EMRC Patiala got top position across India, offers maximum MOOCs
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ July 17,2024
The Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) in Patiala has emerged as the leading institution for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in India for July-December 2024. Among 21 centres nationwide, EMRC Patiala secured the top position due to its dedicated efforts and optimal utilization of its production capabilities over the past two years. In the semester commensing in July 2024 EMRC Patiala is offering 17 MOOCs and occupies joint top position with EMRC Calicut. All the Educational Multimedia Research Centre are offering 176 courses through SYAWAM portal of Government of India.
In response to this achievement, EMRC Patiala Director Daljit Ami stated that institutional development is his responsibility and the present status has been achieved through discipline and consistent efforts since the day he joined. He said, “This is the best-ever performance of EMRC Patiala that brings us to the top.” He observed that EMRC Patiala had historically lagged in production and could not actualise the importance of being part of a national body. Ami emphasized the need to work towards institution-building and bringing digital education to students who need it the most. Daljit Ami also highlighted another achievement, stating that since he began, he aimed to bring more young subject matter experts on board. Over the past two years, the average age of these experts has decreased, with new scholars from over 10 states now working with EMRC Patiala.
Educational Media Research Centres (EMRCs) is an inter-university centre of the University Grants Commission (UGC), which works under the national Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) to create educational content, promote digital learning, and enhance education quality through MOOCs, ensuring accessible, high-quality education for students nationwide.
Daljit Ami emphasized that the success in managing and expanding MOOCs smoothly is attributed to the workshops and orientation sessions conducted for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and teaching assistants, which enhance their understanding of the operational workflow. He highlighted the importance of these initiatives in facilitating the production and successful execution of MOOC courses. He shared that collaboration with different universities and other EMRCs has increased, and EMRC Patiala got lectures recorded in Pune and Puducherry as well.
Prof. Sharanjit, a law professor at Rajiv Gandhi National Law University, Patiala, expressed happiness over the achievement of EMRC Patiala, where she has been working since 2016. Prof. Sharanjit highlighted noticeable improvements in program quality and work atmosphere over the past two years, attributing it to enhanced production equipment and expressing her own enjoyment of working there.
Dr. Monica Sharma, a faculty member from KMV, Jalandhar, shared her experience, “I came to EMRC Patiala for a visit and attended a training session. I ended up delivering 31 lectures and contributing to two MOOCs.” She described her experience as more than fulfilling, referring to EMRC Patiala as her extended workplace, attributing the success to its dedication and hard work.
Dr. Vikas Rathee, from Central University of Punjab, credited EMRC Patiala, especially Daljit Ami, for the achievements, emphasizing his dedication. Initially hesitant to write MOOCs proposals, he was persuaded to write two proposals. He shared that the EMRC Patiala team travelled to Talwandi Sabo to record his introductory videos for the MOOCs’ proposals. Impressed by these enthusiastic initiatives, Vikas went on to develop two MOOCs and coordinate with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from Guru Nanak Dev University and Delhi University. He specifically mentioned that the EMRC staff worked on weekends and holidays to meet the deadlines. It is worth mentioning that the EMRC studio worked in two shifts whenever it was required.
The success of Educational Multimedia Research Centre Patiala is attributed to its continuous hard work and the development of cutting-edge educational methods. This achievement underscores the centre’s commitment to enhancing online education in the country.
Dr. Aditya Kapoor from Central University of Punjab said, “I am happy to know that Educational Multimedia Research Centre Patiala is coming up with the maximum number of MOOCs for students this semester. This will provide a large pool of courses for our students to choose from and enhance their knowledge and skills. One of my MOOCs, Political Sociology, is also offered this semester and will be available to any undergraduate student across any discipline.” He added, “In the last two years, EMRC Patiala has emerged as a centre of repute for the production and management of MOOCs across the country. I wish EMRC Patiala all the success in launching so many MOOCs, and it’s indeed an achievement in itself.” Dr. Aditya Kapoor lead a team of Subject Matter Experts from Central University of Punjab, Gaya University Bihar, Delhi University, and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar to develop two MOOCs allocated to him.
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