DISTANCE EDUCATION IN INDIA: A HISTORICAL ACCOUNT, 1962–2022 / EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA EN LA INDIA: UNA RESEÑA HISTÓRICA, 1962–2022
Abstract
Distance education has become an integral component of the Indian higher education system, providing opportunities for learners who cannot participate fully in conventional campus-based education due to various constraints. This article presents a historical account of distance education in India, drawing on existing research as well as official data. It traces the development of the field through the emergence and expansion of correspondence education during the 1960s and 1970s; the establishment of open universities during the 1980s; the national consolidation of distance education following the establishment of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1985; the growth of multimedia and information and communication technologies; and the subsequent development of regulated ODL and online education. It draws on the example of the Centre for Distance Education (CDE) at the Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL), Hyderabad, subsequently associated with the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), as an important instance of the diversification of Indian distance education into specialized language education and professional development. The CDE/CIEFL experience illustrates the distinctive pedagogical demands of language learning at a distance and the importance of learner autonomy, mediated communication, interaction, instructional materials, and learner support.
La educación a distancia se ha convertido en un componente integral del sistema de educación superior de la India, proporcionando oportunidades a estudiantes que no pueden participar plenamente en la educación convencional basada en campus debido a diversas limitaciones. Este artículo presenta una reseña histórica de la educación a distancia en la India, basándose tanto en investigaciones existentes como en datos oficiales. Se sigue el desarrollo de este campo a través de la aparición y expansión de la educación por correspondencia durante las décadas de 1960 y 1970; el establecimiento de universidades abiertas durante la década de 1980; la consolidación nacional de la educación a distancia tras la creación de la Universidad Nacional Abierta Indira Gandhi (IGNOU) en 1985; el crecimiento de los recursos multimedia y de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación; y el posterior desarrollo de la educación a distancia y abierta (ODL) y de la educación en línea reguladas. Se recurre al ejemplo del Centro de Educación a Distancia (CDE) del Instituto Central de Inglés y Lenguas Extranjeras (CIEFL), Hyderabad, posteriormente vinculado a la Universidad de Inglés y Lenguas Extranjeras (EFLU), como un ejemplo importante de la diversificación de la educación a distancia india hacia la enseñanza especializada de idiomas y el desarrollo profesional. La experiencia del CDE/CIEFL ilustra las exigencias pedagógicas distintivas del aprendizaje de idiomas a distancia y la importancia de la autonomía del estudiante, la comunicación mediada, la interacción, los materiales didácticos y el apoyo al estudiante.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejoe.v8i2.7032
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