The Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) will launch a state-wide digital learning platform on Wednesday, November 11, to expand access to online courses for students and faculty members across the State.
The platform, named APSCHE LMS–MOOCs, will allow students to register, browse courses, enrol in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), access digital learning materials, take assessments and monitor their academic progress.
The launch coincides with National Education Day, observed annually on November 11 to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India's first Education Minister.
The platform is expected to benefit around 3.3 lakh students, including 1.8 lakh degree students and 1.5 lakh students enrolled in professional programmes, according to details shared by APSCHE Chairman Prof. K. Madhu Murthy earlier this year.
Artificial intelligence (AI) courses will be introduced in the first phase, with quantum technology courses planned for subsequent stages. The AI modules are designed for students across disciplines, including life sciences, commerce and management, humanities and social sciences, mathematics and computer science.
The platform will host video lectures, assignments, quizzes, webinars, curated online resources, sessions with industry experts and doubt-clearing facilities. Students will be able to access the courses at their own pace, while faculty members from different colleges and universities can contribute to, update and reuse academic content aligned with the State curriculum.
APSCHE also plans to integrate the platform with the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), allowing students to accumulate and transfer academic credits in accordance with applicable regulations. The system is expected to support flexible learning pathways and enable institutions to share course material and teaching resources.
The initiative follows a five-day faculty development programme organised by APSCHE in collaboration with Acharya Nagarjuna University under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) from June 29 to July 3. Around 70 faculty members from universities and colleges across Andhra Pradesh participated in the programme, which focused on designing, developing and delivering online courses.
During the programme, faculty members received training in instructional design, digital content development and the use of learning management systems. APSCHE had also begun preparing AI course modules, with nearly 50 faculty members presenting the initial set of modules for review and development.
The platform is part of Andhra Pradesh's efforts to expand technology-enabled higher education in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages blended learning, multidisciplinary education and the use of digital resources.
APSCHE expects the common platform to reduce duplication of course-development work across institutions and make specialised learning resources available to students beyond their own colleges. Its reach will depend on the range of courses uploaded, faculty participation and students' access to reliable internet and digital devices.