Relevance of curricula planned, designed and developed/adopted

Curricula developed and implemented, of all the programmes have relevance to the local, national, regional and global needs which are visible in Programme  Outcomes, Programme Specific Learning Outcomes and Course Learning Outcomes offered by the University, as per the norms of the Regulatory Bodies and in the conformity of the University’s Mission and Goals

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Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University offers academic programmes in Open and Distance Learning

(ODL) mode of education thereby reaching out to a wide spectrum of students across the state of Gujarat.

The curriculum is designed and implemented taking cognizance of the educational policies of the State and

Central Government, and the global needs, while serving the cause of national development and regional

requirements. The design and development of the curriculum is a democratic process with the entire faculty

contributing to the introduction, innovation, and revision of the syllabi. The culture of academic freedom

and flexibility provides immense scope for introducing innovations in the curriculum to achieve the

institutional vision and mission of striving for academic excellence.

The educational programmes with liberty and freedom of choice in basic areas of knowledge i.e.

Bachelor’s degree programmes in Humanities and Social Sciences (Languages, Sociology, History,

Political Science, Public Administration, Economics, Social Work, etc.) and Master’s degree Programmes

in Humanities and Social Sciences (Languages, Sociology, Social Work etc.) aim at developing a socially

aware citizenry that possesses domain knowledge, critical thinking abilities and the capacity to apply the

knowledge acquired to their own lives and for local, regional and national development. Suitable courses

aimed at skill development are also offered in these Programmes to enhance employability of learners.

The University offers many Bachelor’s, Master’s, PG Diploma, Diploma and Certificate programmes for

aspirants and professionals employed in Computer Sciences, Management, Banking, Accountancy etc.

providing them opportunities for employment/upward mobility by engendering knowledge and capacity

building. There are a lot of professional education and skill development programmes catering to skill

development of the entry-level workforce in different domain areas.

Programmes are also developed in areas of Cyber Security, Cyber Law, Mobile Application Development

etc. for updating knowledge, and up-skilling of the workforce. Wherever relevant, BAOU Programmes

have integrated field-based practicum/ project work/ hands-on training/ internships/ lab-based practical,

etc., which integrate theory into practice and inculcate hands-on skills, to suffice job market expectations

and lifelong learning.

The structure and content of curricula are designed by experts of national and international eminence.

These are futuristic in their outlook as is amply reflected in the Programme Outcomes and the Learning

Outcomes articulated programme-wise and course-wise in all domains of learning, namely, cognitive,

affective and psychomotor. Regulatory Bodies like the University Grants Commission (UGC), National

Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), and Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) validate the standards

of teaching-learning being pursued in different general and professional programmes on offer in the

University.

BAOU has a systematic process for design, development and validation of curricula. Before starting a new

programme, a preliminary meeting is held to assess the feasibility of the programme which is followed by

formation of the Program Advisory Committee. PAC consists of both External members and internal

faculty as per requirement of the program. External Members of PAC may include academic and industry

experts who contribute in updating the curricula on a periodic basis within the ambit of regulatory

guidelines. This ensures that the programmes offered take care of industry requirements thereby ensuring

employability. The content developed and reviewed by subject experts are further reviewed by School

Quality Assurance Cell (SQAC). The proposed designed programme is further scrutinized and endorsed by

the Academic Council of the School and approved by Academic Planning Board.

It is also ensured that the mission and goal of the university are translated into concrete and visible

Programme Outcomes, Programme Specific Learning Outcomes and Course Specific Learning Outcomes.

These outcomes not only help potential employers to assess the level of knowledge, skills and

competencies that a learner has acquired but also facilitate economic and social mobility, thereby

contributing to national development. Other stakeholders such as the state, community and the individual

learners also benefit from the programmes and learning outcomes and act as agents of social change for the

larger good of our society and nation.

These curricula are designed keeping in view the needs of the prospective learners of the area and

conforming to the local, national, regional and global. Regional and global relevance is considered in terms

of futuristic technologies as well as global issues like environment and sustainability. The programmes on

offer specifically cater to the local and state needs. The curricula are regularly updated with fresh insight,

depth and outreach in areas such as Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Commerce and Management,

Computer and Information Sciences, Education and Special Education. Curriculum development in BAOU

ranges from the areas of core/basic and applied knowledge in social and natural sciences and humanities to

professional development, vocational education and skill development. These are approved by the statutory

bodies of the university to ensure conformity of the university’s vision and mission.

Each Programme of BAOU is structured into several courses to facilitate learning. The Programme content

and broad Learning Outcomes along with the instructional methodology are presented in Programme

Guides created specifically for each programme.

Every Course is divided into a set of Blocks/modules with each block containing units written in the selflearning

format. The Block introduction is used to acquaint learners with the content of the Block and how

it would help them achieve the outcomes. Each Unit also contains clearly stated expected learning

outcomes that specifically describe the learning outcomes that are expected to be attained, the knowledge

learners are expected to acquire, and apply in relevant context - local, regional, national and international.

For every programme on offer the Programme Outcomes and Course Outcomes are clearly defined and are

aligned with the vision and mission of the university and are uploaded on the university website

(https://baou.edu.in). The curricula emphasizes that all programmes offered are outcome based programs

so that the graduates possess and demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes. The University

has consciously designed curricula that are not only need-based but also address value addition and

industrial relevance.