Digitally Sound
Implementing Agency
Pearson Education Services
Website
www.digiclass.com
DigitALly has various types of content like animations, videos, self-explanatory diagrams, concept maps, 3D interactivity, worksheets, quizzes, e-books and past year question papers– all of which are regularly updated. It is an easy to use and attractive interface through which teachers can access the preloaded content in the classroom.
Objective
To use an ICT led technology solution to improve the teaching learning process
Achievements
• President’s Award for IT-Pearson’s E-Education initiative, in association with Global Telemedicine Healthcare Network Foundation (GTHNF)
• Manthan Award for Best e-Content Development honours excellence in Digital Content Development across Southeast Asia
Target Group: Teachers and students
Challenges: Creation of content for all the major syllabi across India through the usage of internal resources was a challenge. Once the solution was installed, its usage led to the development of its own crop of challenges. The stakeholders had to be given the required training for efficient creation of the best possible educational outcomes. There were also the issues related to upkeep of hardware, this issue was resolved through the creation of regional hubs where additional spares are kept to enable faster replacements. The curriculum changes and updates that keep happening from time to time have also to be taken into account.
Coaching them Right
Implementing Agency
PurpleLeap (A Plus Education Solutions Pvt Ltd)
Website
www.purpleleap.com
PL-ACE offers Experiential Learning to tier II and tier III Engineering Colleges by leveraging technologies like Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), Learning Management System, and Knowledge Management System. Through this platform, the company trains the students on professional skill sets that help them in being ready for the industry. PurpleLeap partners with engineering colleges and invests in setting up PL-ACE to help the partner colleges achieve brand leadership.
Objective
To provide best of learning experience to students in Tier Two and Tier three cities who do not have access to industry oriented training
Achievements
• Trained over 30,000 students,
• Reach to the remotest towns which includes towns with less than 10lak population
Target Group: College Graduates (Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities/colleges)
Challenges: We had to do pilot batches to demonstrate the use of technology and adjust with the existing practices. The acceptance to our programme was a challenge. We could overcome this challenge by embedding our training into college curriculum. There were issues regarding reliable Internet connection. The Internet was made bandwidth friendly and so that we had offline time-based access for assessments. Cutting edge software was required for the implementation of the programme, so we had to type up with some of the world’s top IT companies.
ICT for Education
Implementing Agency
JP Sá Couto, S A
Website
www.mymagalhaes.com
JPSC developed a dedicated line of equipment – mgseries for serving the students and teachers. The products are characterised by their adaptability, quality, reliability and robustness, The projects they develop include hardware and software solutions, specialised educational content, connectivity systems, teachers’ training and support services.
Objective
To deliver purpose-built solutions for education through ICT products and projects that foster human development
Achievements
• In four years, more than 3 million MGseries netbooks were distributed worldwide and now, 6 million children have access to an educational netbook
• Also, 10 thousand schools, spread over more than 60 countries are already working within our educational projects
Target Group: K-12 students
Challenges: The customisation of project management services is one of the most challenging parts of our work. In each local or national education programme, we need to appoint a specialised project team, including, a global manager, a local/national manager and other internal resources. Our work requires background studies for localised actions that are adapted to each nation’s educational, cultural, social and financial context. Our portfolio of services to support the implementation and development of projects range from logistics and equipment distribution to software development. Also, implementation of technology programmes in schools demands the engagement of teachers as a starting point for the engagement of students.
Enabling Smart Education
Implementing Agency
Educomp Solutions Limited
Website
www.educomp.com/Products/Smartclass.aspx
Educomp Smartclass is a digital
solution classroom. It uses mapped to curriculum 2D-3D digital content across all school subjects. The solution has four interlocked components: 1) Content- Educomp smartclass Class transformation System (CTS) 2) Technology – Digital Teaching System (DTS). 3) Academic Support 4) Affordability. For mass adoption model, Educomp offers smartclass at affordable monthly installments to schools.
Objective
To apply innovative solutions to solve critical problems relating to quality of education and access to education for all
Achievements
• Students learn and enjoy difficult and abstract curriculum concepts
• It improves their overall academic performance
Target Group: All key stakeholders in education
Challenges: Initially the concept of smartclasses was new, so we had to run a TV and outdoor campaign for two years, for winning the stakeholders to our side. Teachers needed to be trained in managing hardware, and there was the need of structured lesson plans around the digital content. Due to unavailability of high speed net connectivity, schools could not be connected to Educomp directly. DVDs were sent and all digital content was housed in a server in the knowledge centre in a Smartclass enabled school, to which classrooms were connected.
Learn Easy
Implementing Agency
EZ Vidya Pvt Ltd
Website
www.ezvidya.com
Objective
To give teachers something useful to do with technology daily and run on existing school equipment without additional software
Achievements
• EZ Vidya created Chrysalis is known to develop and monitor teacher technology skills
• Better learning outcomes for students
EZ Vidya’s Chrysalis TechMate is an open-source on-line and off-line teaching content platform, which has been available since April 2011. TechMate’s interface uses standard browsers like Firefox and it can facilitate teacher and student logins via the cloud or the school server. Once logged in, teachers can access a complete digital version of their printed Chrysalis curriculum materials (interactive e-books), with matching audio-visuals, teacher guides, suggested web links, and assessment questions for each lesson. Students, parents and school heads can access all of the student content, take assessments, and view their progress and performance.
Target Group: 4300 Teachers, about 2,50,000 students, and parents from 400 plus Chrysalis (client)-EZ Vidya partnered schools.
Challenges: In the beginning many teachers were reluctant to use the technology, so we had to bring about regular changes in design to simplify the interface. The market is fraught with many pre-existing perceptions about content libraries, so we had to work really hard to popularise our system. Our philosophy is that the teacher should be a facilitator and not a television programmer.
Think to Learn
Implementing Agency
ThinkLABS Technosolutions
Pvt Ltd
Website
www.thinklabs.in
Objective
To Promote hands-on Science and Technology education for school students
Achievements
• Rapid rate of acceptance from Indian schools. Present in over 160 schools in less than three years
• Wide acceptance across 23 states, 54 cities and 150+ schools
Robotics Learning System (RLS) is envisioned as a 21st century learning tool that enforces STEM and Computer Programming concepts in school students at an early age. RLS is Thinklabs Robotics Education platform, and it is implemented in the schools through setting up of a Robotics Lab (RoboLab). Robotics is a multi dimensional study platform, which involves various streams of education. By building and programming robots, students explore fundamentals of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer programming..
Target Group: School students from Std 4 onwards
Challenges: ThinkLABS has surmounted the challenge of scaling up through an effective system of empowering schools through a comprehensive Teachers Training Program. In less than three years, the programme has been accepted by more than 160 schools, as this is a world class product available at an affordable price for the Indian market. Intuitive visual programming software had to be indigenously developed to help students in logical thinking through drag and drop flowchart based programming approach against conventional programming method.
Education for the Downtrodden
Implementing Agency
Mahendra Educational Pvt Ltd
Website
www.mahendras.org
Objective
To provide quality professionals in banking and other government organisations
Achievements
• Pre-examination training of 19 nationalised banks for C/ST/minority
• Above 1 lakh selections in various government organisations
• Replica of SBI clerical exams in the form of SBI preparatory exams
The inspiration behind the programme was to cater to the weaker section of the society like SC/ST/OBC, minorities and other downtrodden classes. The ultimate goal is to empowering them with modern education. Mahendra’s Institute for Banking endeavours to assist the students in all types of preparation. It provides the candidates with knowledge and skills required to achieve their goals. We provide the finer details and knowledge of the banking sector and its changing needs.
Target Group: One day competitive examination aspirants and their parents
Challenges: At initial stages, the programme faced financial crunch, but eventually it was able to find the right kind of backing. It was also difficult to control pan India branches, but our dedicated team members have made it happen. The operations teams have played a seminal role in engineering the expansion of the branches. The dispatch team looks after the distribution of tests and study material. The pan India test results get displayed through the efforts of our IT team.
The Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) will develop bilingual primers in 10 tribal dialects for children from Class I to Class III with an aim to ensure equity in educational opportunities for tribal children.
ITM University launched a post graduate course, the Executive MBA programme.This Executive MBA course is a three-year full time programme meant for executives with at least two years of work experience. ITM University is an institute among India’s foremost independent multidisciplinary universities.
Roadblocks in way of digital classrooms across the country are disappearing. Schools and higher education institutes are now making giant shift towards using digital technology solutions for enhancing the delivery and administration of education.
At the time when I sat down to pen this editorial, the World Education Summit (WES) was still few days away, but by the time the issue reaches your hands, the Summit, scheduled for July 23-24, 2012, would already be over. It is at the WES that this issue of digitalLEARNING is to be unveiled. If you are there at the WES, you could be one of the first people to read the August 2012 issue of the magazine, which we have endeavoured to develop as a timeless edition, one that is packed with a rich, diverse mosaic of new ICT based solutions for education space.
The government school students in Karnataka will be having Snooker and Squash as a sports curriculum. This is an initiative taken under Chinnara Krida Abhiyan (CKA) of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). It is a sports training programme for higher primary government schools students and will commence from August. Under the CKA programme, SSA has listed more than 15 indoor and outdoor games, including squash and snooker.
Core Education and Technologies Ltd has been listed in Asia’s 200 Best Under A Billion. To be considered companies must first generate annual revenue between $5 million and $1 billion (U.S.), have positive net income, and have been publicly traded for at least a year. Sales of this year’s 200 SMEs from 15 countries on the list grew an average 48% last year and generated $47 billion in revenue while employing over 370,000 people. Comparatively, the Asian Pacific outfits on the Global 2000, the list of the biggest public companies in the world, grew an average 13 percent in the last year.
tion, south graced the occasion. Principal Rashi Narula gave the vote of thanks.
Vanguard Business School, Bangalore has organised the Induction day for the PGPM batch of 2012-2014 at its Bangalore campus. The Induction day was inaugurated by the Chief Mentor of Vanguard Business School and Guest of Honour, M S Ganesh, Managing Director, Dynatech Furnaces. He enlightened the students about today’s Indian business environment and motivated them to overcome challenges to make a name for themselves in this thriving economy. He was positive that the talent that comes out of Vanguard Business School will be able to make a positive contribution to the Indian corporate world.
designed to train drivers in soft skills, teach them the tenets of customer service and instill in them a sense of dignity. The program targets everyone from hotels, airlines, destination management companies, travel agencies, cab rental services to MNCs and private car owners. Pawan Ko Kahin Dekha Kya aims at filling the void between what is expected of drivers and what they are currently achieving.
