Purpose: As learning at the workplace is predominantly self-motivated, this study is aimed to identify and categorize the motivational drivers for working professionals to pursue self-directed learning (SDL) at the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 23 variables were identified as drivers for working professionals to initiate,…

Purpose: To continue to stay relevant in the era of Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) alongside the unprecedented disruption of COVID-19, the importance of lifelong learning is indisputable though this concept has existed for decades. In this context, open and distance learning (ODL) institutions are urged to re-think and re-design their online…

Self-learning materials (SLM) generally lack the mechanisms for ensuring deep learning but help address the learning needs of large number of learners. Hence, it was retained as the key instructional component for a distance in-service teacher education programme offered by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), India. However, for…

This study investigated the problems faced by teachers enrolling in a distance teacher education programme offered by India's Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Instead of review of literature, the study began with the examination of learners' complaints about various aspects of the programme. Analysis of data extracted from the…

Purpose: Drawing on the perspectives of cultural capital theory, this study investigated the impact of international internships on the performance of Japanese undergraduates on the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) using a between-group pretest-posttest experimental design. Design/methodology/approach: Students participating…

The incorporation of computer technology in higher education has experienced substantial expansion and evolution in recent years. This study aims to examine the possibilities and problems that emerge throughout the integration process. Through an analysis of the multifaceted components associated with integrating computer technology within higher…

Background: Professional development (PD) in a range of occupations has become increasingly digitised. Numerous digital courses are available, with evidence that social media, blogs and apps are increasingly being used for PD. Yet despite clear benefits, there is little robust evidence on the characteristics of digital PD that impact positively on…

Owing to the importance of a subject like mathematics in the teaching and learning of science, self-learning often poses a challenge to the educator. The objective of this study is to analyse the enhancement of the textual and the media form of self-learning modules to teach algebra and geometry to eighth graders considering their retention…

This article presents a case study evaluation of an entrepreneurship education (EE) program for Tibetan refugees in India. In the context of both calls for and critiques of entrepreneurial support strategies for refugee communities, the authors of this study used mixed methods and ethnographic approaches to reflect upon the delivery and reception…

This article reports a study on the impact of online spiritual lessons in improving self-regulation, emotion regulation, affect balance, peer relations, and well-being of high-ability college students of liberal arts disciplines. Compared to an online workshop on affect management, the online spiritual lessons were effective. Moderate effects were…

In the 21st century, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become common in all aspects of human life. Processing and enhancing the knowledge of ICT is the need of the present time. ICT is the fusion of computers and telecommunications. Nowadays, ICT is the backbone of Indian education system. ICT is accepted as an essential tool for…

Purpose: This paper seeks to ascertain the effectiveness of a two-week-long faculty development programme (FDP), organized by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), for teachers of the open and distance learning (ODL) system, with the aim of upgrading their knowledge and skills for developing print self-learning materials (SLMs). The…

The study, through the framework of mobility and space, explores the phenomenon of multiple shifts in learning spaces induced by COVID-19. The Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA) is adopted to document the experiences and perceptions of learners caught within these spatial shifts--physical, online, and hybrid. Online interviews were…

This study is one of the first evaluations of independent (i.e., self-guided) practice in math in a developing country. We randomly assigned 4,461 students in grades 4-7 in "unaided" private schools across seven Indian cities who were using a computer-assisted learning software to: (a) a control group, in which they moved from one unit…

The introduction of Competency-Based Medical Education Curriculum in India has endorsed many new concepts, like foundation course, self-directed learning (SDL), early clinical exposure, etc. Emphasis is being given to active teaching-learning approaches. One such approach is SDL. SDL is an active learning approach in which the students are…