Search

Purpose: This research study aimed to collect feedback from the learners on the usefulness and effectiveness of the online counselling sessions organised during COVID-19 lockdown through online platforms to provide academic support to the learners. Design/methodology/approach: The link of a questionnaire designed in a Google Form sent to IGNOU learners of the January 2020 session enrolled under the jurisdiction of IGNOU Regional Centre (RC) Chandigarh through email as well as SMSs. Total responses received were 487, out of which 445 responses were complete, roughly 8% of the total registered learners during the January 2020 session. The questionnaire contained questions on a cross-section of online counselling issues, besides questions on the learners' profile. Findings: Majority of the learners were satisfied with the input provided while organising online counselling sessions during COVID-19 lockdown in India. A significant proportion of learners (88%) used smartphones for attending counselling sessions. Facebook page of the RC rated as a relatively better option than other online platforms. However, more than 50% of learners faced Internet connection problems and found them a significant hurdle for smooth viewing of online counselling sessions. The proportion of learners who encountered difficulties in handling electronic devices was insignificant. The learner's feedback on many attributes such as usefulness and effectiveness of the online counselling sessions, interaction with the academic counsellors, e-content used in the counselling was significantly positive. A significant proportion of the learners have reported that face to face counselling could be replaced with online sessions in future, considering its flexibility in terms of place and schedule of learning and availability of recording of such sessions. Research limitations/implications: The research study was conducted under Chandigarh region of IGNOU which has a predominantly urban population. Thus the results of the study are limited to Chandigarh region and the region with similar socio-economic settings. This certainly limits the scope of the study. Practical implications: The study certainly provides valuable feedback to the ODL policymakers to consider replacing face-to-face counselling with an online mode in a phased manner. Online counselling options will be highly cost-effective, easily manageable, and provide flexibility for learners and resource persons, resulting in addressing learners' non-attendance related issues in the face-to-face counselling sessions. Social implications: In the analysis of our finding it is clearly stated that the Internet connectivity and availability of electronic devices is an important issue to provide online counselling support to socially and economically disadvantaged groups. Therefore, the research study also identifies such social issues as a major challenge for providing online counselling support to the learners. Originality/value: This is an original empirical research study and data collected is used in the analysis for the first time. This analysis is based on the feedback gathered from the learners registered at IGNOU RC Chandigarh during the January 2020 session. The data and derived results not used in any other study.

Present paper seeks to analyse the system of face to face programme delivery adopted by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for its distance learners over a period of two and half decades. The paper also analysed that with the growth in student enrolment, new schemes of face to face programme delivery was developed and implemented and some of them have made significant contribution in developing a suitable network. However, the scheme originally launched on the philosophy of institutional networking, resource sharing, collaboration and convergence was highly successful and mainly responsibly for the growth of ODL in India. The schemes of learners support centres launched subsequent only supplemented the existing scheme. Attempt has also been made to critically analyse the pros and cons of each of the scheme offered for ODL learners for face to face interaction and how a particular scheme was more acceptable.

Smooth–coated otters inhabit several major river systems in southern Asia, and their environmental requirements link them to food and water security issues as the region is so densely populated by humans. The lack of baseline data on their distribution and ecology is another major constraint that the species is facing in India. The present study was stimulated by the rapid decline in the otter’s population in the country and focuses on estimating the conservation status, habitat use pattern, and associated threats in the upper Ganges River Basin (N India). Our findings contribute towards a better understanding of the complex ecological interactions and the design of effective conservation measures. Coupled with the habitat preferences, the study also provides new locations in the species distribution. This paper highlights the gap areas in the conservation of the species and suggests areas that should be prioritized for management.

In this paper, we theoretically studied the electrical resistivity of the heavily Pr-doped YBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystal high-Tc superconductor cuprate. The proposed formulation expands the concept of relaxation times from frequency (energy) line widths for multiple scattering processes by leveraging electron quantum dynamics with the aid of the double-time electron Green function. A thorough analysis was carried out to investigate the effect of dopant-atom scattering as well as magnon scattering on the temperature and reduced frequency dependences of electrical resistivity in the temperature range of 20–300 K. An acceptable level of agreement between theory and experiment has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we theoretically studied the electrical resistivity of the heavily Pr-doped YBa2Cu3O7−δ single crystal high-Tc superconductor cuprate. The proposed formulation expands the concept of relaxation times from frequency (energy) line widths for multiple scattering processes by leveraging electron quantum dynamics with the aid of the double-time electron Green function. A thorough analysis was carried out to investigate the effect of dopant-atom scattering as well as magnon scattering on the temperature and reduced frequency dependences of electrical resistivity in the temperature range of 20–300 K. An acceptable level of agreement between theory and experiment has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical analysis of thermal conductivity of high-temperature superconductor cuprates, Pr1.3−xLa0.7CexCuO4 (PLCCO), has been successfully investigated. In this formulation, the idea of relaxation times and other scattering processes has been developed from frequency (energy) line widths using a quantum dynamical method. The major emphasis of this study is on the influence of phonon-dopant atom scattering on the thermal conductivity of Ce-doped PLCCO, as well as other prominent scattering processes such as electron-phonon, cubic and quartic anharmonic phonon, cubic and quartic phonon interference, and so on. The proposed theory has achieved a satisfactory agreement between theory and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical investigation of the thermal conductivity of lightly Sr- and Zn-doped La2CuO4 high temperature superconductor cuprates has been analyzed auspiciously. We used a quantum dynamical technique to develop the symbol of relaxation time and other scattering processes from frequency (energy) line widths in this formulation. The primary focus of this study is the effect of phonon-dopant atom scattering on the thermal conductivity of doped La2CuO4, as well as other dominant scattering mechanisms such as electron–phonon, cubic and quartic anharmonic phonon, cubic and quartic phonon interference, and phonon-magnon, among others. An acceptable level of agreement between theory and experiment has been reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Open and Distance Learning (ODL) main emphasis is made to provide equitable access to higher education primarily to the underprivileged group of the society in order to improve the quality of life and realized social justice. In order to fulfill its mandate, IGNOU provided opportunity of higher education to jail inmates by having its Learner Support Centre (LSC) in jail. Therefore, in present paper an attempt has been made to analyse the inputs received from the jail inmates on the programmes being pursued by them through ODL mode offered by IGNOU and to gauge usefulness of these programmes bring paradigm shift in their quality of life, which they may lead once released and attain a normal life. The inputs of 200 jail inmates was mainly analysed on quality of life, Self Learning Material (SLM) and Student Support Services (SSS) by using statistical tools to obtain mean values, Standard Deviation and t values. The paper also suggests indicative interventions to further improve the programme delivery in jails for these inmates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]