Exploring the potential of e-resources

Updated on: Monday, February 15, 2010

The demand for higher education is surging across the Asia-Pacific region, home to over three billion people, and is expected to double in five years and triple in 10 years in many developing member countries, according to an observation of UNESCO.

In the backdrop of knowledge revolution, the delivery system of higher education is bound to have a direct bearing on the economic development through technological progress.

The International Conference on ‘E-Resources in Higher Education: Issues, Developments, Opportunities and Challenges' that Bharathidasan University's departments of Library and Information Science, and Educational Technology, have planned for February 19 and 20, promises to open up possibilities for new modes of educational system.

In a ‘knowledge economy' technologies are no longer embedded in capital goods, but rather in the information, according to the Conference Secretary, S. Srinivasaragavan, Librarian & Head, Department of Library & Information Science, Bharathidasan University. E-resources have already been made available across populations without any discrimination, and have brought new possibilities into the classroom and research.

The focus of new technology development must be on exploiting its e-resources to give access to the equivalents of books, libraries, bookshops, broadcasting, films, television, etc.Students on many courses in many universities/colleges are now required to find web access to the lecture notes and select digital resources in support of their study. Hence the International Conference in which 500 delegates from various parts of the world will take part to discuss the approach to developing multinational and cross-institutional contacts and partnerships, said the Organising Secretary, E. Ramganesh, Associate Professor, Department of Educational Technology.

The 500 academics are from diverse disciplines such as engineering, agriculture, medicine, animal science, biotechnology, geo sciences educational technology, library and information science, computer science and Information Technology. Delegates from U.K., UAE, Singapore Malaysia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iran will be presenting their papers.

For further details, contact Dr. Srinivasaragavan (Phone: +91-94869-16358 or +91-431-2407068) or Dr. Ramganesh, phone: 91-94430-85415). Email: [email protected].

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