A cloud-based open source learning management system and centrally-supported educational technology solutions will be deployed to upskill students and teachers with digital capabilities as part of the government’s ‘Let’s Go Digital’ initiative in the higher education sector.
The system is expected to reduce the expenditure and other difficulties in setting up infrastructure for the Moodle-based Learning Management System in partnering institutions. The State Higher Education Council and the Digital University Kerala have jointly prepared its implementation package as part of the Chief Minister’s 100-day programmes.
“We propose to use Virtual Machine Containers’ system. Virtual Machine is a virtual computer with virtual CPU, virtual memory, and virtual disk space, running inside the existing server,” said Rajan Gurukkal, vice chairperson of the Kerala State Higher Education Council.
How it works
“Each college will be in a docker container and the number of containers in operation will depend upon the number of colleges using the solution simultaneously. We will put multiple colleges in a docker, since the architecture demands such optimisation depending on the load,” said Saji Gopinath, Vice Chancellor of Digital University Kerala. “We will set up a centralised cloud space for the council in the State Data Centre and create instances providing for each college its own dashboard to independently manage academic activities,” he said.
Prof. Gurukkal said the proposed system is an easier, quicker, and less expensive mode of implementing the learning management system with the basic minimum facilities in all the higher educational institutions. “Under this scheme every university and college will have its own Moodle portal, giving access to all students and faculty to use them to supplement their learning,” he said.
The council will form working groups of teachers and students as part of implementing the programme in nearly 200 institutions in the initial phase. Nearly 80 groups are being formed for field action by teachers and students ensuring institutional preparedness.
