Guwahati, Aug. 8: Gauhati University’s effort to use technology and innovation to make distance and open education an exciting prospect for young professionals has borne fruit with a sharp decline in the dropout rates in such courses this year.

Kandarpa Das, the director of the university’s Institute of Distance and Open Learning, told The Telegraph that of the 10,000 students who had enrolled for last year’s academic session, 9,000 had taken the exams this year in various distance learning courses, making it the highest number in recent years.

He said the development was significant as the dropout rate in different courses offered by the institute was more than 50 per cent about five years ago.

The present popularity of the courses can be gauged from the fact that many young professionals from Assam working abroad, including those in the Middle East, have started enrolling in the various diploma and degree courses of the institute. More than 17,000 students have applied for admission to the courses this year.

Das said unlike conventional education, students get isolated and bored in distance learning, forcing them to quit the courses halfway. “In the conventional system of education, students are dependent on teachers and are exposed to various academic activities in their educational institutions. In distance education, students get isolated and become self-learners with the available study materials. It has been found that many of them quit studies out of boredom and isolation,” he said, adding that the institute had tried to use technology to do away with such boredom.

“The institute maintains a database of all its students and uses bulk SMS to keep them informed about its activities. Its e-learning portal, Bodhidroom, has also attracted many students. We also provide telephone counselling and for those who cannot afford the expense, we provide a toll-free number for free counselling with our faculty members,” Das said.

He said the institute has also installed interactive voice response system to enable easy and hassle-free interaction between students and the faculty.

At present, the institute is offering 26 programmes, including Assamese, English, Boro, political science and information technology. More than 304 study materials have been developed by a pool of academics. The institute takes in students from various backgrounds. Apart from technology, the institute is also giving priority to innovative ideas to make the courses interesting. “For example, many students are married women. So we generally conduct examinations on Sundays, when it’s easier for them to leave their children with their husbands and come,” he said.

“The institute organises contact programmes at its 21 centres across the state at frequent intervals to share students’ problems and grievances,” he added.