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TISSx - About Page

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), established in 1936, is India’s premier University for applied social science research and education. The Institute is a deemed university and is fully funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC), Government of India. The TISS offers a range of professional programs and research degrees at its Mumbai, Tuljapur, Guwahati, and Hyderabad campuses. From its inception, TISS has aimed to be at the cutting edge of education, research and outreach in human development and public policy. It provides support to government institutions and grassroots organizations and applies academic research and field expertise to develop and assess policies addressing social needs and social welfare. TISS consistently tries to seek solutions to the complex real-world issues that concern people in India, South Asia, and the developing world. In the past decade, the Institute has demonstrated its capacity to understand, learn from and respond to the transformations in the country brought by the liberalized economy and globalization

TISS has earned recognition as an institution of repute from different ministries of the central government; various state governments; international agencies such as the United Nations; and the non-government sector, both national and international. A high degree of freedom and autonomy shape the positive work ethos and creativity in the Institute, facilitating strong linkages between education, research, field action, and dissemination. (https://tiss.edu/)

In 2005, with the MA Education (Elementary) program being launched at TISS, we became one of the first Universities in India to adopt a learning management system, moodle to offer quality blended learning to working professionals. In 2015, TISS in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Tata Trusts initiated Connected Learning Initiative (clix.tiss.edu) with the twin aims of providing students access to high-quality curricular resources and teachers with high-quality resources for continuous professional development. In 2018 CLIx won the UNESCO-King Hamad Award for the Use of ICTs in Education (https://en.unesco.org). Our use of MOOCs and SPOCs and the development of our own platform TISSx to offer access to our unique resources and courses, and support learners through mobile-based communities of practice, has been shaped and developed through this innovative effort. Through TISSx we aim to reach learners in a wider range of settings and offer them unique, relevant, high-quality opportunities for continuous learning and professional development. TISSx can be accessed through a range of devices: desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. The TISSx Android app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store .

All the courses offered on TISSx have undergone rigorous academic review for the course content, quality of the resources and pedagogy by the relevant academic review boards of Centres, Schools and the TISS Academic Council. TISSx platform meets the requirements of UGC SWAYAM 4 quadrants for courses:

Quadrant I: Videos aimed at teaching/demonstrating Quadrant II: Reading materials prepared for the course/s available to download to access offline. Quadrant III: Assessments Quadrant IV: An Online Discussion Forum encouraging robust interaction among course faculty and students.

TISSx was first trialed in 2016 and currently hosts courses from three programs in education:

  • Reflective Teaching with Information and Communication Technology (RTICT)
  • Post Graduate Certificate in Contemporary Education Perspectives and Research (PGC-CEPR)
  • Master of Arts (Education)

Each course is announced with its own start and end date and faculty and TA in charge. Older course runs and courses not currently open can be accessed on the archive. Credits can be accumulated towards the award of the relevant certificate, following the programmes specific rules.

Reflective Teaching with Information and Communication Technology (RTICT):

The Postgraduate Certificate (PGC) in Reflective Teaching in ICT (RTICT) is designed as an in-service program of teacher professional development that aims to enhance the practice of elementary (upper primary) and secondary school teachers, with a special focus on the use of ICT in improving the quality of education and pedagogy. The program has been specifically designed in conjunction with the Centre’s work in and development of ICT-enabled student learning modules that aim to strengthen the quality of secondary schools, particularly government schools, and use Indian languages through the Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx).

Post Graduate Certificate in Contemporary Education Perspectives and Research (PGC-CEPR):

The Post Graduate Certificate in Contemporary Education Perspectives and Research (PGC-CEPR) is aimed at providing continuous professional development to faculty involved in teacher education, education administrators and policymakers. The program is approved by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) Academic Council and the Certificate (equivalent to 20 credits) will be awarded by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. The program is offered in blended mode. (read more... )

Master of Arts (Education):

This program of post-graduate studies in education aims to develop critical knowledge of the field and discipline and to give students the opportunity to specialise in areas of their interest. The program combines an integrated discipline-based approach with a proactive orientation to policy and institutional contexts of practice. The program offers courses in the areas of education studies, pedagogic studies, research and advanced specialisation optionals, a compulsory evaluated field attachment and research leading to a dissertation. Courses are designed to combine field and theoretical knowledge and experience. Some courses are designed as labs and workshops. (read more...)