Educational Multimedia Research Centre online courses awaits nod

KOZHIKODE: Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMRC) at Calicut University is launching a number of online courses under the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) project soon. The Centre has already prepared content for two subjects and modules for eight more subjects are being prepared. The EMRC is awaiting the approval from the Calicut University for the launch of the courses. Once launched, they are expected to be a boon for thousands of students. Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, EMRC Director Damodar Prasad said that each course would have an expert teacher, mentors and teaching assistants.

“The Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC), under which the 21 EMRCs across the country are working, has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing online courses for undergraduate students and also the training of university/college teachers in various aspects of e-content development. “According to the decision, the certificates for the online courses have to be issued by the University to which the EMRC is attached,” he said. A syndicate subcommittee has been formed to look into the implementation of the online courses.

The committee has to look into the distribution of marks for the course after considering equivalent courses being conducted directly by the varsity and various affiliated colleges.  Speaking to DC, Calicut University Vice Chancellor Dr K Mohammed Basheer said that the MOOC project would be soon incorporated into the statute of the varsity after the approval of the academic council. “The MOOC courses would help the students pursue an additional course along with their regular studies. We have also received the sanction for a DTH channel from the HRD ministry and that will give a boost in preparing more such multimedia content by the EMRC,” he said.