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Satellite Supported Networking of Rural Schools :: Experiences of RGPEEE

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The project launched by the Government in December 2005, aims to add value to elementary education

By Dr Masood Parveez, Senior Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre Jabalpur (MP) and Project Director, RGPEEE, Jabalpur, MP
Dr U C Pandey, Regional Director, IGNOU Regional Centre, Bhagalpur, Bihar

The quality of school education has long been a cause of concern. Despite the sincere efforts made by the Government since independence, the desired changes are visible only in selected urban pockets. The schools in remote and geographically inaccessible areas still starve for the good quality teachers and infrastructure. Trained teachers aspiring for better wages and better lifestyle are unwilling to go to such areas. The already available teachers are largely untrained, inadequately paid and overburdened with work. The result is poor quality of educational delivery leading to low turn up of students, low success rates and high dropout. With the enactment of Right to Education, the Government of India has now waged a decisive battle against these issues. Ensuring free education for the students of the age group of 6-14 is now a constitutional obligation and school education has now come to the forefront of the national agenda.

Conclusions and Recommendations
The project has been a major initiative of ISRO, MHRD, IGNOU and State Governments of Hindi speaking states in India. The implementation of the project has testified the following assumptions:
• ICT can be viably utilised to compensate for the deficiencies in the trained teachers in rural areas. The video lessons can be immensely useful for improving the quality of school education as the students find such lessons as per their needs, tastes and learning styles.
• The teachers feel empowered as they can explain the –difficult topics in syllabus through innovative video lessons. It was otherwise not possible to explain the teachers such difficult concepts through just “chalk and talk”.
• The teachers training programmes through SITs has been a new opportunity that helps project officials in fulfilling its mandate.


Towards satellite based solutions

India is one of the major countries across the world to realise the potential of satellite based technologies for education. The Department of Space, Government of India, has made huge investments for the launch of EduSat, a dedicated satellite, solely available for education and development. The satellite has been specially designed to use interactive satellite terminals, create virtual classrooms, develop mechanisms for video on demand and to create effective mechanisms for teaching and training at remote locations. This capability has facilitated one national level network and five regional/state level networks in the country in Ku-band. Rajiv Gandhi

Project for EduSat Supported Elementary Education (RGPEEE) which is on the national beam of EduSat in Ku band is a major venture of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and governments of seven Hindi speaking states in India, namely Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. The project launched by the Government in December 2005, aims to add value to elementary education.

RGPEEE: The core ideas

The project was established with its hub at Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, with field sites located in remote and rural schools of Sidhi and some of the adjoining states of Bihar, UP and Chhattisgarh. Sidhi was selected as the focus of the project keeping in view its peculiarly difficult socio economic conditions. However, it was decided to expand the network to other states after gaining new insights and experiences for using the potentialities of EduSat. This Project which was initially known as “Sidhi Project” was launched as the joint initiative of IGNOU, MHRD, ISRO and the Governments of those Hindi speaking states where the project’s downlinks were established.

Started in December 2005 the Project has now expanded to 7 different states in India where Hindi is the link language with 1082 Receive Only Terminals (ROTs) and 33 Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) in different parts of the country.

The RGPEEE had following few core ideas and contentions:
1. ICT can be a viable means to link the urban centred institutions with the rural schools.
2. The teachers have to be identified from the grassroots and their capacities have to be built up for development of such interactive lessons.
3. The teachers training programmes can be devised from the teaching hub during the long term vacations of the teachers or on holidays. The Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) developed under the project can prove handy for holding such interactive sessions.
4. The feedback from the receiving sites can be taken in order to bring about further improvements in the project.
5. The Project was conceived in such a way that in future it will be expanded in all the Hindi speaking belt keeping in view of the fact that the Hindi is a link language .

Project impact: What has been learnt?

The feedback studies undertaken by the Project officials have revealed mixed response on the project initiatives. Whereas such telecast schedules merged with teaching schedules at receiving locations showed results as per expectations in some of the schools in some other areas huge administrative issues cropped up. Project officials faced huge cases of thefts of the equipments.

Simultaneously the issue of monitoring the network came up as a huge challenge as the administrative network of the school education was the only channel for monitoring and the school teachers did not feel accountable to any other agency. The huge cases of theft made it difficult for the project officials to get the sites insured as the insurance agencies were not very keen to get the sites insured. The schools did not have any security of their own and therefore it was difficult to prevent thefts.

There were other issues noticed in the process of implantation. For instance, there was shortage of teachers at the grassroots locations. Holding workshops and orientation programmes to identify the hard – spots and motivated teachers and their training became difficult keeping in view of limited staff available at project site and non availability of trainers. Frequent transfers of the teachers was another difficult issue to be handled as new teachers need to be oriented again and project officials found it hard to do it frequently.

Despite the inconsistencies, the RGPEEE has been able to prove that satellite based networking can be used to improve the quality of school education. The idea is worth replicating on a larger scale.

Goa SSA Renews Contracts of Para-teachers

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The Goa Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) has renewed the contracts of 168 para-teachers for the current academic year 2012-13, following orders from the chief minister of Goa. The para-teachers had approached Parrikar, who is also the education minister, to resolve the matter of their appointment.

Para-teachers are employed by the Goa SSA on an annual contract basis and their services are employed in government primary schools.

Para-teachers’ job involves assisting government primary teachers, especially in teaching English as the regional language teachers may lack the English language skills. Services of para-teachers are also used where schools have single teachers or there are fewer teachers available as against the enrolment. The para-teachers had held a protest in September 2009 demanding that their services be regularised and that they be brought on par with government servants.

Innovation by Engineering Institute

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Imparting Quality Education                                                                              


Implementing Agency
MIT Pune’s Maharashtra Academy of Engineering

Website
www.maepune.ac.in

Established in 1998, the MIT Pune’s Maharashtra Academy of Engineering (MAE) is imparting quality engineering education in the state of Maharashtra. The institute is known for its implementation of innovative technologies in academic and administrative sectors. The MAE aims to impart value-based engineering education of highest standards and hence it provides a comprehensive and holistic learning experience to its students.

Objective
To cater to the needs of Rural Indian students for higher technical education

Achievements
• Global recognition of the prestigious national robotic contest ROBOCON
• Accreditation from the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) for excellence in imparting quality engineering education

Target Group
Students from rural India

Challenges
Initially, it was a challenge to attract student community as the institute was newly established but in a very short span of time the institute became very popular with students. Use of technology sometimes causes technical issues and to overcome the same, the institute enrolled a team of experts who ensure that we have a seamless quality of operations. The team of professionals at the Internet centre takes care of all the technical issues which may arise. Every academic activity entails some kind of participation from students.

Imparting Quality Education

Implementing Agency
Swami Parmanand Group of Colleges

Website
www.spcet.org

The project lays emphasis on imparting quality education to students and providing solutions for use of facilities like VOIP, WiFi, video and audio conferencing. It provides hardware and software innovations that enable IT based service for connectivity in rural areas. Students have access to online lectures, tutorials and question bank for better  understanding of engineering subjects.

Objective
To train and nurture young minds to grow into creative individuals who can play valuable role in industry and society

Achievements
• International Intellectual Achievement Award by Global Achiever Foundation
• Best upcoming Engineering college from Punjab awarded by India Achieve Podium

Target Group
Youth from all over India, including those from economically weaker sections of Society

Challenges
Challenges are faced while training students from financially weak backgrounds. The poor grasp of English language of some students was also a cause of concern, so effective English had to be taught to them at the very onset. Maintaining harmony amongst students who are from varied backgrounds is a task by itself. Providing vocational training to students from rural background is at times a difficult exercise. The idea is to create a crop of students who can compete at the global level, it is not an easy task, but with lot of efforts we are making it possible.

Brining Excellence in Education

Implementing Agency
Vidhya Jyothi Trust, Chennai and Pali Rajasthan

Website
www.sugaldamani.com

The Vidhya Jyothi Trust is committed to the cause of excellence in the field of Engineering, Technology and Management. Rajasthan is a state with total population of about six crores and it faces the need of quality institutions. The self-financed institutions of Vidhya Jyothi Trust will meet the educational needs of Rajasthan.

Objective
• To produce good Engineers and Managers
• To provide for synergetic coupling of science, mathematics, management and information technology in engineering education

Challenges
The engineering science based education, tends to get overtly class-room oriented. This leads to students losing confidence in working with their own hands in laboratories, studios and workshops. The spirit of apprenticeship is missing.
The focus on “learning by doing” should be developed so as to motivate students for innovation and entrepreneurship. The concept of the 4 i in education – Innovation, Implementation, Integration and Incubation – is based on the idea of bringing learning closer to the students.  The goal is to create students who are ready to meet the real challenges that life will throw at them when they enter the job market.

Improving Employability

Implementing Agency 
Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College

Website
www.srec.ac.in

Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College (SREC), a part of SNR Sons Charitable Trust, was started in the year 1994 with the mission of creating the base on which students can have their learning and grow into engineers and scientists of global standards. To fulfil its mission in education, the college has started a programme for better employability through Innovative Projects and Training.

Objective
Develop entrepreneurship skills in students and mould them into successful entrepreneurs

Achievements
• Placement of students has steadily increased over the years and reached a maximum of 75 percent in the current year
• Received Govt. funding for different student projects.

Target Group
Students of Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology, Sri Ramakrishna Polytechnic College

Challenges
Students find it difficult to cope up with the busy schedule that is always entailed in many of the training programmes. There is also the lack of support from some sections of the industry in providing projects to the students. There is difficulty in funding of the projects by the management. Students need to work extra hours to complete final year projects within the stipulated time. The students who are from rural backgrounds often find it difficult to cope with the programme, but with some amount of training they are able to make the improvements.

Innovation by Management Institute

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Tech Enabled Classroom                                                                                           

Implementing Agency                                       
Maharaja College of Management, Udaipur

Website
www.maharajacolleges.org

The education programme of Maharaja College of Management, Udaipur, is designed to respond to the intellectual capital requirement of business and industry. The Institute’s mandate is to create technology enabled management solutions for nation building. An effective blend of activities and interactive multimedia demonstrations make learning
more engaging and responsive. There is interactivity in digital classrooms. Elements like language lab, automated document keeping system, attendance alerts, student performance reports and fees reports, bring efficiency to the institute.

Objective:
To prepare students to exploit opportunities being newly created in the field of management

Achievements:
• Education Excellence Award 2012
• Best Citizens of India Award 2012
• Rating B++ by ICRA
• Indian Leadership Award in Education Excellence 2011

Target Group:
Young graduates of any stream

Challenges:
It was a challenge to create an integrated management institute that does consulting and research, rather than just focussing on teaching. It was a challenge for the institute to bring technical soundness to the students. The varied educational background of the students leads to its own set of challenges, but this too is also being overcome through implementation of better education and management techniques.

 

Creating Young Entrepreneurs


Implementing Agency
M K Ponda College of Business and Management

 

Website
www.mkpondacollege.org

The Manjula K Ponda College of Business and Management was created with the purpose of reigniting the spirit of an entrepreneur in students. Right from its inception they propagated entrepreneurship as a career option and projected themselves as a no placement college. The College recognises the need for aligning itself globally and build on the brand equity, which is based on processes.

Objective:
To create occupation for the under privileged class and bring them into the mainstream

Achievements:
• Succeeded in changing the mindsets of the youth and parents
• Meritorious achievements of our last three batches have done us proud.

Target Group:
The Youth

Challenges:
The toughest challenge is to make people get rid of their traditional modes of thinking and complete their studies so that they can become eligible for a good job. So educationists must also focus on changing the mindsets of today’s parents.

We have to work hard to make people have faith in the modern education system. The idea has to be germinated in every mind that it is everyone’s responsibility to get educated so that they can perform better service for the nation. Accomplishing such lofty goals is a challenge, but we are doing our best to overcome them.

Learning through Mooodle

 


Implementing Agency
INMANTEC

 

Website
www.inmantec.edu

This project was developed after taking into consideration the fact that the psyche of students is different. The organisation has customised Moodle for catering to the diverse kinds of academic and administration related requirements. The Project was implemented and later upgraded to LAMP architecture, Moodle 1.9.17+, Jail Server, Google apps for education and wordpress.

Objective:
• To share data and content with students
• To publish official documents, with safe guard and security
• To cater to students who aren’t tech-savvy

Achievements:
• Students were able to do their assignments faster after conducting through research, once they had access to online class notes

Target Group:
Students and faculties

Challenges:
Changes from manual system to new electronic system cannot be an overnight journey. It took months to make people understand the value of the system and start using the system. The stakeholders became convinced about the efficiency of the new system only after we organised many workshops, which were devoted to showcasing the powers of technology. It was also a challenge to regularly update our Moodle courses, because of the fact that everyone is not tech savvy and hence might not like uploading files  on  a  regular basis. We have  developed  many easy  to access  solutions to further popularise our solution.

Seeding Entrepreneurship

Implementing Agency
PS Senior Secondary School

Website
www.pssenior.org

The GLPSS M&E is a 15 month old programme with 150 hours of learning. This unique programme aims to teach fundamentals in management through classroom lectures, case studies, group discussions, business games, role plays,
seminars and group work. Programme delivery envisages a judicious integration of latest technology available in learning domains like audio visual aids and learning management systems.

Objective:
• To expose management to students to the ideas of entrepreneurship
•To create a community of job creators.

Achievements:
• Better communication skills
• Girls are performing better in this programme Army Institute

Target Group:
Students from 11th standard and 12th standard

Challenges:
It was a challenge to sell the programme to the parents and the students. It is especially difficult as the students are located at a crucial juncture of their life when they are in 11th or 12th standard. We also needed to provide the management framework in such a way that the 11th standard students should be able to understand it. There had to be proper learning atmosphere, where there are no evaluations. Only by following this kind of strategy we could ensure full attendance. Generating enough interest in the minds of the students for this programme was also a challenge.

 

 

Pearson Launches Screening Test for Dyslexia at World Education Summit 2012

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Pearson Clinical and Talent Assessment, a division of Pearson, has launched the India edition of their flagship screening test for the Indian market, the Dyslexia Screening Test – Junior, (DST-J) for school teachers, special educators and psychologists across schools in India.

The DST-J (India) is a revolutionary psychological screening test to identify children at risk for Dyslexia, which was launched at the World Education Summit 2012, New Delhi. The DST-J (India) is poised to change the way schools identify children with learning disabilities and create an inclusive learning environment for all children. The DST-J (India) was developed from leading scientific research by Pearson Clinical & Talent Assessment that is changing the way children and adults learn in India. This test is unique because it can be administered by general school teachers, unlike most other psychological tests used in the school system that can be used by special educators or psychologists only.

The DST-J (India) was launched by Dr Angela Fawcett following her talk on ‘The DST-J India – An Innovation in Teacher Empowerment’ at the World Education Summit. Dr Angela Fawcett is Vice President, British Dyslexia Association, Emeritus Professor, Swansea University, UK and author, Pearson Clinical & Talent Assessment. Dr Fawcett developed the original Dyslexia Screening Test that is globally used in educational settings.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fawcett stated, “The DST-J is globally recognised as the most successful and effective screening tool for dyslexia and other learning difficulties, which lead to failure and distress for up to 20 percent of children across the world. It empowers teachers to identify academic problems before children fail, and helps them to learn. The DST-J (India) will transform the future of children in India who are struggling to learn, thus allowing them to express their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. I am delighted to bring this test to India.”

Also present during the launch was Dr Nitin Anand who spearheaded the India standardization project for the DST-J (India). Optimistic about the role of the DST-J (India) in the school system in India, Dr Anand stated, “The DST- is a watershed in developing assessments for the Indian school system. The DST-J (India) will ensure children who have so far been disadvantaged in traditional classrooms due to their learning disabilities, will be identified at an early age for this condition. Early identification is essential to offer timely support to such children and positively alter their learning trajectory. The DST-J (India) is an outcome of an extensive scientific study carried out across eleven cities of India and represent’s Pearson’s commitment to provide high-quality assessments for education, psychology and allied fields.”

Innovation by Private University

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Learning in Virtual World

 Implementing Agency
Hindustan University


Website
www.hindustanuniv.ac.in

Hindustan University Centre of Excellence in Innovation and Visualisation (HUCEIV) has virtual simulation and experimental projects for the students and industrial personnel.There is a nodal centre for e-learning,testing and research in Structural Engineering with Computer Aided Laboratory(MNSECAL). The Virtual Labs allow the students to perform experiments that cannot be done in physical labs. Virtual ALSIM Flight Simulator can remotely simulate the aircraft flying. 

Objective:
To create a virtual lab for e-learning, testingand research inStructural /Computer/Aeronautical/AutomobileEngineering

Achievements:
• Reduction in overheads
• Increased better skilled students
• Up gradation of technical knowledge of the industry personnel

Target Group:
 Students from around the world; professionals, engineers and employees of various aviation, automobile, computing, electronics and instrumentation and civil industries

Challenges:
In the beginning we faced the challenge of getting our concept accepted by the management. While implementing the technology, we faced many issues related to modern hardware and software. There were connectivity related issues, which had to be tackled in effective ways by the experts.

 

 Changing The Ed-Eco-System

 Implementing Agency
Galgotias University

Website
www.galgotiasuniversity.edu.in

Galgotias University has been established with the mission “of graduting socially responsible future technologists and business leaders”. Galgotias University enables the systematic developments of thinking quotient across an academic environment. Thinking defines us and propels us towards right knowledge. We believe that for India to be a world leader
in innovation, it needs eco-systems that develop mature thinking quotient as a continuous process.

Objective:
At Galgotias University, we have diversified and upgraded the content and quality of the technical education

Achievements:
• Ranked amongst Top Engineering/ Management Institutions by leading Global Corporate and the National Media
• Galgotias Moonbuggy was selected to be displayed at US Space and Rocket Centre with a permanent recognition.

Target Group:
The students, who derive pleasure from learning for its own sake

Challenges:
The challenges that we face are related to globalisation and the knowledge economy. Many initiatives are being taken by Government of India through MHRD to raise the professional standards of teaching. Research is a highly valued activity
for academic staff and while there is still a strong bias towards the traditional scholarship of discovery. Current Higher Education policy also seeks to promote integrative and applied research practices. Implementation and adoption of the ever changing technologies in the field of higher education is also fraught with challenges.

 Offering High Tech Learning

Implementing Agency
JK Lakshmipat University

Website
www.jklu.edu.in

JK  Lakshmipat University (JKLU) offers students an open, green and high-tech learning environment, combining the serene settings of the Gurukuls of yesteryears with the technological advancements of the new age. JKLU has been set up
under Rajasthan Private Universities Act by “Lakshmipat Singhania Foundation for Higher Learning”.

Objective:
The mission of the University is to practice a ‘mentoring ‘based education system within intellectual, moral and spiritual Culture that is rooted in Indian ethos

Achievements:
Faculty members have represented the University at international forums in different countries, like Singapore, Czechoslovakia and UAE (Dubai)

Target Group:
Indian residents, foreign nationals, persons of Indian origins, children of Indian workers in Gulf countries, and other non-resident Indians

Challenges:
A major challenge was related to the creation of state of the art infrastructure within a short period of time. All the recruitments and selections were done after involving experts from national institutes. Merit was the sole criterion. It was a challenge to get the right kind of people on-board for the project. Scalable designs and solutions were preferred over the rigid ones. The entire exercise of building the brands was also fraught with complications.

 

Propelling Innovative Minds

Implementing Agency
Apeejay Stya University (ASU)

Website
www.university.apeejay.edu/index.php/uniqueacademic-system

Apeejay Stya University has adopted a dedicated liberal education approach, one that is designed to foster not only subjects oriented knowledge.It also leads to development of important social values in the students. The students learn about the virtues of developing a national identity while at the same time being in tune with global developments.They earn to value their culture and tradition and also have respect for the multi-farious ways of life in the world.  

Objective:
To deepen the understanding of the human condition and fostering universal values

Achievements:
• Established Apeejay Centre of Excellence and conducted Design and Innovation workshop jointly with MIT Media Labs, USA
• Strong industryacademia interface.

Target Group: Students

Challenges:
A major challenge we faced is related to aligning community and students to the liberal arts concept. The orientation of young faculty towards research and innovation is also a cause  for concern. We also needed to inculcate among the faculty the liberal arts approach to the programme of teaching. The introduction of choice based credit system was also challenging. Strengthening and inculcating the culture of research right from the under graduate level was also challenging.

 

 Bridging Distance Learning Gaps


Implementing Agency
Mahatma Gandhi University

Website
www.mgu.edu.in

Mahatma Gandhi University offers programmes for Certificate, Diplomas, Bachelors and Masters in many different fields. The University also offers Choice Based Credit Based programmes, especially in the field of IT, Management and Hotel Management. MGU has introduced ‘e-learning’ as a supplementary methodology for all its students to enhance understanding of key concepts and bridge the gap between distance and classroom based learning.

 

Objective:
To reach out to the larger community of students who might not be in a position to access higher education due to geographical, economical, social or personal factors

Achievements
• MGU has introduced ‘Industry Speakers and Video Lectures’ as a supplementary methodology to enhance understanding of key concepts.

Target Group:
Under Graduate, Post Graduate and Working Professionals.

Challenges:
Converting the content in the form of LMS and E-Books was a big task, but with the help of our strong IT team, we were able to accomplish the task. The challenge is to create and update our curriculum according to the needs of the industry so that our students are readily accepted for the placements. Conducting Flexible e-Learning and Online Examination with a large student base is a Challenge but with the help of our Strong IT Team we have overcome this challenge.

 

 Clinical Programme


Implementing Agency
O P Jindal Global University [Centre for Clinical Programmes]

Website
www.jgu.edu.in

Centre for Clinical Programmes, Jindal Global School is committed to the cause of bridging the disconnect between the constitutional promise of a dignified life to every citizen and the reality of undignified human existence of majority of the
population, especially in rural India. The Jindal Global Law School clinical programmes is focussed on securing the objectives of good governance and citizen participation, in pursuance of the larger social justice mission. The clinical programmes work with communities, in collaboration with civil society organisations, to support their effective participation in local governance.

Objective:
Address the problems of governance and ethical deficit.

Achievements:
• Government of India has recognised this model as one of the best practices for law school-based initiatives
• Sub-committee on higher education- Planning Commission of India mentions this model as strong example.

Target Group:
Rural Communities, law students, law schools, NGOs, Govt. Bodies,Policy makers

Challenges:
The challenge of convincing the villagers to accept this model was overcome through dialogue and co-ordination. We also faced the challenge of preparing material for legal literacy, but we managed to find our way out through the help of
law students and other communities. There were also the financial constraints. There were issues related to lack of support from the government.

 

 

 

Multimedia Content For K-12

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Learning Gets Extra

Implementing Agency
Extramarks Education Pvt Ltd

Website
www.extramarks.com

Extramarks is working with 1300 plus schools and 4500 plus classes across India. The company is assisting them in integrating world-class technologies in education. Smart Learn Class (SLC) programme can make a regular classroom into a technology-enabled classroom by equipping it with the requisite hardware and learning software devised by education experts for class Kg to XII.

Objective
• To empower the students and teachers to step in with the latest technology
• Help teachers to turn into learning leaders

Achievements
The content is available in many different languages

Target Group: Students and teachers

Challenges: It was a challenge to create awareness amongst the teachers, students and parents. Our team worked with all the stakeholders, we participated in PTAs, were in various workshops, we attended society meets, conducted intensive seminars to spread awareness on digital learning. Making teachers were not quite comfortable with adapting the programme in their everyday teaching process was a challenge. Regular training programmes for teachers had to be conducted.


Digital Teaching Aids

Implementing Agency
Mexus Education Pvt Ltd

Website
www.mexuseducation.com

Iken School Eco-system is a project conceived by Mexus Education to offer schools digital teaching aids that will enhance the prospects for student engagement while also helping teachers to provide personalised attention to each and every student. Digital aids promote engagement and bring about clarity in understanding concepts through tools like mind-maps, animations, real-time movies, presentations, worksheets and case studies.

Objective
Analyse various data sets to streamline information and determine performance of the company

Achievements
• Around 650 schools across India have adopted Iken School Eco-System
• There has been significant improvement in school’s performance

Target Group: Educational Institutions catering to the K-12 segment

Challenges: The developmental challenges that we faced include the likes of R&D costs, building of relevant platforms, and also the creation of content as per the requirements of the board and publisher. A comprehensive training programme for teachers had to be evolved so that the teachers became comfortable with our content. The objective was to make teachers confident enough to use the solution in their classrooms. The needs regarding localised content had also to be kept in mind. Talk shows had to be hosted at regional levels.


Effective Teaching Solutions

Implementing Agency
Next Education India Pvt Ltd

Website
www.nexteducation.in

TeachNext is a premium product from Next Education. While technology is at the heart of Next Education, its prime focus is to create superior content and offer the best possible learning and teaching experience. The system encompasses more than 20,000 learning modules that account for more than 1,000 hours of classroom teaching in the K-12 segment.

Objective
To implement the best teaching solutions in schools

Achievements
• Bagged the “Best Digital Multimedia Content – K-12 Segment” award at the India eLearning Summit 2011
• Designed mapped content for CBSE, ICSE, IGCSE and 23 state boards in eight different languages
• 4000+ schools have already adopted this solution

Target Group: Schools and colleges

Challenges: The most major challenges that we faced were infrastructure related. At times classrooms lack basic facilities like proper electric fittings. One needs to recruit a large team of Technical Service Engineers to handle the workload of installations and implementations. Teacher training was a challenge due to logistical issues of schools, with respect to exams, weekends etc. Therefore, a flexible teacher training programme was built to address training in small batches. We also had to develop a complete CCE framework using research that was completely in house.


e-Learning to Understand Better

Implementing Agency
Sify Software Ltd,  Youno Education

Website
www.sifysoftware.com

Augmented reality systems superimpose graphics for every perspective and adjust to every movement of the user’s head and eyes. Sify e-learning has been working for last two years, with its Chinese partner ‘Youno,’ for delivering augmented reality solutions to schools in China. This ‘Contextual & Exploratory Learning’ solution helps students to understand difficult concepts of Physics, Geography, Chemistry and Biology.

Objective
The students’ knowledge retention and assimilation is much higher compared to only text book images and classroom teaching

Achievements
Effective ‘knowledge assimilation,’ which was initially identified as one of key knowledge gaps for the students, was resolved with the deployment of the AR solution

Target Group: 8th Grade School Students of China

Challenges: Affordability of tablets to all students was an issue; this was overcome by the installation of kiosks across the school, where every student can use tablets freely. Learning curve of students in terms of performing activities was initially steep, and this was resolved by adding appropriate instructions at every step in each activity. Initially there was a challenge of individual installation of the application on various kiosks separately, so we went for a web-based approach where the application was installed on the intranet server of the school.

Training Provider to Working Professionals

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Dealing with Large Attrition Rate

Implementing Agency
B S Abdur Rahman University

Website
www.bsauniv.ac.in

There is a large amount of attrition rate in technical institutions. New members join throughout the year. The developments in technology and skills are continuously happening. New subjects are introduced and curriculum and syllabi get updated in a continuous fashion to cope up with the requirements of the industry and society. In such situations even the existing faculty members in Engineering and Technology have to be  updated and trained for new subjects and skills. This necessitates the need for a separate Academy for Faculty Training to train the teachers in a continuous manner.

Objective
To train faculty members in the teaching methodologies who join afresh

Achievements
• Contribution to teaching and learning (20 programmes organised with three major interventions to teaching and learning successful)
• Contribution to community development for training self help group women

Target Group: All teachers in India

Challenges: Meeting the diversified needs of the teachers was a big challenge. So we developed a strategy of having a mixture different types of programmes, there was the high impact short duration programme, and another programme that will take some time to be implemented. A large pool of experts from around the world had to be brought in. That took lot of time. The vision plan had to be implemented step by step.


For Working Professionals

Implementing Agency
NIIT Imperia

Website
www.niitimperia.com

NIIT Imperia is an initiative of NIIT Ltd to provide quality management education and customised learning solutions to the working professionals, and to companies with scattered work force, through strategic academic alliances with the top Indian B-schools and organisations. The initiative has synchronous learning technology at its core. More programmes can be launched to cover more functional areas and thereby addressing diversified needs of the students. Customised programmes can always be updated regularly as per the industry demands.

Objective
To overcome challenges of mobility and time, and facilitating access to world-class management training

Achievements
• Trained more than 7000 working professionals
• Introduced short duration programmes on contemporary topics like Digital Marketing, DTC, GST, IFRS, XBRL

Target Group: Working Professionals

Challenges: Initially it was hard to convince the target group that the high standards that are generally associated with business schools would be maintained at our centre. Managing the inputs derived from diverse geographical locations and catering to customized requests is by itself a challenge. It is also not a simple task to bridge the gap between the exact demands of a corporate house with what is being offered by the Business School.


Hands on Training

Implementing Agency
TechDefence – A unit of Advanced TechDefence Private Limited

Website
www.techdefence.com

HackTrack provides hands on training to students and IT professionals on Cyber security. It also provides a certification and an opportunity to undertake a career in the field of IT security. HackTrack programme is designed to discuss the vulnerabilities that exist in cyber forensics. It has explored various fields and provided training for dealing with issues in diverse areas of cyber space.

Objective
To provide hands on training on Ethical Hacking

Achievements
• Provided training and certification to more than 25000 professionals
• Covered more than 250 educational institutions
• Have constantly maintained the retention ratio of 95 percent among all clients

Target Group: Students, IT Professionals, Network Administrators, Law & Enforcement Professionals, Technology Evangelist

Challenges: The biggest challenge is due to the lack of awareness among the common people regarding Cyber Security. One has to consistently deal with the feeling of negativity that exists on the subject of hacking. So one has to work with people and try to change their mindsets. It is also not quite easy to get associated with prestigious universities and institutions across India. We have to make the administration aware of the career and research related opportunities those are there in this field.

Test Preparation, Evaluation and Assessment Tool Providers

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Assessment Centre

Implementing Agency
Core Education and Technologies

Website
www.coreecs.com

Assessment Centre (AC) is formative assessment programme offered by Core Education and Technologies Ltd. It is used to design, administer, and report the results from school, district, or state lavel formative assessments. AC provides premier formative assessment solution that boasts of features like customisable and scalable architecture, comprehensive item bank, assessment creation to surface deficiencies in academic performance. The heart of Assessment Centre is its online platform. Drawing from question bank of over 250,000 educators. It can easily create tests that are highly effective. Teaching gets administred online via paper/scanning protocols or clicker technologies, and the data is received through a variety of insightful reporting machanism.

Objective
To provide various modes to assess the understanding at both the student and class level in the form of hybrid administration of formative assessments

Achievements
Usage of AC resulted in a significant raise in number of teachers participating in analysis of student achievements
• 3.5 millions students are being benefited from AC

Target Group: School administrators, Teachers, Students and Parents

Challenges: Training users across all the schools was a voluminous task. CORE adapted the online tutorial methodology to provide training and support.

 


Web Based Assessment

Implementing Agency
LearnSmart India Pvt Ltd

Website
www.24x7guru.com

LearnSmart India Pvt Ltd has developed an application called 24x7guru.com, which is based on the fundamental believe that once a student understands the concepts, he is less likely to forget the ideas, whereas rote learning can lead to knowledge that fades out of the mind quickly. Its web-based assessment applications enable a student to take tests as per the course curriculum.

Objective
To train young minds to have strong academic foundation in the formative years itself making youth intellectually stronger and stress free

Achievements
• Extending the assessment platform to 3.2 million homes through Tata Sky
• Making teachers more accountable as performance of all teachers can be traced based

Target Group: Students from class three to ten

Challenges: The key challenge was in trying to change the thinking pattern of assessments, as far as the traditional three hour exams are concerned. This challenge was overcome through the conduction of seminars and presentations. Another issue being faced was the issue of Internet connectivity in rural and semi-urban schools. This challenge has been overcome through the installation of servers in schools. Then there is the issue of electric supply, which only the major power players can address. But we have tried to take care of this problem to a large extent through the introduction of Green Labs.

 


Tackling Entrance

Implementing Agency
Aptech Assessment and Testing Solutions


Website
www.aptech-worldwide.com

Aptech is the solution provider that offers solutions like design and development of Question bank and Question Paper, Online Applications capture and Processing, and Online and Offline Fee collection and Processing.  The solution also includes preparation of Examination Venue in 61 cities and 68 exam centres across India for Conducting Online test, Preparing Merit List and Score card.

Objective
This test was initiated by AICTE with the intension of starting a common and single test for MBA aspiring candidates in the country

Achievements
• Managed 70000 registrations
•  Managed 42000 test takers
• Glitch-free seamless execution
• Integrated project management

Target Group: Graduates, Applicants to AICTE, approved Indian MBA Institutes

Challenges: The problems we faced were mainly related to the lead time for project execution. There were also issues related to training and deployment of resources. The seamless integration of modules was a challenging task by itself. Controlling the costs of the operation was also a challenge.

 


Test Buddy

Implementing Agency
Lodhari Technologies Pvt Ltd

Website
www.mytestbuddy.com

Lodhari technologies have created a fun learning environment for students. Mytestbuddy’s Collaborative Learning Platform is web-based, engaging and effective methodology of studying, wherein a student provides inputs to which his peers and professors can respond. This leads to engagement in a healthy learning interactive place. Mytestbuddy helps prepare students for standardised tests, including the SAT, AIPGME, GMAT, GRE, CAT, AIEEE AND IIT- JEE. Mytestbuddy plans to provide comprehensive curriculum for preparation of these examinations and tutorials in future.

Objective
To comprehend educational needs of any student seeking admissions in post graduation course or a school child preparing for his examinations

Achievements
• Mytestbuddy.com has managed to get 13000+ registered members within a span of eight months

Target Group: Students appearing for competitive exams such as GMAT, SAT, CSAT, CAT, AIEEE, IIT JEE, AIPGME , AIIMS , GCET and AIPMT

Challenges: While introducing mytestbuddy.com in schools for AIEEE and AIPMT, the team found it difficult to convince teachers about the benefits of the solution. The teachers needed to be convinced that the website will serve as a portal where teachers can login and see how their students are progressing.

 


Assessing Online

Implementing Agency
Excelsoft Technologies Pvt Ltd

Website
www.testing-assessments.excelindia.com

Objective
To help teachers deliver formative and diagnostics tests after each class to to improve student learning outcomes

Achievements
• Conducted 500,000 online exams for SMU
• Helped universities in reducing the time in conducting exams, remove fraud and breach of exam papers

SARAS Assessment Management System is a platform that delivers test assessments online to authors, in test centres, on standalone computers or mobile devices. It is being used in different educational segments like K-12, higher education, test preparation, e-learning for formative, diagnostics and high stake exams. It helps businesses reduce the time that it takes to hire quality candidates with the help of pre-recruitment tests. It also helps in test preparation for companies to discover weakness areas of students with the help of diagnostic tests and generate personalised learning paths. It helps teachers deliver formative and diagnostics tests after each class to improve their instruction.

Target Group: K-12 schools, Higher Education Institutions, Corporates/Enterprises, Govt bodies, Educational & Test Publishers.

Challenges: Initially the cost of the system was high, as the company was following an annual license model. With the help of cloud computing, they were able to bring down the costs to meet the demands of smaller customers.

eCampus

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

ICT for the Betterment of Education

  Implementing Agency
Suresh Gyan Vihar University

 

Website
www.gyanvihar.org

Suresh Gyan Vihar University has wide range of programmes for admissions to engineering, management, pharmacy, bio- sciences and hotel management at UG, PG and doctorate level. The campus is fully Wi-Fi  enabled and  comprises of aesthetically designed buildings that are networked by optic fibre links. The institution has established excellent infrastructure, modern workshops and labs, seminar halls, auditoriums and well stocked libraries, in addition to sports and games fields.

Objective:
Objective To streamline examination and administration related activities in a university for smooth functioning without producing delays.

Achievements:
It serves better overall control and monitoring.

Target Group:
Government, NGO, Student, Parents, Faculties, Stakeholders

Challenges:
Lack of real awareness about the benefits of ICT is leading to lot of challenges. Those holding top positions are often of traditonal mindsets are unwilling to implement new technologies. Therefore the pace of implementation of new solutions
slows down. Another challenge that we faced is related to integration of ICT into private and public enterprises. This kind of integration is a new area and lot of experimentation is required before we can be sure that we are treading the right path. Managing the operational risks, and the cost escalations is also a problem.

 

Serving the e-Learning Need

Implementing Agency
Met’s ERP Department

 

 

 


Website
www.met.edu

As a part of the Management Programmes offered by MET, the division is working for the establishment of an e-enabled campus. The idea is to provide excellent education to students who enrol in the programme. The education gets conducted in a more environment friendly manner.

Objective
• Provide avenues for better education to students.

Achievements:
• Multiple Institute setup under a single umbrella organisation.
• Seamless connection of students with the academic and non academic staff.
• From admission process to curriculum, students have an efficient experience

Target Group:
Management staff and students

Challenges:
The major challenge lies in gathering the exact requirement of users from different domains on different modules. To resolve this issue the organisation had prepared a questionnaire and distributed it to collect information. Integration of online Admission Management System with the PeopleSoft Campus Management System was the next major challenge, because both systems were developed on different platforms. To resolve this issue we had to match the data format of both the systems and convert it into CSV format, so that the other system could fetch the data from centralised location on a timely basis.

Quality Education through ICT
 

 

Implementing Agency
C-DAC, ACTS


Website
www.acts.cdac.in

The e-Mentor Project allows high quality educational materials to be developed, managed, adapted,and impact-tested efficiently, in order to scale-up for wide dissemination of such solutions. The information architecture for this will be a dynamic, multi-lingual,multimedia content management database and related style sheets through which ‘camera-ready’ end-products will be available to partners and clients for physical distribution. The general public can also access the products electronically.This net-centric instructional system will permit education and training to be pervasive and precisely tailored to the needs of educator and learners considering psychological and technical factors.

Objective:
To facilitate empowerment of both learners and teachers,while producing  personalised learning experiences

Target Group:
Students with different cognitive traits, intelligence, intellectual  level and backgrounds

 e-Campus Gets Better

Implementing Agency
Accurate Institute of Management and Technology

 Website
www.accurate.in

 

Objective:
To enable students to keep pace with the modern technology

Achievements:
 • Awarded Best Placement amongst Management Institutes in Delhi/NCR by Times Research in May 2010
• Ranked amongst Top 15 in Placements among the Private B- Schools of India by Outlook in 2010

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