Online Teacher Training Among Technical Education Stakeholders through the Lens of IPT Model

Abstract

One of the prominent initiatives of Project Ekalavya was the conception of the e-outreach program, which aims to facilitate knowledge dissemination by making it easily accessible to users. The e-outreach program was part of the Mission REACH (Relevance & excellence in achieving new heights in educational institutions) initiative of the Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council. The main objective of the e-outreach program was to create high-quality digital content for engineering education, released under an open-source license for the benefit of students, teachers, and IT professionals. A total of 7 courses and 20 engineering colleges (out of 188 remote centers) covering 12 Indian States were identified in consultation with the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT, B) project team. This study used a mixed-methods approach, including a quantitative cross-sectional survey design that examined relationships between instructors’ prior content knowledge, including computer background, and a qualitative design comprising interview transcripts, open-ended survey responses, and observations to understand participants’ behavior. This study attempted to determine whether faculty began to recognize the instructional benefits of e-outreach materials and the strength of online training, as well as the quality of open-source materials and the improved organization of courses and materials developed by teachers and students at the IIT, B. Many faculty members expressed interest in sharing their experiences using the e-outreach materials in their classrooms and in showcasing best practices among faculty and institutions.