Difficulty in Learning English is a Myth

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March 6, 2013

Jasvinder Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Words Worth shares his insight on how English language Labs breaking learning barriers

Why is English learning considered difficult by Indians?

It is a myth that English is a difficult language to muster by Indian students although it may be difficult to do away with the clutches of regional language and its common use at home that serves as the convenient medium in daily life. All languages have the same natural
learning cycle and it is important that training a child in English language skills aptly uses a similar paradigm. The child should be exposed to role plays and participating activities that bring meaning to the context. The teacher plays an important role in being the guide and mentor, however, the teacher should be supported with convenient tools to present the language aspects and demonstrate their use. Learning begins with listening. Listening to pronunciations, expressions, and meaning rather than rules which evolve as the child goes along to speak by themselves. Spellings, reading and writing come way after. An important observation made by most researchers on the subject is that foreign language learning lends itself naturally to the use of media. Linguists emphasise on the importance of speech over writing in language: children can listen and speak before they learn to read and write. All languages of the world are spoken, but not all have a writing system. Language labs are solutions that use the natural pattern for learning the language.

Why is English considered a vital skill?

The realisation for the need of English skills has dawned in the wake of the new world order where the Internet and telecommunicationshave undone the bordersand equal opportunities are nowavailable to all. It did start with the citiesand has been progressively reaching theremotest villages of India.

Employability and prospects are themost significant keys to the prominenceof English. The world is now a smallplace and everything is accessible. Englishis the global communications platformfor businesses. Ample opportunitiesare available for people competentlyskilled in their profession and Englishlanguage.

Employability and prospects are the most significant keys to the prominence of English

How, in your opinion, do English language labs help do the push?

Language labs have enormously benefited by technology, however, many have failed to satisfactorily address the learning outcomes. Words Worth English language labs include a progressive graded learning curriculum, ample practice time for each individual learner, several audio visual tools for the teacher to demonstrate listening and comprehension, pronunciation, syllable break and stress, intonation, removal of mother tongue influences, phonetics, and more. A teacher’s dashboard helps them to collaborate with students by text and voice, view remote screen, set up tasks and tests for students, and review comprehensive progress reports on several parameters. Academic support is provided to the teacher through an in-depth training on the product usage, supplemented with training manuals and flash cards.

How many institutions in the country have benefitted from English language labs?

Words Worth English language labs is installed in more than 2,000 institutions across the country catering to the language enhancement needs of over one million learners. Besides schools and colleges, Words Worth products are instrumental in the capacity
building projects of the governments of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Words Worth Papyrus is a special paper-based lab that is used in the rural sector where infrastructure including computers, electricity, etc, is a challenge. Words Worth also has adult learning besides self-learning solutions.

Language Labs Empowering Teachers

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March 6, 2013

Vivek Agarwal, CEO, Liqvid

Good teachers can make good students. How are English language labs helping teachers address students’ phobia of language?
The prime benefit of language labs is empowering the teacher. The use of technology allows the teacher to engage learners in a way that is not possible otherwise. In English Edge Language Lab, every student is able to record his own conversation into the tablet. There is no other way any teacher will be able to get 40 students to speak, because of sheer lack of time.

Are these labs addressing the issue?
I expect that there are at least 50,000 private schools that have or will have language lab solutions in the near future. In addition, there are hundreds of thousands of government schools. English is the language of business and a key driver of professional and social success. We will see a billion people learn and speak English in India with these labs.

Please tell us about the adoption of language labs among Indian schools and higher education institutions.
Most schools and institutions do some form of English learning. But now, the use of technology is rapidly spreading. One big driver is the tablets, which have unique benefits when used as a learning device. I expect that tablets will replace computer labs rapidly over the next few years.

What solution do you offer to educational institutions?
English Edge has a great portable language lab solution consisting of tablets and a customised trolley. It is found to be highly effective and a great aid to the teacher.

Please comment on your tie-ups with educational institutions.
Our software and hardware products are being used across the most prestigious institutions like IIT Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Shemford Schools, and Delhi Public School.

Math Lab at Kovai Public School, Karumathampatti

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March 6, 2013

$Math Lab at Kovai Public School$ Principal: S Harihara Sudhan
Type of lab deployed: Math Buddy – Hands-On Math Lab

Teaching Maths

From the child’s perspective, VAK – Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic approach of Math Buddy, helps the children understand the complexities and abstractness of Mathematics easily. This encourages the child’s confidence during the learning process.

From the teachers’ point of view, the kit approach provides another dimension of teaching Mathematics with ease, backed up by an audio-visual interactive software support for reinforcing the learnt concepts and building speed with accuracy and confidence while solving Math by applying the understood abstract concepts.

Objective of deploying labs

To provide the practical experience of the abstract concepts of Mathematics, Science, etc
Enabling the child to visualise, investigate, explore, experience, enjoy Math concepts
To reach every child of the classroom in the way they understand Math
To enable, empower, provide the teachers to experience all dimensions of the process of teaching and learning Mathematics
An effective initiative for children to get rid of their Math phobia
Encourages children to understand Math by the “learning-bydoing” methodology and successfully carrying it out, advocated by the NCERT

Students’ Feeback

T Pradeep, student of Grade6 says, It has developed my confidence and I have clearly understood the concepts of integers, fractions and decimal fractions using the manipulative.

S Aswath, student of Grade1 says, I have understood the concepts of Math easily using the manipulative.

The above two implementations lead to the desired meeting point which enhances the teaching and learning process more effectively resulting in higher academic standards. Evaluation

At KPS, evaluation is done in two ways – While learning with hands-on activities, the teacher has an opportunity to observe children while their are doing the activities and can assess their understanding. Secondly, with the help of the observation sheets of every activity, the teacher evaluates the learning. Apart from these, worksheets are created by teachers with the help of QB available with MB.

Enhanced teaching-learning Children are able to understand concepts through experience clearly, quickly and effectively. The time taken to explain the concepts with the traditional method gets reduced drastically. The “to know more” factor enhances the exploring attitude of every child and facilitates him/her to understand Math the way he/she can.

Teachers’ feedback

Indrani, a Math teacher, says, “I felt comfortable while teaching the students the place value concepts, comparision of numbers, 3D shapes and data handling using the manipulative.”

JayaLakshmi, another Math teacher, says, “Teaching Math was made practically easy especially while teaching the abstract concepts of algebra, integers, and 3D shapes in Math lab.”

Teachers’ experience with labs

Labs enable teachers to take children from the known to the unknown very effectively with lesser time. They also empower the teachers to provide an opportunity to every child to experience the abstract Math concepts. Teachers love to see the excitement among the children while they are in the lab.

Factors for successful implementation of lab at the school

The complete support extended by the management to provide the necessary training and infrastructure acts as a catalyst for the teachers’ learning. The training support and continuous handholding provided by Math Buddy makes every step of the implementation a success.

Hands-on Approach to Education with Robotics

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March 6, 2013

Robotics Lab at RMK Residential Senior Secondary School, Chennai
Secretary: Yalamanchi Pradeep

K Preethi Sangeetha, student of class XI, shares her experience with robotics: “It is very interesting that we get to learn many new technologies about robots. Teachers take care of each student in the class and make them understand the theme properly. We were given a Robotics kit for each group where we handled many electronic devices. We had a very good experience and it was fun handling those instruments.”

The school is using Robotics labs from Edutech to provide robotics training to students. The Implementation of labs has led to higher academic standards in the school. It is very topical and fruitful as students enjoy hands on learning using these labs. The successful implementation of Labs at the institution is due to vendor quality and commitment. The features of the robotics kit is loved by students and teachers due to the design of the curriculum, etc.

We are expecting more and more hands-on approach to education where labs will play a very crucial role. We encourage students to learn through experimentation that will lead to greater student engagement.

Building a Diversified Education System

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March 6, 2013

The education system needs to be made diverse to cater to the different needs to different students and teachers in every area, says Prof (Dr) Louis Vernal, Member – National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), Western Region; Education Consultant – Learning Links Foundation Delhi, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Goa, in conversation with Ruhi Ahuja Dhingra

What is your view of the education system in India? Where are we lacking?
It is very difficult to talk about the education system in one word because it is very large. The first thing that we need to realise is that we cannot have a unified policy or a system of education. Education has to be diversified because there are different needs of different areas, and different levels of students and teachers everywhere. We should have a policy, but the implementation has to be done step-by-step, according to the stage of development in a particular state.

On the other hand, there are large and very positive signs of improvement. The government has realised the importance of education. Over 12 percent of the 12th Five-Year Plan is being spent on education. There is also a huge amount of money for infrastructure, education and communication. In the next five years, the situation would be much better than what it is today. The government has done a fairly good job in the Right to Education, and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. We need to get more private players into the system.

What according to you should be the focus of the policy makers and the stakeholders?
So far, the policy has been more unified: one particular syllabus, one particular curriculum and one particular way of teaching. And now, there is diversity in the students and teachers. So there is a much more diversified way of teaching-learning today. Technology contributes in a big way to help them and it also promotes self-learning which is very important because children may be in school for 10-12 years, but there is a whole life of learning after that.

How can ICT in education reach the backward areas and help us overcome the geographical barriers?
There are various definitions of backward for geographical distributions. You have to reach out to them. To go through the painful process of first providing access, we are slowly paving our way towards excellence. But it is an impossible task to excel in every area. So, the target should be to cover the disadvantaged areas, but not in the same manner as the developed areas. They should be brought into the mainstream and slowly provided facilities. Students are intelligent everywhere and will themselves come up to the level.

Success is the starting point: success and excellence cannot start together. One of the best ways of crossing the barrier between the privileged and the underprivileged is through education. Around 940 million people use mobile connectivity in India. The connectivity is going up in rural areas, which is a good sign. With good connectivity also come advancements in educational programmes.

How can we empower the teachers and make them come at par with students in the use of technology?
We need to revamp the training programmes for teachers. The teacher can acquire knowledge on his own, but skills training is very important. The focus should be on teachers acquiring various creative, innovative, communication and livelihood skills, and once the teacher feels empowered, he can get rid of his fears and handle diversity. And unless the teacher knows how to handle diversity, he will only feel inferior. The focus has changed from ‘what to learn’ to ‘how to learn’.

Boosting Creativity, Imagination with Robotics

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March 6, 2013

Fr Magi Murzello, Principal, St Andrews High School, speaks on how the Robotics lab in the school is creating interest in STEM education among the students

Students are very excited about Robotics as it involves a lot of mechanics and hands-on experience. They look forward to this class always. Some of them have made creative things like boats using sensors, and tried them in a fish pond. It makes them creative and imaginative, and gives them the opportunity to apply what they studied. We are seeing a very positive attitude and learning happening. Robotics is the one class that students never want to miss. They are quite involved and into it. We have invested a lot of money in this and can see very positive outcomes.

Challenges
Initially, we faced a challenge in convincing parents about these labs for STEM education. Thereafter, we showed them what it was. Later, we moved onto get space, incorporate into our time table, and acquired
good teachers who could develop interest among the students. The teaching experience with a teacher who loves teaching Robotics and with those who have been asked to do it is entirely different. Fortunately, we also have a teacher who loves the subject.

We have started using Robotics labs this year. Students from classes 4 to 9 are using these labs.

Teachers’ training
ThinkLAB spent innumerable hours in training our teachers. They allocated a resource person to give a very growling experience. They ensured that the teachers understand Robotics and are able to teach it peoperly to the students in the school.

Robo Calling !

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March 6, 2013

Robotics and robots fascinates and engage attention of people of all ages. In the education space, they are catching attention of students while also imparting creativity, experiential and hands-on learning. The Robotics lab market in the Indian education sector is close to Rs 1,000 crore, and the space for Robotics lab is an unexplored market so the potential can actually be much more. It is a predominant experiential learning tool in UK & US. Now, Robotics is also catching interest among school and higher education institutions across india and is becoming an unmatched tool for imparting STEM education. Robotics has, in fact, emerged as the fourth ‘R’ in education after reading, writing and arithmetic.

These labs not only make STEM learning fun, but also give better knowledge of learning thinking, leadership and life skills and teamwork. The demand of the 21st century learners is not based on rote learning. Instead, the future workplace will require students who can adapt to the situation and excel with problem-solving skill.

digitalLEARNING invited views of various Robotics solution providers and educators on how Robotics labs are changing the dynamics of STEM education…

“Robotics strengthens students’ understanding”

Ranjani, Program Manager, UniMity Solutions Pvt Ltd, shares the need for Robotics in education

Students desire to gain an understanding of emerging science and technology areas while at school. Schools are vested with the responsibility of tracking, identifying and providing an exposure to these emerging subjects on a continuous basis, like we have experienced during the growth in Computer Science field over the last 10-15 years.

Now, the most premier schools have excellent infrastructure to teach computer-related subjects. The scenario in Robotics is similar. International trends are already pointing towards the growing popularity of Robotics as an industry, and of Robotics training at the school level.

Further, exposure to Robotics strengthens students’ understanding of core subjects – Mathematics and Science. Schools and teachers would, therefore, need to ensure that Robotics training is provided to their students, to ensure that they get prepared for the new opportunities in the 21st century. Local, regional and international competitions attract participation from school students from across the world to build robots in different categories.

In India, at the leading engineering colleges, Robotics is becoming a part of the core activity. At the school level, exposure to Robotics is in its nascent stages. However, awareness is increasing and interest for Robotics among the student community is palpable. In the last four years, we have ob- served Robotics receiving a lot of interest in the upcountry schools.

“Instilling Scientific Temper in Students”

Gagan Goyal, CEO, ThinkLABS on the acceptance of robotics as a new wave of teaching STEM in India

Transforming teaching-learning
Robotics lab completely transforms the way science and computer programming are taught in schools. It focuses on creation and application rather than just exploration. Our approach truly utilises the power of hands-on learning and creates a multi dimensional study platform, which involves simultaneous appreciation of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer programming. The pedagogy gives visual grasp of Math and Science concepts, teaches through discovery, builds logical and analytical thinking, nurtures creativity and innovation and, enhances problem solving attitude.

Keep the learners engaged
Through a series of hands-on activities, competitions, and engaging discussions, the students exercise their problem- solving skills and creativity in a fun and exciting environment. In a nutshell, Robotics is an application of the principles of science and programming. Since school children study the basics of physics and mathematics from theoretical point of view, it becomes very critical for them to appreciate the practical aspects of this education. Robotics is a medium that fascinates a child and encourages him to ap- ply the knowledge into real time applications. In addition, robotics allows young students to develop invaluable skills such as problem-solving, logical reasoning, critical thinking through creativity. These skills greatly progress their competitive edge and aid them to excel in the future. With so many aspects of learning being addressed solely through a very engaging and futuristic medium of Robotics, it is finding recognition as a one-stop solution amongst all progressive educators.

Why a must have?
Students develop science projects and make robots for real life applications. For example, a blind-man’s stick that senses obstacles and guides. Unlimited number of projects can be created by the active use of same kit components.

Tips for teachers
It provides scope for teachers to teach with their own style. Robotics content should not be looked at as a fixed curriculum, but as an expert recommendation. Teachers should feel free to customise the content as per their school ecology and students skills. The value of Robotics will be much more if the teachers conduct the sessions with the right attitude in their own style.

“The existing computer labs can be used as a Robotics lab”

Sajeev karuthody, Director-India & USA, Edutech, on the magic that Robotics labs can do in education

Revolutionising STEM Education
Robots teach basic life skills such as problem solving, decision making, goal setting and logical thinking. It represents a practical application of Physics, Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, and may be used to speculate about concepts of humanities. Robots have an intellectual and emotional appeal that transcends any other type of engineered product.

Robotics offered by Edutech helps teachers the opportunity to bring together many different areas of study especially STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math).

Robotics is a transformative technology that is changing the way we live and work. Global industries are integrating technologies to their products and services making it more efficient and smarter. Robotics in India offers more than USD 100 billion that today’s students must capitalise on. Robotics are widely used inManufacturing, construction, security and defense, Medical and healthcare, Domestic, Education and Assistive services and products. Only two percent of the processors manufactures goes to personal computing remaining ones went in to various embedded systems.

The market is picking up with more and more schools understanding that only focus on academic results do not guarantee learner success in life. Educators today realise that intangible skills like creativity, problem solving skills, team work and project management skills are going to be as important as academic success in ensuring students are successful in life.

Adoption in India
Most international schools have a robotics lab as either an after school activity or an in-curriculum programme. It is gaining traction in the mainstream CBSE schools. In higher education, the study of robotics provides learners exposure to electronics, mechanics, programming and embedded systems. Edutech has seen its robotics market grow by 50 per- cent the past year. A wide range of re- search projects in autonomous vehicles, space research and unmanned vehicles are done in our engineering institutions. We foresee demand for quality robotics.

Tips for teachers
The existing computer labs can be used as a Robotics lab, which makes starting up a lab very cost effective. Edutech offers courses that use brick programming that can help start a robotics program without computers. Having sufficient floor space for conducting activities/building challenges would be advisable. By using some of the Robotics challenge mats we have designed, we can conduct Robotics classes even in very small spaces. We recommend student to Robotics kit ratio of 3:1.

The Changing Dynamics of Education

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March 6, 2013

The changing delivery-mechanism of education in India makes us wonder how, with the advancements in ICT, education is taking a new shape. The increasing use of tablets in education, education through the cloud, content repositories and smart classes unanimously signify that the transformation in the education sector is immense.

The National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT) has been envisaged to leverage the potential of ICT to provide high-quality interactive education modules over the Internet/ Intranet in anytime and anywhere mode for every student of higher education institutions in the country. The thrust is on augmenting the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the higher education sector. For over a decade, even the policy framework has been emphasising on the importance of ICT for improving the quality of education in the country. However, even well-framed policies and sophisticated technologies would fail if there is lack of adequate capacity building – be it training of teachers in using technology or content development. Although India has been witnessing tremendous growth in the IT sector, there still remain large chunks of population who are untouched by technology advancements.

In this issue of digitalLEARNING magazine, we are telling a new tale about – how virtual labs are all set to revolutionise the Indian education sector. We invited learned people from the academia, both schools and higher education institutions, to share their insight on how the use of virtual and robotics laboratories is empowering students and making overall learning experience fun for them, and also how this is helping address the core issues of lack of teachers and poor quality of teaching equipment.

We organised the State Education Summit 2013 Punjab, at Chandigarh, on February 7th-8th, 2013. The event highlighted the achievements made by Punjab in the field of education. It was attended by more than 1,500 delegates from all areas of the education sector, who exchanged knowledge and ideas on how to improve the education outcomes in Punjab and the rest of India. To actively share knowledge, showcase existing governance, education, health and IT initiatives in Odisha, we are also organising the eOdisha Summit at Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on March 6th, 2013, along with the Department of IT, Government of Odisha. The summit will see participation of eminent speakers and delegates from various government departments, central and state PSUs, International Development Cooperation Agencies, International Education Missions and Leaders of Professional Associations, and NGOs and other policymakers. We look forward to your participation at the eOdisha Summit!

Dr Ravi Gupta
Editor-in-Chief
Ravi.Gupta@elets.in

“The World will be Beyond a Make-Believe World in the Future”

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March 5, 2013

Prof (Dr) Anoop Swarup, Vice Chancellor (Designate), Jagran Lakecity University, shares his experience with digital and robotics labs, how they are reinventing the pedagogy, the innovations we can expect in the future, and their benefits to students and teachers

The metaphor ‘spaceship earth’ is no more a metaphor but a hard reality and when it comes to the future of the learning environment, there has never been a more happening technotronic revolution than what we see today. Through my own experiences in the academia and the universities, both in India and abroad, I may mention that in the Preschool of the Future, students will create their own learning environment and imagine stories that come to life in the real world of tomorrow. We are confronted with a period where technological innovations are happening right before our eyes at an enormous pace to develop interfaces that enable students to author stories in the physical world where robots and humans are not only characters, but also observers, choreographers and actors.

At the Jagran Institute of Communication and Management, we have strived to be India’s first practice school: we encourage students to author stories and study behaviors using networks and social media to generate graphics on simple digital interfaces. I do believe that by combining the physical affordances of digital media and characters, stories can come to life in the real world. We have encouraged programming in this environment as a group activity where multiple users can form tangible interfaces to programme advanced behaviors.

We are also proposing a new concept, textual tinkerability, by using storytelling gestures to expose textual concepts and relate them to theory. I believe that this approach will prompt students to become physically involved and expressive as they explore and evolve newer concepts. In a very subtle way, this approach will encourage a positive learning environment in the days to come. I do profess that in the future, the world will be beyond a make-believe world where people will physically interact with holographic images, communicate with them, understand them, and teach them, all in very familiar and playful human terms. Ultimately, the digitised and robotic interface will possess the social savvy, physical adeptness, as also the everyday common sense to partake in our daily lives in hitherto unbelievably newer and more challenging ways.

When it comes to reinventing pedagogy and fostering a spirit of innovation, we have a mission at the Jagran Lakecity University to develop computational techniques that will enable the design, implementation, and evaluation of “relational” and “digitised” interfaces and robots, to encourage social, emotional, and cognitive growth of both the students and the teachers for the overall advancement of the society. Technology has seen a sea change: we run on an Android cell phone, which displays an animated virtual face and provides not only the sensory input through the camera and microphone, but also fully controls the actuation of the individuals. It is, indeed, intriguing that future technology will eventually straddle both the physical and social world of people. Human behavior will, in future, be inspired, more by imagination as our goal will be to build capable digitised interfaces and robotic creatures with a holographic and living presence, and to gain a better understanding of how we as humans interact with the emerging technology.

Budget 2013-14 has good share for education sector

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March 1, 2013

Rs. 65,867 crore has ben allocated to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) – an increase of 17 % from the funds allocated last year

New Delhi: The Union budget for 2013-14 has one overarching goal – to create opportunities for the youth of India to acquire education and skills that will get them good jobs or self-employment.

Chidambaram has allocated Rs. 65,867 crore to the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) – an increase of 17 % from the funds allocated last year.

Mentioning that the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Right to Education Act (RTE) are firmly in place, he has also proposed to provide Rs. 27,258 crore for the SSA in 2013-14.

Rs. 3,983 crore will be invested in the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) – an increase of 25.6 % from last year.

Rs.5,284 crore will be allocated to various Ministries for the purpose of providing thousands of scholarships to students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities and girl children, in 2013-14.

Rs.13,215 crore will be set apart for the Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM).

A sum of Rs.1,650 crore will be provided to the 6 AIIMS-like institutions that have admitted their first batch of students in the academic session that commenced in September 2012. A sum of Rs 4,727 crore has been allocated for medical education, training and research.

Talking about the reconstruction of the Nalanda University, Chidambaram said that the government is committed to the creation of Nalanda University as a centre of educational excellence.

Addressing the youth of India to join skill development programmes to boost employability and productivity, the finance minister has asked the National Skill Development Corporation to set the curriculum and standards for training in different skills.

He further proposed that at the end of the training, a candidate should take a test that would be conducted by authorised certification bodies. Upon passing the test, the candidate will be given a certificate as well as a monetary reward of an average of Rs.10,000 per candidate.

Assuming that at least 10,00,000 youth will be motivated, Chidambaram has proposed to set apart Rs.1,000 crore for this scheme.

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