International Journal of Educational

Science and Research (IJESR)

ISSN(P): 2249-6947; ISSN(E): 2249-8052
Vol. 4, Issue 6, Dec 2014, 9-14
TJPRC Pvt. Ltd.

EMPOWERING QUALITY HIGHER EDUCATION USING INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY
MUKTI GILL
Associate Professor, Khalsa College for Women, Civil Lines, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

ABSTRACT
In India, quality of Higher Education has been a matter of concern over the past many years. There has been a
growing feeling that institutions of higher learning in India are degenerating into degree-producing machines instead of
acting as fountain heads of knowledge. The past two decades have witnessed revolutionary developments in the field of
Information Technology (IT). The impact of this revolution has been felt in almost every field. This paper reviews the
impact of Information Technology on education in India. It also explores the role that IT can play towards improving the
quality of Higher Education in India.

KEYWORDS: Higher Education, Information Technology, Quality

INTRODUCTION
Higher education system in modern India has expanded many folds. Today, it ranks third in the world, next only to
United States of America and China. As per the statistics provided by the Ministry of Human Resource Development,
Government of India, there are 677 universities and 37,204 colleges in India as on 31st March, 2013. Out of these 677
universities there are 45 central universities, 318 State universities, 185 State Private universities, 129 deemed to be
universities and 51 institutions of National Importance (comprising of IITs and NITs). The number of universities and
colleges in India has registered manifold increase of 34 times and 74 times respectively since 1950.
On an average, Indian universities and colleges train around 1.5 million engineers every year. Also, more than
20,000 PhD scholars graduate from these institutions of Higher education every year.
The figures above depict the quantum growth in Indian Higher Education system and the vast pool of scientific
and technological potential that India possesses. All this is expected to help India in rushing headlong towards
modernization and steep socio-economic development. But the system is neither producing world class research nor highly
skilled engineers or managers that can help the country attain heights as far as socio-economic development is concerned.
Thus while quantitatively, the Indian Higher education system has grown impressively, qualitatively it is progressively on
the decline. Issues concerning quality of higher education in India have been studied from time to time (Raj, 1971; Carnoy,
2006; Makkar, et al, 2008; Powar and Panda, 2012). This paper reviews the current status of higher education in India and
how quality is perceived in this system. It explores the role that information technology can play in enhancing the quality
of Higher Education in India.
QUALITY PARADIGM
Quality, particularly in the academic context has some conceptual confusion. Quality, although a widely used term
is also the least understood term. It has been defined differently in different contexts. Broadly, quality is a referable

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Mukti Gill

standard of excellence in teaching, examination, research and extension. Quality in the context of higher education is all
about the content, its relevance and delivery. It is about the moral obligation that the students deserve the best of higher
education. Quality is also about the professional imperative that the teachers have to give their best and is also a social
implication that the system must exhibit accountability.
PERCEPTION OF QUALITY IN INDIA
In India, the traditional perception of quality higher education focuses on the accumulation of information.
It considers a person having higher education as the one who is well read and experienced in certain ideas and thoughts;
has the capability to quote facts already explored and explained by others. So far, most of our educational institutes have
remained regimens oflearning answers. Quantity, rather than quality has been the parameter for measuring higher
education. This has resulted in mediocrity. Currently, students passing out from institutions of higher education do so
without obtaining the kind of skills they really need to work in a real-world environment. The students are increasingly
deficient in analytical skills, reasoning, problem solving and communicational skills. They lack in curiosity, inquisitiveness
and creativity.
In a survey carried out by Wheebox, Peoples Strong in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry in
2013, it has been reported that out of the over five million graduates in 2014, only 34% of them would be employable as
most of them lack the necessary skills required for any role in the industry. The industry is facing shortage of skilled
workers despite the vast human resources that the country possesses. Dr Kalam, former President of India, has rightly said
that India faces a problem ofunemployability and not of unemployment. All this reflects the status and the quality of our
higher education system. It also stresses the need for quality assurance and identification of academic and other
benchmarks.
QUALITY DRIVE IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION
Higher education acts as a catalyst to promote socio-economic empowerment of a nation (Cholin, 2005; Mehta
and Kalra, 2006). It is an agent of social transformation and is universally recognized as an investment in building human
capital which is the driver of technological innovation and economic growth. Thus upholding the quality standards of
higher education is of prime importance for the all round growth and development of the nation. Recognizing this need, the
University Grants Commission (UGC) was formed in 1956 and was assigned the responsibility of maintenance of quality
standards in the higher education sector. Since then, the UGC has taken various steps towards the fulfillment of this
responsibility. With vast expansion of higher education since then and the growing concern regarding the degradation in
the quality of education being imparted in the countrys colleges and universities, the UGC established National
Assessment and Accreditation Council of India (NAAC), an autonomous body in 1994.
NAAC was established with a vision to make quality as the defining element of higher education in India through
a combination of self and external quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance initiatives (NAAC, 2012).
For this its mission is To arrange for periodic assessment and accreditation of institutions of higher education or units
thereof or specific programs or projects, to simulate the academic environment for promotion of quality of
teaching-learning and research in higher education institutions; to encourage self assessment, accountability, autonomy and
innovations in higher education; to undertake quality related research studies, counseling and training programs and to
collaborate with other quality stakeholders for quality evaluation, promotion and sustenance.(NAAC, 2013)

Impact Factor (JCC): 3.9678

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0

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Empowering Quality Higher Education Using Information Technology

For quality promotion in professional courses, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) which is a
statuary body for technical institutions established the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) in 1994 to accredit programs
offered by the technical institutions.
Likewise, there are other statuary bodies like Medical Council of India, Distance Education Council, Indian
Nursing Council etc. which have been established for quality auditing of various professional institutions.
Despite the existence of these quality regulation bodies, there has not been considerable improvement in the
quality standards of our institutions of higher learning. According to a NAAC report, published in 2013, 90% of colleges
and 62% of universities accredited are average or below average. The real numbers are likely to be even worse as so far
only 179 universities and 5,224 colleges have valid accreditation. Only 11% of the accredited institutions are 'A' grade,
while 71% are in 'B' grade and the remaining 18% of the accredited colleges and universities are in the lowest grade that is
'C'. (Gohain, 2014).
Considering the fact that just one-sixth of the colleges and less than 30% of the universities have got themselves
accredited, the MHRD in a step towards ensuring that all the educational institutes get accredited have made accreditation
mandatory for an institute to be eligible to receive funds under a new Central government sponsored Rashtriya Uchchatar
Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme. This scheme, launched in 2013 aims to improve access, equity and quality in higher
education through planned development of higher education at the state level (Deloitte, 2013).
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTION
The last two decades have witnessed revolutionary developments in the field of Information and Communication
Technologies (ICT). New innovations in these technologies have made their impact on all nations across the globe and
have affected our lifestyles considerably. ICTs have become an integral part of our lives in this digitally connected and
rapidly changing 21st century (Kim, 2014). These new technologies have affected all the facets of our activities and have
contributed to the overall development of our society. As far as higher education is considered, adoption and penetration of
these new technologies has been rather slow. As a result the impact of these technologies in education is not as
considerable as it can be seen in the other fields. The potential of these technologies to transform the education system has
still to be harnessed and explored. The following section of the paper explores the important role that the recent advances
in information technology can play in the upliftment of the educational standards of higher education.
ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR QUALITY ENHANCEMENT
ICT is an umbrella term that includes computer hardware and software; broadcasting and telecommunications
technologies as also electronic information repositories such as the World Wide Web or those found on CD-ROMs
(Selwyn, 2002). ICT is a strategic tool that allows users to become more efficient and effective (Ssewanyana, 2009).
In this era of globalization, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important and this importance
will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century (Buabeng-Andoh, 2012; Oliver, 2002).
The benefits of using information technology in our day to day life are well recognized. In the field of education,
it can be effectively used by various stakeholders viz. students / learners, teachers, administrators, researchers and policy
makers. Information Technology is a medium to improve the overall quality of education (Toro and Joshi, 2012).
Technology resources can provide opportunities for learning and can create the "conditions that optimize learning"

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Mukti Gill

(Switzer et al, 1999).

The extensive growth in Information Technology has led to development of different modes of education.
These include E-learning and Mobile-Learning. E-learning generally makes use of desktop computers for online learning.
On the other hand mobile learning makes use of wireless devices such as tablets and mobile phones for learning.
These two forms of learning offer advantages like flexibility to learn from anywhere, anytime. These thus offer more
freedom of learning and allow for easy and reliable access of knowledge. With advancements in technology, a number of
these technical devices like the computers, tablets, mobile phones etc. are now available at affordable rates. More and more
people, cutting across different sections of the society are now using these devices. As per the report released by Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in March 2014, there are 933 million telecom subscribers in India. More than
60 percent of youth make use of mobile devices and Internet services. With such a large base of users, e-learning and
mobile-learning hold great promise towards enrichment ofinformation and knowledge in the years to come.
The availability of large number of e-resources like e-books, e-magazines, e-journals besides a large number of
portals including those of online libraries from where information can easily be accessed has made dissemination of
knowledge and availability of information easier and cost effective.
The fast paced technological changes emphasize that quality higher education should endeavor to sharpen the
students intellectual abilities and ensure the development of amply knowledgeable human resources capable of
understanding and analyzing the existing concepts and developing newer ones. The human resources so developed must
have high creative ability, entrepreneurship skills and curiosity about the world. Information Technology can play a vital
role towards development of these skills in our youth. ICT can help deepen students content knowledge, engage them in
constructing their own knowledge, and support the development of complex thinking skills (Kozma, 2005; Kulik, 2003;
Webb & Cox, 2004).
The use of blogging sites by the students to present and share their ideas can be encouraged. These would help the
students to give vent to their ideas and sharpen their creativity skills. Similarly the discussion forums can be used for useful
discussions among a group of students with common interests. This would help in sharing of knowledge and enhancement
of their reasoning and communication skills. On-line interactions between the students and the learners can become the
basis for the evolution of new ideas and solutions.
Creativity in students can be further boosted by making use of brainstorming software tools using which the
students can design on their own some visual graphics and mind maps to exemplify a topic or a concept.
Using infographic tools to draw colorful graphs, students can hone their creativity and analytical skills. Computerized
educational games can be used to ignite imaginative thinking in the students. IT can help transforming education from a
teacher directed enterprise towards more of student centered model.
All this is possible only with the active participation of the teachers. Quality teaching is important aspect of
quality assurance in higher education sector. This will be possible only if teachers learn to become not only instructors and
guides of the subject matter but also of information technology. Thus the teachers need to keep themselves regularly
updated and should readily step forward towards introducing IT enabled tools in their teaching. The eminent teachers in
collaboration with different institutions and virtual content designers can help in designing quality digital courseware and
multimedia based educational tools which can be used for effective technology enabled teaching. In addition IT can help in

Impact Factor (JCC): 3.9678

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0

13

Empowering Quality Higher Education Using Information Technology

better administration of the institutions.

The ICT tools like the interactive boards, multimedia projector etc. can be used to facilitate the teaching learning
process as they help in better understanding and retention.
The changes generated by the information technology have made a great impact on business, journalism,
agriculture, banks and other sectors of the society. IT can thus be used as a facilitating tool to learn the skills associated
with these areas to improve employability of the youth in these fields.
The social networking sites can be used to interact with colleagues, researchers and experts to discuss and share
work. On an average, the youth spend around ten hours a week on the internet and the social networking sites.
This tendency can be exploited towards constructive digital learning.

CONCLUSIONS
Quality enhancement in higher education is assuming immense significance. This is mainly because the system is
becoming more complex and competitive under the continuing technological, information and communication
advancements which are changing the employment generation scenario and the socio-economic needs. This demands an
integration of different kinds of technologies in the future knowledge delivery and acquisition systems.
The study highlights the various ways in which information technology can be integrated into our teaching learning process
to make our higher education system more effective, productive and qualitatively enhanced.

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Impact Factor (JCC): 3.9678

Index Copernicus Value (ICV): 3.0