ODL Technology for Development of Livelihoods – Reflections on Case Studies of Rural India

Abstract

PCF5 sub-theme: Livelihoods // Open Distance Learning (ODL), a flexible and learner centred education system has got the potential to create a learning environment suitable to the target learners utilising appropriate Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). This malleable nature of ODL to any socio, economic and cultural context, made ODL a development input, that facilitate achieving any development goal. This is evident from number of case studies in India where ICT mediated ODL is utilised for knowledge creation and dissemination for empowerment of farmers, artisans, women and rural poor for generating livelihoods. India being an agrarian society where about 70% of people live in rural areas, more than 57% depend on agriculture and allied activities and about 45% of people live under poverty line; imparting education, skill development, awareness building among these people through formal education system is practically difficult. Adopting ODL in a creative and innovative manner utilising ICTs and Open Education Resources (OER) suitable to local conditions can achieve livelihoods generation. “Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger” being the first goal out of eight UN Millennium Development Goals (2000), there is no alternate for third world countries except adopting ICT enabled ODL technology to empower the poor and marginalised to achieve the goal within the time frame (2015). This paper attempts to focus on three case studies where ICT mediated ODL technology contributed for knowledge and skill development among the rural people leading to livelihoods generation and improved their lives. // Paper ID 169