Development of Professional Competencies through Distance Mode: An Analysis on the Programme Components of IGNOU

Dr. Sitansu Sekhar Jena
IGNOU

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     Last modified: August 15, 2006
     Presentation date: 10/31/2006 4:00 PM in NT Ortanique
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Abstract
An attempt has been made in this paper to analyze the Programme component of selected professional programmes offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to assess the extent of their effectiveness in developing professional competencies required for the respective professions. These competencies centers around not only the attitudinal changes for the professions in which the professional are engaged/ aught to be engaged, but also enable them to understand the profession deeply and adopt themselves to the working environment to contribute significantly for the organization as well as for national development. The comparative analysis is based on six broad areas of competencies related to any profession, such as: (i) contextual competencies, (ii) conceptual competencies, (iii) curricular related competencies, (iv) competencies on learning outcome, (v) competencies on management of profession, and (vi) competencies in understanding own environment.

Five Professional Programmes at the level of post graduation, having significant demands for admissions, have been selected for the purpose of analysis covering varied professions. It has been observed that the Programme objectives, the content structure, the transaction mode and the components related to assessment mostly commensurate with achieving the broad professional competencies as enumerated above. Since most of the professionals join these programmes having certain basic knowledge on their respective professions, they are in an advantageous situation to pick up/ refresh those competencies, which are essential and immensely helpful to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.