IIT Jammu Policy Brief on Integrating Technology with Teaching-Learning for Jammu & Kashmir reveals hidden barriers, suggests solutions

IIT Jammu has recently published its first policy brief on ‘Developing Inclusive Blended Learning Practices for the Universities and Colleges of Jammu & Kashmir’ highlighting the barriers hindering the integration of digital technologies with teaching-learning, resulting in significant and long-term problems for the youth and their career. It also suggests evidence-based solutions for fostering inclusive and resilient blended learning practices in the higher education institutions of J&K and demands the policymakers of the UT take action.
The policy brief is prepared by Dr. Sayantan Mandal and Sheriya Sareen from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), IIT Jammu. It is based on the research project Integrating Teaching and Learning and Digital Education (ITLDE), a large-scale, empirical, multi-institutional, longitudinal study funded by IIT Jammu. The study collected data from more than 4700 students and 370 teachers from 25 higher education institutions across six districts of Jammu & Kashmir over three years. It reveals the ground realities of the context-specific issues and extends over 12 possible solutions based on the data analysed.
This major document highlights the absence of a robust blended learning policy in UT, which is necessary to effectively integrate ICT in higher education across its colleges and universities. It shows that the deficiency of institutional strategies, coupled with the low focus on learning and measurement of learning, ineffective teacher training and inertia to curricular changes have resulted in poor integration of digital technology and teaching-learning. Consequently, the digital divide grew, the gender divide became more visible, and rural-urban disparities became stark. The policy brief also cautioned that the target set forth by the NEP 2020, aiming for a 50% Gross Enrolment Ratio by 2035 using digital and online teaching-learning, may face hurdles due to barriers hindering the implementation of blended learning practices in J&K.
The team of researchers from IIT Jammu also suggested possible solutions to address the issues. Dr Mandal and Ms. Sareen highlighted that there is an urgent need to formulate a comprehensive policy in J&K on blended learning along the lines of NEP 2020 and UGC’s recommendations. The major strategic steps are establishing a dedicated nodal centre in J&K to oversee the implementation of blended learning across its higher education institutions and setting up blended learning units within each higher education institution. Developing institutional policies on blended learning, involving teachers in course development, preparing robust teacher training modules, exploring low-bandwidth solutions for the remote areas of J&, and encouraging collaboration between academia and industry are some of the timely policy recommendations by the document. However, they also cautioned that without proper expertise and research support, these solutions are difficult to implement and earn desirable outcomes.
The policymakers and higher educational leaders of J&K must understand the obstacles hindering the successful implementation of blended learning and devise customized strategies to foster an inclusive and resilient learning culture across the higher education institutions in Jammu & Kashmir for its students, teachers and the future of higher education.
The policy brief can be downloaded from – https://www.iitjammu.ac.in/post/policy-brief. The study ITLDE is funded by IIT Jammu and is going on in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.