The digitisation of our classrooms

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March 6, 2012

While on a broader level the debate on the best ways for educational institutes to invest wisely in ICT technology continues, it has quietly emerged that a vast majority of institutions in India are on way to having digital labs deployed in their classrooms. The digital labs allow for compelling multimedia lessons, and let students work at their own pace or in groups. The role of the teacher continues to be important. Students collaborate in groups, and swoop on the teacher for consultation.

The digital labs – science labs, math labs, robotic labs, language labs – that are being used in modern classrooms are different from what we used to have earlier. They are not just standard computer based labs. The companies in the education space are now coming up with solutions that don’t require students to be sitting in front of the computer and looking blankly into the screen. The students have access to LCD screens, headsets, microphones, so that they can collaborate with other students in the class and beyond.

The teacher has access to a central station equipped with a monitor and keypad. Through personal interventions and through the digital tools, the teacher is able to give individual attention to each one of his students. He or she can apportion time on the basis of the need of students. The weaker students no longer have to struggle at the blackboard in front of the class. This system of digital labs is especially helpful to the children with learning disabilities, as they are able to participate and succeed in mainstream classes.

However, it is also true that the digital labs business is going through a high-growth phase and hence it has some growing pains. Companies in the digital labs space are coming up with new innovations, but at times they have to go back to the drawing board to make their products more suitable for the needs of the Indian educational landscape. In the current issue of digitalLEARNING we have conducted an in depth exploration of the digital lab business in the country. Some companies have been clocking more than 100 percent year on year growth. There is an overwhelming view in the market that this kind of growth is sustainable at least for the next five years.

In the state of Maharashtra, in particular, there is lot of movement towards implementing digital labs in classrooms. To showcase the state’s prowess in the field of ICT, we have chosen Mumbai as the venue for the eMaharashtra 2012 (http://emaharashtra.eletsonline.com/) in April. ICT is a playground for innovators, who can come from any part of the country or the world and have positive impact on the life of people in living in diverse geographical areas.

As always I look forward to having your feedback on this issue of digitalLEARNING.

ComGuard Focuses on Education Market in India

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

ComGuard, a part of Spectrum Group, Dubai, and value added distributor (VAD) of global leading networking and security products across Middle East and Africa, announces its entry into the Indian market.
As most of the sectors are performing well in India, the market opportunity for IT security and networking is really huge, which can go upto multi billion dollars but there is a paucity of VADs to address the whole market, therefore there is a natural gap. ComGuard being a leading player in this space can actually explore the opportunity and help the market to grow faster. To start with ComGuard will focus on enterprises and education markets and introduce global brands for networking and security products to cater to this market.

Ajay Singh Chauhan, CEO, Spectrum Group said, “After having strong presence in Middle-East and African countries, we are focusing now on Indian IT security market. Indian IT security industry is moving strongly, and is expected to continue scoring solid growth in near future. With the robust growth of India’s emerging SMB segment, the demand for IT security solutions will go a long way. We as a VAD will hand hold the partners to make a transition from their traditional business to the emerging business.”

Speaking on the occasion, George Jason, Vice President, ComGuard said, “India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and will be for the foreseeable future. Our objective for the Indian market would be to mirror the success of our other regions. Our focus would be to build a well informed eco-system amongst our partners and our clients. This would add immense value to all involved.”
He further added, “ComGuard in India wants to emerge as a niche network and security technology distributor. With a product portfolio that is studded with world class vendors like Acunetix, Array Networks, BlueCatNetworks, Beyond Trust, Brovis, EC Council, Infowatch, iolo, MeruNet-works and Seclore. ComGuard has supported project requirements of leading enterprises in the region. Leveraging on in-house technical support resources and strong channel support, ComGuard has been recognised for its dedicated and sustained efforts to add value to its distribution role.”

“We are targeting the enterprises and education markets as currently in India there are very few value added distributor in these areas” said George Jason.

As a VAD, ComGuard has raised the standards in value added distribution in the regions and was awarded as the best overall partner in 2008 by Kaspersky Labs for its innovative promotional campaigns, channel initiatives, technical support and effective training programs for resellers and customers. With proven strategies and market success, the company has grown significantly with high sales turnover, team strengths and strong channel network.

Canara Bank Develops Portal for Implementation of NSIGSE

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

Dr D Purandeswari, Minister of State for Human Resource Development has launched a web portal for implementation of the National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) . Also present were Smt. Anshu Vaish, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy and Shri A.K. Gupta Executive Director, Canara Bank.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme ‘National Scheme of Incentive to Girls for Secondary Education” was launched in May 2008 with the objective to establish an enabling environment to reduce the drop-outs and to promote the enrolment of girl child belonging mainly to SC/ST communities in secondary schools. As per the scheme, a sum of Rs. 3,000 is deposited in the name of eligible girls as fixed deposit, who are entitled to withdraw it along with interest threon reaching 18 years of age and after passing out in 10th class examination. The scheme covers (i) all girls belonging to SC/ST communities , who pass class VIII and (ii) all girls who pass VII examination from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (irrespective of whether they belong to SC/ST) and enroll in class IX in Government, Government –aided and local Body schools. 100% funds are provided by the Central Government for the Scheme. Canara bank is the implementing agency for the scheme.

Sanctions covering 843026 girls from 26 states/UTs have so far been issued since launch of the scheme in May 2008 involving an expenditure of Rs 252.90 crore. Approximately 105000 beneficiary girls have become eligible to receive the maturity amount and are being paid the incentive amount subject to fulfilling the conditions.

The Canara Bank has developed a web based portal to implement the scheme. The portal will facilitate on line submission of data of the beneficiaries and on line disbursement of the amount on the day of the maturity into their accounts directly after certification by the State Nodal Officer on line that the beneficiary is 18 years old and passed class X examination.

With the operationalization of the web portal, the proposals under the scheme will be submitted by the State Governments on line. This will eliminate the possibility of feeding incorrect data and bank account numbers which was the major cause for delay in the processing of the proposals and ensure error free entry of data and timely release of funds. The on-line system will also ensure total transparency and quicker disbursement of benefits to the beneficiary girls and on time submission of proposals by the State Governments.

UGC May Introduce Bachelor’s degree in Vocational Education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

University Grants Commission (UGC) may introduce a bachelor’s degree in vocational education in its affiliated institutions in 2012. The standing committee of UGC has formally approved a proposal to introduce a bachelor’s degree in vocational education.

Final nod from the commission is still awaited. Once approved, a college student can pick up a bachelor’s degree in art, science, commerce or vocational education. “We propose to add vocational education as one of the specific degrees of UGC from 2012. The finer details are however being worked on,” acting chairman of UGC Ved Prakash quoted in the Hindustan Times.
The All India Council of Technical Education had earlier written a letter to UGC requesting them to introduce vocational education at college level. AICTE chairman S S Mantha said that the curriculum of the new courses will be put on the website by March 10. The initiative intended to boost employment for college graduates. The student will have to choose a sector and a specific specialization from each sector. Initially 10 sectors have been chosen including tourism, construction, printing, telecom, IT, mobile and communication.

Fujitsu Announces10 new Affordable Notebooks in India

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

Fujitsu India announces a range of over ten notebooks with configurations specifically designed for SMB/ Commercial customers. These products, over five of them, now available ex-stock in India, are available at price-points starting from Rs 21,995 plus.

Speaking on the occasion, Alok Sharma, Country Manager, Workplace Systems for Fujitsu India said, “The broad Fujitsu Lifebook portfolio offers a range of entry-level and more powerful, individual solutions for growing organizations. Every Fujitsu Lifebook delivers highest reliability, driven by a unique combination of German precision engineering and Japanese quality, supported by 30 years of experience. This unbeatable combination is now available at very affordable price-points, ex-stock in India.”

“The Fujitsu client products with their promise of quality are available through a wide network of partners in the country. Fujitsu India partners with four leading distributors in the country and this has further enhanced product availability in leading metros as well as Tier 2 cities via our partner network” said Ramprasad Lakshminarayan, General Manager, Channel Business at Fujitsu India.

The Fujitsu Lifebook LH531 is the all-purpose notebook. Weighing 2.2 kg this 35.6 cm (14-inch) notebook is small and light enough for every trip and at the same time big enough to check emails, surf the web, edit pictures or watch a movie conveniently. With the optionally integrated Blu-ray Disc drive one even can enjoy high-definition entertainment at its best. This lean notebook boasts an HD anti-glare display with LED backlight, integrated 1.3 Megapixel webcam and digital microphone, Anytime USB Charge to charge phones/media devices even when the system is turned off.

The compact Fujitsu Lifebook SH531 is designed for everyday mobile users at home, office, school and colleges. With its 33.8 cm (13.3-inch) display this 1.9 kg notebook is small and light enough for every trip. Staying connected becomes a breeze with family and colleagues via WLAN, and it is easy to upgrade the Lifebook SH531 with an external UMTS solution in its 34 mm ExpressCard slot.

The Fujitsu Lifebook AH531 is a solid and reliable notebook in a classy black high-gloss finish. Its high-definition anti-glare 39.6 cm (15.6-inch) LCD is perfect for outdoor working. Thanks to integrated WLAN, Bluetooth and embedded 3G/UMTS helps the user connect and work remotely.

The Fujitsu LIFEBOOK E751 is the 39.6 cm (15.6-inch) display with its modular bay allows adding extra memory or a second battery to increase flexibility. Moreover, advanced security features protect valuable company data.

Education quota for OBCs Increases from 21% to 27% in Delhi

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has increased the education quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Reservation for OBC applicants in government-aided and unaided institutions in higher education and technical education institutions will increase from 21 per cent to 27 per cent the next academic session (2012-13).

“The government has fulfilled its commitment to provide 27 per cent reservation for OBC students. The decision will go a long way in imparting higher education to students from weaker sections,” Dikshit said

UGC May introduce Degree in vocational education in 2012

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

University Grants Commission (UGC) may introduce a bachelor’s degree in vocational education in its affiliated institutions in 2012. The standing committee of UGC has formally approved a proposal to introduce a bachelor’s degree in vocational education.

Final nod from the commission is still awaited. Once approved, a college student can pick up a bachelor’s degree in art, science, commerce or vocational education. “We propose to add vocational education as one of the specific degrees of UGC from 2012. The finer details are however being worked on,” acting chairman of UGC Ved Prakash quoted in the Hindustan Times.
The All India Council of Technical Education had earlier written a letter to UGC requesting them to introduce vocational education at college level. AICTE chairman S S Mantha said that the curriculum of the new courses will be put on the website by March 10. The initiative intended to boost employment for college graduates. The student will have to choose a sector and a specific specialization from each sector. Initially 10 sectors have been chosen including tourism, construction, printing, telecom, IT, mobile and communication.

NCERT to Celebrate 2012 as the National Year of Mathematics

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

Educationists, mathematicians and National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) organised a meeting to create a roadmap for a national-level initiative to celebrate 2012 as the National Year of Mathematics.

NCERT will be doing a series of activities focused on popularizing mathematics in the country. The objective is to spread awareness about mathematics education and research, an NCERT official quoted in the Times of India.

As part of this initiative, NCERT will conduct are workshops for teachers and students for understanding abstract concepts in mathematics through experimentation, quiz, poetry.

Virtual Labs Project Launched by MHRD under NMEICT

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Government of India has launched Virtual Labs — a collection of ninety-one virtual laboratories containing hundreds of experiments in nine disciplines of science and engineering recently. As part of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)’s National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology (NMEICT), Virtual Labs is part of a comprehensive undertaking to provide easily accessible and high quality education throughout India.

Virtual Labs’ primary focus is to provide graduate and undergraduate college and university students with the ability to perform their required laboratory experiments using only the World Wide Web, a standard computer, and an Internet connection. Virtual Labs allow students to practice and better learn the science and engineering behind the experiments that they are required to perform. Virtual Labs also allows the sharing of costly equipment across the country, and in very rural areas, students will be able to perform experiments that they would not otherwise be able to access.

Nearly 300 department heads, faculty, and staff representing 152 institutions have been trained across India. Over 20 Nodal Centres have been created, institutions who have expressed their interest to champion Virtual Labs in their organisations and geographical areas.

The Pilot Phase of the Virtual Labs project started in April 2009. During this phase, approximately twenty labs were developed as proof of concept. The Main Phase began in April 2010. So far, over 80 Virtual Labs have been developed, and are undergoing field trials in various parts of the country.

Two types of virtual labs have been developed under this project. In the Simulation Based Virtual Labs the experiments are modeled using mathematical equations. The simulations are carried out remotely at a high-end server, and the results are communicated to the student over the internet. Simulation based Virtual Labs are scalable and can cater to a large number of simultaneous users.

Using the Remote Triggered Virtual Labs the actual experiments are triggered remotely. The output of the experiment (being conducted remotely) is communicated back to the student over the internet. This class of Virtual Labs gives the student the output of real-time experiments. Typically, time-slots are booked before conducting such experiments.

All Virtual Labs can be accessed through a common website: www.vlab.co.in. At the user end, a PC and broadband connectivity enables the user to access Virtual Labs.

These Virtual Labs will be very useful for Engineering College Students who do not have access to good lab-facilities, High-school students, whose inquisitiveness will be triggered, possibly motivating them to take up higher-studies, Researchers in different institutes who can collaborate / share equipment and engineering colleges, who can benefit from the content and related teaching resources.

Currently 85 Virtual Labs have been developed comprising of 769 experiments. Trainings and workshops have been held all over India to disseminate knowledge of these Virtual Labs. Future efforts will involve development of virtual labs in different subjects and wide dissemination of this knowledge.

A Collaborative Platform for Development of Virtual Labs has been created that assists the faculty with authoring and maintaining Virtual Labs. The platform hosts over 825 experiments developed by many of the partner institutions. The Collaborative Platform provides the server side architecture for ensuring that virtual labs run securely, can effectively serve thousands of students simultaneously, and reserve time slots for experiments that require scheduling. The Collaborative Platform also provides tools to help teachers monitor their students’ progress and make changes to the instructional material.

With the launch of Virtual Labs Indian students will have easy access to an encyclopedia of science and engineering knowledge presented in a way that is engaging, immersive, and enjoyable. Virtual Labs will allow students to explore, discover, and learn wherever they are and at their convenience.

Pearson launches Cogmed working memory training program

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digitalLEARNING Network

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February 28, 2012

Pearson Clinical & Talent Assessment (PCTA), a global test publisher and leader in psychological assessments launched Cogmed, an evidence-based working memory training program. Cogmed is a computerized cognitive training program that improves working memory in school children, working professionals as well as any adult who has a working memory constraint. Working memory is a fundamental brain function controlling attention and is critical for academic success, workplace performance as well as social competence. Cogmed has been launched successfully in 30 countries around the world. The India launch is significant due to the large school and adult population in India that could potentially benefit from training with Cogmed.

Cogmed is a unique learning solution in the ICT space because of its focus on addressing a difficulty in learning rather than enhancing the mode of learning.
Cogmed is a cognitive training program that improves attention in those with working memory constraints, using an interactive digital platform and a highly animated user interface. Cogmed is a fusion of cutting-edge research on memory with innovative computer game design and close professional support.

Cogmed was founded by Professor Torkel Klingberg, a world-renowned neuroscientist from the famed Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, the home of the Noble Prize for Medicine. Nearly a decade of rigorous scientific research has been conducted on Cogmed at leading universities such as Havard University, John Hopkins University, University of California – Davies, and published in leading, peer-reviewed scientific journals, notably Science and Nature Neuroscience. This research has demonstrated that Cogmed training is effective. No other brain-training product in the world has Cogmed’s extensive foundation of research validation.

Cogmed was launched by Sushil Eapen, Managing Director, PCTA in the presence of Dr Keshav Kumar, Associate Professor, NIMHANS, Bangalore; Dr Akila Sadasivan, Child Neuropsychologist, Bangalore; Dr Vijaya Raman, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, St John’s Medical College and Hospital; and other eminent dignitaries including psychologists and educationalists.

Speaking during the launch of Cogmed, Eapen, said: “The introduction of Cogmed in India will raise the bar for cognitive training since Cogmed is a scientifically-created and evidence-based computerized training program that will benefit millions of school children who struggle academically or adults who are overloaded with information at the workplace. Cogmed will be available throughout India from an extensive nationwide network of Cogmed Practices. Each Cogmed Practice will be led by a trained Psychologist who in turn will supervise the delivery of Cogmed to schools and individual users, through trained Cogmed Coaches.”

Expressing her optimistic views on Cogmed, Tina Tarre, Business Development Director – Cogmed, Pearson Clinical Assessment, stated: “Cogmed has a record of successfully transforming the lives of students and adults when used in schools and by private practices in other parts of the world. With today’s launch of Cogmed Working Memory Training in India, we will be able to reach many children and adults who need help building the working memory capacity that will allow them to succeed academically and professionally.”

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