Malish.C.M works on the domain of education policies. Intersections of education, society, and social justice are central to his research and policy engagement. His research and teaching interests include education policy, equity, diversity, student success, intermediary organisation and platformisation of education and qualitative and mixed-method research. Malish has conducted extensive and intensive fieldwork in educational settings such as schools, colleges and universities in various parts of the country. His research has appeared in Higher Education, Qualitative Inquiry, Economic and Political Weekly, IEEE Technology and Society Magazine and International Higher Education.
Topic A: TAP Project: Policy and the Politics of Platformisation of Higher Education in India
Description: The growth of the platform economy and its impact on socio-economic life and the political sphere is gaining wider scholarly attention. Technology platforms act as an intermediary between producers, customers, suppliers and advertisers by providing a platform for various actors to interact. Platforms in private and public sectors are taking deep roots in the higher education sector in India. The number of EdTech companies offering platform-based learning is steadily increasing. Wider acceptance of such platforms in education is also linked to structural changes in the labour market. One can also link it with criticism that the boundary between education and training is gradually disappearing in contemporary society.
Global trends and national policy frameworks on credit accumulation and transfer increasingly recognise the role of digital platforms. More than an additional learning source, platforms are now part of the credits required to earn the degree. According to University Grants Commission (UGC), 40% of credits can be earned from platforms like SWAYAM. The introduction of the ‘Academic Bank of Credits’ facilitated by the flexible learning regime reflects policy response to platform-based learning. Brick-and-mortar institutions and classrooms no longer remain the only source for education and learning and acquiring educational credentials. One needs to go beyond the inequality in access to digital platforms to understand the larger implications of platformisation reshaping the education sector. This project aims to understand how the platformisation of learning shapes and is shaped by the policy and practice of higher education. It aims to unfold larger implications of the platformisation of learning on the purpose and content of education and the structure and process of higher education institutions.
Three broader research questions will guide the current research in light of global calls and national priorities for fostering inclusive education. They are 1. How education policy shapes and is shaped by platformisation of learning 2.How platformisation of learning impacts institutionalised form of higher education. and 3. What are the implications of the platformisation of learning on the social and academic outcomes of students from various socio-economic backgrounds? This research aims to contribute to our understanding of factors contributing to policy on the platformisation of learning, various conceptualisation of learning through platforms among stakeholders and its implication on the structure and process of an institutionalised form of higher education.
References
Nussbaum, M. C. (1998). Cultivating humanity. Harvard University Press.
Means, A. J. (2018). Platform learning and on-demand labor: Sociotechnical projections on the future of education and work. Learning, Media and Technology, 43(3), 326-338.
Srnicek, N. (2017). Platform capitalism. John Wiley & Sons.
Rivas, A. (2021). The Platformization of Education: A framework to Map the New Directions of Hybrid Education Systems. Paris: UNESCO.
Topic B: Open Educational Resources and Equity in Higher Education
Area: Structural Inequality, Digital Societies and Market and Governance
Description: State interventions in the form of public policies are increasingly recognised as necessary to provide inclusive education. Unanticipated shift towards online modes of transaction due to COVID pandemic exposed structural roots of inequality in education. However, COVID -19 contributed substantially to wider legitimacy for technology-mediated learning in policy circles and popular debates. Unequal access to technology-mediated learning is further widened by rapid growth of EduTech companies. Unavailability of online sources in languages other than English often poses a major challenge for students from deprived groups and remote villages. Open Education Resources (OER) are, therefore, increasingly recognised as major sources for equalizing access to education and equity in student outcomes.
Growth of OERs is remarkable in the last few decades. In addition to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), there exists massive OERs which include audio, video and textual material which are easily available online. NPTEL and SWAYAM platforms are Indian versions of MOOCs. As far equity in higher education is concerned, there are two dimensions for OER. One is to what extent OER including MOOCs address the question of unequal access to higher education. Second is how OER can be incorporated to study programmes in order to facilitate inclusive learning. In line with Agenda 2030 declared at Incheon in South Korea in 2015 promoting multiple and flexible pathways for learning, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 upholds the principles of flexible pathways for learning. UGC’s decision to allow students to earn 40% of credits from SWAYAM is often highlighted as flexibility or student choices. Will flexibility in learning address the fundamental question of equity in education? Do OER have any role in addressing variations in academic experience and exposure brought in by a diverse student body?
This project aims to answer the following questions. What are the opportunities and challenges to incorporate OER in higher education? What are the institutional policies and strategies for promoting OERs as a means for promoting equity in higher education institutions? What is the pattern of use of OER among the students belonging to socially and economically disadvantaged students?. This study is expected to provide crucial insights for developing policy on OER in higher education and directions for developing strategies and pedagogical practices to promote inclusive learning through OER.
Topic C: Language Policy and Linguistically Diverse Campuses
Area: Structural Inequality
Description: Language policy research deals with how socio-cultural events influenced or continue to influence social practices of language with regard to status, use and acquisition of language/s. Notion of linguistic human rights further emphasizes the need to address structural imbalances in the society in terms of language policy and practices. Education is one of the important domains where language policy plays a major role.
Globally English is gaining wider acceptability as a language of knowledge and scholarship. More European countries come forward to offer English taught study programmes in order to promote their internationalization agendas. While English continues to remain as a global academic language and language of scholarship, national language continues to exist in other systems such as Japan, NORDIC countries and India. India is one of the countries with an abundance of language diversity. Population demand for English education is exponentially increasing in India. Growth of private English medium schools and English language study centres explains this trend.
Learning, innovation, creativity, and imagination are central to the notions of “knowledge economy” and “learning economy”. Contemporary society is also characterized by blurring of boundaries between learning and working and education and training. As knowledge is the central resource and innovation is the central process in the new economy, continuous learning is essential to develop innovative goods, ideas and services. Lundvall (2016) further elaborates how interaction between individuals and organizations are important for continuous learning. It further points towards the socially embedded nature of learning. Language in which education is imparted is integral to developing emancipatory knowledge and providing resources for masses in their fight against oppression and marginalization.
National Education Policy 2020 which places heavy emphasis on mother tongues. Indian languages are expected to emerge as a medium of instruction in all levels of education including higher education. Against this larger backdrop of changes in approach towards learning and policy thrust for promotion of Indian languages, this project asks the following questions. What is the role of languages in education which aims to foster competencies for continuous learning, innovation, creativity, and imagination? How does linguistic identity intersect with identities of caste, class and gender and shape socialization in campuses? How does linguistic identity influence academic performance of learners in higher education? What are the policies and practices at institution level to address linguistic diversity in higher education campuses and classrooms? The outcome of the study is expected to contribute to language planning and policy in education in India.
