread over a period of 3 years. However, the Bachelor’s Degree in Library and Information Science which takes only one year for completion (a first degree in the minimum requirement) has 7 courses. The MBA programme comprises 21 courses and Masters Degree in Distance Education has 10 courses.
In conventional education, when we talk of a course, we usually refer to a subject and level such as post-graduate chemistry, primary level math, undergraduate biology and so on. In Open education, the term ’course’ includes more than this. It is used to describe the teaching materials and other components of the study. A typical open education course will, for example, consist of a number of texts, audio and video components, contact sessions, assignments, library work, laboratory work, project work, etc. Thus, each course consists of a few printed booklets called Blocks, a few videos; some assignments and whatever else may go with it.
| (iii) | Block: A course is divided into ’blocks’. The block appears in the form of a booklet of around 60/80 printed pages. Generally, each block presents one unified theme. Each COURSE consists of a few BLOCKS which appear as booklets. |
| (iv) | Unit: The term ’unit’, of course, the context is that of IGNOU, is used |
to denote a division of a block, at one level in terms of the theme or topic and at another level as the material used to teach the topic.
A unit, is a self-contained portion of a block covering one or more interwoven learning concepts. Each unit is broken into sections and sub-sections for the clarity of the presentation of concepts, information, illustrations, etc.
| (v) | Credit System: A credit in the instructional design of the University is defined as the equivalent of 30 hours of study time for a student, which includes studying the learning packages (print and electronic media), participation in tutorials and counselling, and doing the assignments. Thus, it means academic activities undertaken equivalent to 30 study hours. |
In terms of the course material it is generally taken as that one block of standard length including the other materials and academic tasks that go with it demand a study time of about 30 hours. There might be some variations here and there but generally work on one-block amounts to completion of one credit. For example, the break-up could be as follows:
(a) 20 hours for studying the four units in a particular block @ 5 hours per unit including work on in text questions.
(b) 3 hours of work on one video and two audio programmes accompanying the block.
(c) 4 hours work on the assignment pertaining to this block.
(d) 3 hours work pertaining to this particular block, with the academic counsellors at study centres.
Most courses developed by the University are structured on the basis of a certain assigned number of credits, varying between two and eight.
Reference (Examples)
| 1. | Chapter from a Book : Judith Calder, 1994 | "Course Feedback: Its Costs and Benefits; its Limitations and Potential", in G. Dhanarajan, et al (eds) Economics of Distance Education: Recent Experience, Open Learning Institute Press, Hong Kong., 1994, pp. 241-255. |
| 2. | Article from a Journal: Rainer Ommerborn & Rudolf Schuemer, 2002 |
"Using Computers in Distance Study: Results of a survey amongst disabled distance students," Indian Journal of Open Learning, Volume 11, No. 1, January 2002, pp.51-72. |
| 3. | Book: Renga Ramanujam. P, 2002 | Distance Open Learning: Challenges to Developing Countries, Shipra Publications, 115A, Shakarpur, Vikas Marg, New Delhi-110092. |
