MOOCs through SWAYAM: An e-learning Platform for Implementing Online & Flexible Education as per the NEP-2020

Integrating technology with education enhances the teaching-learning process by increasing its effectiveness and making it engaging. With the advancement in information technology, several educational institutions have adopted online education allowing learners to access education anywhere and anytime. One such Technological innovation is Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that are flexible, affordable and make learning democratic. This research paper is an attempt to get background knowledge about SWAYAM MOOCs, its features, objectives, structure and components as well as their constituents i.e. SWAYAM Prabha free DTH educational channels. The SWAYAM is the flagship programme of Online Education of the Ministry of Education (MoE), Govt. of India. There are common features, goals and differences between SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha .The implementation of SWAYAM MOOCs is also aligning with the NEP-2020 goals. The present study focuses on a critical analysis of the policy and present practices of SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha. The findings revealed that the initiatives by the Government of India (GoI), SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha contribute towards online education. SWAYAM has 3 cardinal principles and a 4-quadrant approach, focusing on accessibility and affordability of education with quality content delivered by expert faculty members of different national coordinating centers. Another such initiative by the Government of India is SWAYAM Prabha which shares common goals and features with SWAYAM like access to quality content and education but there are differences too, SWAYAM develops the MOOCs whereas SWAYAM Prabha majorly focuses on quality video content based upon the academic programmes both at the School and Higher Education Level that broadcasted 24/7 in free of cost for the learners. Talking about the objectives of SWAYAM MOOCs, opportunities for interaction, bridging the digital divide, and high-quality learning experiences are focused. The status of SWAYAM includes the number of courses completed till now by the national coordinating centers and the completion rate of SWAYAM. The scope of SWAYAM is very broad with diverse demographics, credit transfer, diverse disciplines, and expert faculty to teach the content with more stress on lifelong learning. The assessment strategies practiced in SWAYAMinclude both formative and summative managed by the National Testing Agency. SWAYAM and NEP-2020 are intertwined. As observed many goals of NEP-2020 are achieved through SWAYAM and SWAYAM Prabha. It is suggested that the government and the educational institutions, including the faculty members should take initiatives to make students more aware of SWAYAM. The shortcoming that is observed is the low completion ratio of SWAYAM. More studies can be done to find the intention and barriers to SWAYAM and to what extent the goals of NEP-2020 are met.