Podcast will be available at ignou.ac.in (Representational image)

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) launches a podcast series that will help students learn while listening to the lectures offered by the varsity. The institute said that the podcast series is aimed at its “diverse learner base”. “This is a unique initiative and is a step towards democratising education and flexible learning as Open Educational Resources (OER),” the university said in an official statement.

Nageshwar Rao, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU launched the series with a motto ‘Freedom to Learn’. Professionals from different fields will speak on ‘Future of Work: Navigating a sustainable New World’ under this series. The platform can be accessed from official websites, ignou.ac.in.

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Rao said that curricula of other schools and online counseling should also be made part of the Podcast for the benefit of the wider set of learners.

The open university said it is an effort to “reach the unreached”. They congratulated the team for this innovative initiative.

The podcast coordinators are Prof Neeti Agrawal and Prof Nayantara Padhi of School of Management Studies. The platform is designed and developed by Prof Uma Knajilal, Director, Centre for Online Education (COE). The platform will provide learners and stakeholders an opportunity to hear the best of the minds.

This year, IGNOU has introduced several new courses including MA in Hindi, MA in Gandhi and Peace Studies, BA in Tourism Studies, certificate course in Arabic, a certificate in Information Technology, a certificate programme in Library and Information Science.

Due to the pandemic, several other facilities offered by the open university have been digitised including e-Gyankosh – a national digital repository, Gyanvani – an education FM radio, Gyandhara – internet audio, and contents of IGNOU’s library, as informed by the university earlier.