Best Practices by the Centre for Distance and Online Learning – Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi

• A robust Learner Support System is in place with student access facility through technology and on demand with faculty and staff. With all reading material freely available and discussion boards set up on programme website, learners get adequate opportunity to discuss amongst themselves and at dedicated times with faculty. Besides, a robust student feedback system through technology ensures that students provide feedback freely on content and delivery of courses and academic administration as well so as to not face any learning barriers.
• The Institute selects faculty for all online/blended programmes very carefully and organises workshops regularly throughout each academic year to apprise them of the most optimal ways in which technology can be leveraged taking into account the variable course requirements and the type of audience enrolled for the course.
• The Institute’s faculty is adept at delivering sessions in both English and Hindi. In fact, most of the sessions are bilingual to cater to the demands of varied audience.
• The course structure is peer-reviewed at the beginning of every semester in order to ensure that all changes are dynamically incorporated in the course contents. Every two years, experts from other institutions including industry representatives meet and provide an external review of the course structure. Course assessment and programme assessment are taken up individually.
• The Institute is AACSB accredited and therefore follows meticulously all processes that not only indicate high levels of achievement by setting competency goals but also continuous improvement in faculty and student learning. Both direct and indirect measures such as assignments are used to assess students in different courses.
• In order that students stay connected with each other and with faculty, the Institute makes a 3-5 day port/industrial visit mandatory. Since students are spread all over the country, the students form groups themselves and select organisations/port to be visited. The Institute prepares the students for the visit who will after the visit prepare a port/industrial visit report and be evaluated on the same through an online viva.
• Digital signatures are in place for all certificates to be issued to the students