MECHANISM OF F2F STUDENT SUPPORT IN OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING SYSTEM: Indian Experience

Present paper seeks to analyse the system of face to face programme delivery adopted by Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU) for its distance learners over a period of two and half decades. The paper also analysed that with the growth in student enrolment, new schemes of face to face programme delivery was developed and implemented and some of them have made significant contribution in developing a suitable network. However, the scheme originally launched on the philosophy of institutional networking, resource sharing, collaboration and convergence was highly successful and mainly responsibly for the growth of ODL in India. The schemes of learners support centres launched subsequent only supplemented the existing scheme. Attempt has also been made to critically analyse the pros and cons of each of the scheme offered for ODL learners for face to face interaction and how a particular scheme was more acceptable.