more-in Moving along with developments in higher education, Mangalore University will allow its post-graduate students to opt for the University Grants Commission (UGC) recognised on-line topics of study as part of the two-year programme from this academic year. It would allow the study of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), as they are called, to start with for students of 2017-18 batch from second semester from this December. Prior to this, the university would provide an orientation to students on how to select the topics. Students can opt for the on-line topics of study in their second and third semesters. If the students passed these topics, they will get credits like in any other subjects of their study under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) of study existing in the university. The students have been opting for one open elective subject, which is nothing but an inter-disciplinary subject, in their second and third semesters. Each department announced a list of such open electives taught on regular class basis. Now, a student has the option to go for the UGC recognised on-line topic as an open elective instead of selecting from the list of open electives announced by a department. Opting for an on-line topic is not mandatory. A student has the option to remain in the old system by selecting the open electives announced by a department, a senior official-cum-professor of the university, who was a member of the university committee on the introduction of MOOC, said. The official said that a student can opt for on-line topic in both the semesters. Flexibility has been provided to select an on-line topic in the second semester and remain in the old system in the third semester and vice-versa. In addition, the official said, a student can select an on-line subject as a soft core subject. Each post-graduate student studied four subjects — two hard core and two soft core —during the two-year programme. Hence, one of the soft core subjects can be from the on-line. According to K. Byrappa, Vice-Chancellor of the university, about 350 on-line topics are available. Orientation for students would be conducted in October, he said. Earlier, in June, the UGC had written to the universities to take steps to enrol students for its on-line courses by taking approval from their decision-making bodies. It is to expose students to open education resources.

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