OUTLOOK magazine ranks IMT-CDL as India’s best in Distance Learning

Nov. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- One of the most respected weekly magazines in India, Outlook, carried a detailed joint survey titled ‘India’s Best Professional Colleges’ in its 25th June 2012 edition. This Outlook-MDRA survey rated IMT-CDL as ‘India’s No. 1 B-School in Distance Learning’. Outlook observed about IMT-CDL that “this is not your conventional correspondence degree or ‘patrachar’ programme, as they were called earlier, where textbooks were simply mailed and students were expected to go through them and attend a few classes before appearing for exams. This correspondence course in a new avatar is far more dynamic and is much more demanding of the students.”

The detailed Outlook-MDRA survey shortlists the ‘top 10’ based  ten parameters, which are: Teaching Assistance, Library Support, Faculty at Study Centres, Access of Study Centres, Interaction with Other Students, Study Centre Response Time, Best Course Material, Interaction Levels, Exam Conduct and Result, and Online Support Systems. In 7 out of these 10 parameters, IMT-CDL topped the charts. Highlighting this achievement, Outlook further stated, “The biggest draw of IMT-CDL’s programmes is their flexibility, which allows students to design their own learning schedule.”

The article in Outlook, in fact, goes on to point out that the number of applicants for distance learning programmes is increasing day by day, but there are few quality institutes. While the convenience of online pedagogy cannot be ignored, many students still prefer the traditional pen-paper way. Outlook indicates that apart from the soft infrastructure, not many in India can match the real-world infrastructure of IMT-CDL, which has more than 70 study centres across the country.

Speaking about the various aspects that made IMT-CDL the No.1 in distance learning, Outlook points out, “The institute relies on Web X video conferencing for holding classes that are held mostly on the weekends to suit the weekly routines of working professionals. The programme’s structure allows any student with a computer and a data card to attend classes and schedule examinations anywhere and anytime, around the world.”

Outlook also highlighted some sterling examples of IMT-CDL’s innovativeness, like the ‘Markedemia 2011’ (Marketing) and ‘Edge 2011’ (Operations) workshops, where the entire syllabus of one paper (subject) is covered in a single day, and also webcast for those who could not make it to the venue. The publication quoted Dr. Arun Mohan Sherry, Director IMT-CDL, as saying that the biggest trend in educations is going to be a gradual shift towards the distance learning model.