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SIET Wins Accolades for Developing Digital Learning Projects

By
digitalLEARNING Network
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Kerela’ ICT based education model has been winning accolades in the country. As the Central Advisory Board of Education has decided to adopt Kerala’s Information Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled education as a base model for other boards in the country

It is celebration time for e-content developers of two premier information and communication technology development agencies working in the field of school education funded by the State Government.

Their efforts have been identified as among the best in the country by the Union human resources ministry.

This clearly indicates that the ICT initiatives of the State are well ahead of other states.

Digital learning projects developed by the State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) and IT@school have been lauded by different wings of the MHRD ministry.

The concept of dynamic e-textbooks developed by SIET has been approved by the Information and Communication Technology Project Monitoring group of the Union HRD ministry.

The Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) has decided to adopt Kerala’s Information Communication Technology (ICT)-enabled education as a base model for other boards in the country by including it in the national ICT policy on education.

The CBSE and ICSE streams will also have to follow this model once this becomes part of the National Policy.

The decision was based on the report of the subcommittee on National ICT Policy for Education recommending the Kerala model as the base model.

 

Former executive director of IT@school, K Anvar Sadath, who was the special invitee to the sittings of the sub-committee, told Deccan Chronicle that the committee viewed the major advantages of Kerala’s ICT-enabled model to be its decision to empower existing teachers to handle ICT instead of bringing outside IT experts to schools to handle Computer Science; use of free and open source software; the emphasis on academic perspective; and cost effectiveness.

While most states outsourced digital content through private vendors under the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model, Kerala prepared its own digital content through Collaborative Content Development practices, Mr Sadath said.

SIET director Babu Sebastian said that in the first stage the textbook will be made available on the web portal of SIET.

At a later stage there are plans to provide the text books to computers provided to schools by the government.

The advantage of the dynamic e-text is that children can download the material from the e-textbook directly to a personal computer, laptop, mobile phone, or i-pad.

Tools like text, audio, video, graphics and animation will be used in the dynamic e-text book which is now in the final stages of development, said Mr Sebastian.

Using the e-text books students can listen to different topics using the ‘voice-over-text’ facility. It also uses animation sequences to explain scientific concepts and terms.

The textbooks will be designed in such a way that they are directly linked to dictionaries and an encyclopaedia, Dr Sebastian said.

Another specialty of the text is that it will have interactive tests at the end of each chapter. These tests will also be in the form of games, to sustain the interest of children in the topics they learn.

One of the attractions of such interactive test is that it uses sound effects and video clippings, he said.

Worried Parents of Assam Plan to Switch to CBSE

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

There was a mixed response from students and their guardians to the result of SEBA conducted HSLC examinations which was declared on Friday. Unhappy at the performance of their wards, most parents are now planning to shift their wards to CBSE schools as they feel it’s a better choice to compete at the national level.

This year, there were a lot of goof-ups in the examination right from wrong set of question papers to cows swallowing the answer sheets, which made the guardians lose faith in the board’s credibility. This is the reason for some well-known schools to seek CBSE affiliation.

This year, the pass percentage has dipped from last year’s 70.38 per cent to 69.63, leaving many students confused and disillusioned. Aman Batra, a student who could manage only 57 per cent said, “I cannot believe that this is my result as I was expecting letter marks in general maths and English. I think Seba has played with the students’ career as everyone knows about the goo. I am not sure whether my copies were checked properly. So, I am thinking to go for re-check. But I don’t think it is going to help much.”

National Policy on Agriculture Education on the Cards

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

A national policy for higher education in Agriculture is soon to be a reality in India. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) is drafting a national policy for higher education in agriculture in an effort to meet the target of 4 per cent growth in the sector, said Dr S. Ayyappan, director general of ICAR.

He was speaking at the inaugural of the 23rd meeting of ICAR regional committee at the TN Agricultural University.

“The modalities are being worked out for the policy, considering the needs of the sector, which would be in place in the 12th plan period,” Dr S. Ayyappan said.

 “This meeting assumes importance as it would chalk out the strategy for the development of agriculture and various other inputs for the 12th plan.

 We will finalise a plan by replicating success stories, like milk and rice in Tamil Nadu, maize in Karnataka and coconut in Kerala, so that there is a sustainable growth across India,” he said.

 Dr Ayyappan also said agricultural researches should exploit the IT potential of this region and develop portals for specific needs of farmers and agricultural students.

Speaking at the occasion, agriculture minister S. Damodaran said scientists and researchers would have to play a vital role for uplift of farmers.

IGNOU Starts Preparatory Courses

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The admission for a preparatory course for students who have not cleared Class 12 has started at the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU).

 “The Bachelor’s Preparatory Programme (BPP) offers solution to students above the age of 18 years, who after clearing the programme can apply for a bachelors’ degree but only at IGNOU,” an official said.

According to IGNOU, a student can choose any one of three options offered by the programme.

 “It offers preparatory courses in general mathematics, social sciences and commerce. Last date to submit the application form is July 30, 2012,” the statement added.

 “The preparatory programme is offered in Oriya, English, Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Malayalam and Gujarati,” the varsity statement said.

Bengal Higher Education to Keep 50 Per Cent PG Seats for Outer Students

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

Bengal higher education council chairman Sugato Marjit has requested state varsities to reserve only 50 per cent of seats for students from affiliated colleges this year. The rest will be open for admissions to candidates from other universities.

It may be noted that in accordance with the Mamata Banerjee government’s pledge, education minister Bratya Basu had already voiced his opinion to conduct a common entrance test (CET) for all state universities and autonomous colleges offering postgraduate courses.

This is, however, a makeshift arrangement. From next year, every student will have to appear in the common entrance test to bag PG seat in any university, even one to which his/her college is affiliated.

“We will advise all university authorities through a letter on Thursday to open 50 percent PG seats to students from other state universities. All prospective PG candidates will then have an equal access. We want to see if the universities agree in-principle to our aim that all students have a right to compete for PG seats,” said Marjit, adding that they have already floated the idea of a common entrance test for PG courses from next year. “We have also requested the universities to depute two representatives for a discussion on CET. A decision will be taken only after a consensus emerges.”

If universities agree to throw open 50% PG seats, they will be given complete freedom to decide on the methods of admissions. “They can hold interviews, conduct admission tests or select candidates on the basis of marks in their undergraduate honours courses. However, since the varsities are autonomous, they will now have to decide if they agree to our suggestion,” Marjit said.

Reasons floated by the government to introduce a common entrance test for PG seats are that it will give due priority to merit and also allow mobility of best brains to centres of excellence. At present, most state universities reserve 95% PG seats for their own graduates. This archaic system is giving rise to some practical problems as well as legal hassles, it added. For example, many students graduating from St Xavier’s College (autonomous) with reasonably high marks fail to get seats in the Calcutta University because of the undeclared 95% reservation for students from its affiliated colleges.

When the unofficial ‘quota’ was introduced, CU had justified it on the ground that its strict marking system would place its own graduates at a disadvantage while competing for PG seats. CU holds admission tests to multidisciplinary PG courses while seats for the rest are filled on the basis of graduation marks. The no-quota rule, once enforced, will also apply on unitary universities such as Jadavpur University and Presidency. Among the arguments advanced by the government in favour of a PG entrance test is that everyone should get an equal opportunity as public money is spent on creating infrastructure in the universities.

EduKart and JECRC University Launch MBA Programme

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

EduKart has launched EduKart JU Leadership MBA, which is a full time and residential post graduate management program, focused on leadership development, where candidates with leadership potential will be trained by best-in-class faculty consisting of alumni of some of the leading business schools of the world and industry experts. The two year program will result in a MBA in General Management from JECRC University and a Certificate in Leadership from EduKart.

The leadership focused MBA program will provide global, relevant and industry specific perspective in management education to participants who demonstrate the potential to become effective leaders in their respective domains. The program will stress extensively on developing leadership and entrepreneurship skills, which transform people to become great managers and lead organizations from the front.

The program will have senior graduates from IIMs and world class Ivy League business schools like Stanford University and Harvard University and top notch working professionals from the leading companies as the faculty for the courses. Even before the launch of the program alumni of prestigious business schools such as Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, Indian Institute of Management have enlisted themselves as faculty for various courses.

Speaking on the launch, Amit Aggarwal, Vice Chariman of JECRC University said “While studies and academics is a focus of the MBA program, the program will take leadership development to the next level. There will be two foreign trips included in the cost of program to develop global perspectives in the participants. While one trip will focus on studying the developed economies like the USA or Europe, the second trip will focus on emerging economies of areas like Middle East or South Asia. We are very excited to work with EduKart to create such a world class program and bring it to the city of Jaipur, which is now as an emerging destination from education and growing employment opportunities.”

Ishan Gupta, CEO of EduKart and an MBA from Stanford University added “We want to ensure that when the students graduate from this program, they will be ready to take leadership roles in large and small organizations and lead from the front. In order to prepare for the challenging road ahead, we will have intensive focus on building a holistic personality with activities like Golf Training, Dining and Dressing Etiquettes, Business Communication, Negotiation Training, Improvisation Theatre, Meditation and more. Such activities, foreign trips and other initiatives will also ensure that the classmates bond with each other and form long lasting relationships so that they can help each other as part of the alumni network. The beautiful campus of JECRC University will be an ideal place for such relationships to form and nurture over the period of two years.”

AICTE Approves Five Year Course for AUCE

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

The All-India Council for Technical Education has approved five-year integrated courses of Andhra University College of Engineering (A) from this year.

The self-financed courses that got the approval are: electronics and communications engineering, electrical and electronics, civil, software and computer systems and networking engineering.

Disclosing this at a press conference, AUCE Principal G.S.N. Raju said the college now proposed to introduce course in metallurgy, chemical engineering and instrumentation technology from the next academic year.

The second phase of counselling for this academic year would be resumed soon.

On the improvement of amenities, he said the Wi-Fi connectivity was now extended to all hostels, a lift will be provided to the second floor to help the physically challenged and reverse osmosis plants set up to provide better quality of water.

Dr. Raju said the college had been chosen for the phase II of Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) funded by the World Bank for post-graduate courses and research. The Rs.12.5 crore, three-year project will enable the college send its staff for training within the country and abroad.

The college had already completed the phase I for TEQIP for undergraduate courses and laboratories.

Dr. Raju said AUCE was selected as the “Best Government Engineering College in India” by ABP TV news channel. He will receive the award on June 30 in Mumbai. The panel was led by NASSCOM Chairman and reputed professionals. The college was selected for the award in recognition of its leadership development in college, industry interface, making innovation in marketing, among other things.

The college also received 10 projects worth Rs. 3 crore towards research and development and consultancy services.

CBSE Introduces Fitness Courses for Class XI and XII Students

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

With the objective of giving due attention to Sports Education, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has launched fitness and gym operation courses for Class XI and XII students with the aim of developing students’ physical and mental ability. Schools have been asked to set up in-house gyms so that students can exercise every day.

Vocational qualifications are work-related ones and they are designed to allow a student to learn skills employers are looking for, said the assistant education officer (physical education & sports), CBSE, Pushkar Vohra.

The board has come out with course content that consists of five units in theory and practical element focusing on working in a gymnasium. Schools have been asked to appoint a permanent post-graduate teacher in physical education.

Students would undergo 15 days in-house internship training in the gym the board designates during summer holidays as they go from Class XI to Class XII. Schools or students can bear the cost for attending the internship training.

India, US to Form Eight Educational Partnerships

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

For the first Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative awards, eight institutional partnership projects, four each led by either country were announced.

The goal of the initiative is to further strengthen, through faculty exchanges, joint research, and other collaboration, partnerships between American and Indian institutions of higher education in priority fields, including food security, climate change, sustainable energy, and public health, the US State Department announced on Tuesday.

Each project will receive an award of approximately $250,000 that can be utilised over the three-year grant period to encourage mutual understanding, educational reform, and economic growth, as well as the development of junior faculty.

Indian-led Partnerships:

Mahatma Gandhi University: An Interdisciplinary and Community Oriented Approach toward Sustainable Development in partnership with Brown University, Duke University and Plymouth State University.

Banaras Hindu University: Paradigm Shift in Energy Scenario for the 21st Century toward Renewable Energy Sources required for both India and the US in partnership with University of Pittsburgh.

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur: International Programme for Sustainable Infrastructure Development in partnership with Virginia Tech University.

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi: Resource Building for Ecosystem and Human Health Risk Assessment with Special reference to Microbial Contamination in partnership with Drexel University.

 US-led partnerships:

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey: Capitalising on the Demographic Dividend: Enhancing Talent Development Capacity for India and the US in the 21st Century in partnership with Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

University of Montana: Impacts of Climate Change and Changes in Socio-Economic Structure on Traditional Agriculture and the Development of Sustainable Communities among Indigenous Populations in partnership with Bangalore University.

Cornell University: Implementing Reformed Curriculum in Emerging areas of Agriculture and Food Security in Two State Agricultural Universities of India in partnership with University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut.

University of Michigan: The Joint Development of a Master’s Degree in Education for Health Professions Faculty in the United States and India in partnership with Maharashtra University of the Health Sciences.

The next request for proposals for grants from the Obama-Singh Initiative announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama in November 2009 will be announced in July 2012.

Sibal, Pitroda Talks About ‘Meta Universities’

By
digitalLEARNING Network
-

At the last hour of the India-U.S. Higher Education Dialogue, Washington, Kapil Sibal, Minister for Human Resource Development and Communications and IT, emphasized on “meta-universities.” Besides, community colleges and vocational education were also the talking points.

The Minister made a fervent pitch for more investment into India’s higher education space even as he attended a blitz of events organised by some of the top institutions here in the India-U.S. space, including a lecture organised by the Carnegie Endowment and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and a luncheon hosted by the U.S. India Business Council (USIBC) and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

A constant theme that Mr. Sibal and his colleague, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Adviser Sam Pitroda, alluded to was the need for “frugal innovation” that could provide low-cost solutions to benefit those at the bottom of the pyramid in India. High on the list of such innovations was the option to develop universities based in cyberspace, Mr. Sibal argued, as it was not feasible to develop U.S.-style graduate colleges that charged $120,000 or more per year.

This initiative could lead to multiple universities coming together in cyberspace to grant a single degree, saving students enormous costs by substituting physical attendance on college premises with distance learning via the Internet.

With a strong focus on leveraging India’s untapped potential for rapid infrastructure development in the IT space Mr. Sibal also touted a plan to set up data centres throughout the nation, the premises for which the government would provide to entrepreneurs free of cost. It would however then be up to these entrepreneurs to hire software engineers and other physical infrastructure, he added, thus setting up data “hubs” that could be accessed by the “spokes,” including local universities or technical education institutes.

In this context, Mr. Pitroda, who spoke alongside Mr. Sibal at various events, sought to paint India’s prospects for continued economic reform and growth in a positive light. At events sponsored by the USIBC, Mr. Pitroda said that a growth rate of “8-10 percent for the next 20-25 years” was on the cards for India.

Alluding to the growing disenchantment of India’s “miracle growth” story in certain circles in Washington, Mr. Pitroda made a plea for “a little patience” as his government grappled with the imperatives of coalition politics in a bid to get India back to a higher growth path.

 

 

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