From a modest beginning with three colleges, two faculties and 750 students, Delhi University has now acquired the stature of being the largest central University in India with 79 colleges, 14 faculties and an expansive student body of 3,70,000 students. To maintain its high standards in teaching and research, the University is constantly involved in undertaking several new initiatives to enhance the quality of content and its delivery.
However, this endeavour is strewn with several challenges such as designing of courses, development of learning material, learner centric delivery of the material, setting up advanced laboratories for science courses, and continuous evaluation, upgradation and modernisation of syllabi. With an aim to tackle some of these challenges and encourage a dynamic and collaborative learning environment, the Institute of Lifelong Learning (ILLL) was setup in 2007.
The major goals of ILLL are development of e-Learning material (print, multi-media and web based), faculty development, creating innovative delivery methods like Self Instructional Mode (SIM) and Distance Learning in order to encourage self reliance among students, and most importantly, encourage research which seems to be flagging in our country. The institute also plans to conduct research in curricula development.
The University also has a Centre for Professional Development in Higher Education (CPDHE), which undertakes orientation programmes and refresher courses for fresh university teachers. The CPDHE is being merged with ILLL.
Dr Ashok K Bakhshi is the Director of the ILLL as well as CPDHE. A professor of Physical Chemistry in the University, he holds the Sir Shankar Lal Chair of Chemistry since 1996. A double gold medalist, he has authored, individually and in partnerships, more than 100 research and education articles, three books and one patent.
Dr Bakhshi is the recipient of several awards and academic honours. He is also on the editorial boards of reputed scientific journals and has been associated with various academic bodies like CBSE, NCERT, CSIR, UGC, etc.
How did the concept of ILLL evolve and what are the main objectives?
The concept of Lifelong Learning is very vast. It is three-dimensional
