January 10, 2012

While digital learning cannot be a substitute for teachers, it can be used for expanding the reach of education

By R P Gupta, Secretary, Primary Education, Government of Gujarat | www.gujarat-education.gov.in

In India there is a large rural population that lacks access to quality education. It is the primary task of responsible government to ensure that all the children in the country have access to minimum levels of education. It is to achieve this very aim that the Parliament has enacted the Right to Education Act. Since the passage of the act, it becomes our statutory responsibility to ensure that every corner of the country is covered by the elementary education system.

Higher education requires lot of investment from the government and from the industry. It also has a commercial aspect. You can’t leave the higher education totally on the government, but that has been the case in India to a large extent. In the private sector, the tendency is that a lot of people who have absolutely no interest in higher education, get into the space, and start institutions that often result in the creation of unemployable graduates. Lot of money gets wasted without any benefit to the student community or to the society.

Education through e-Governance
In Gujarat, the e-Governance format has led to many improvements in education during the last three/four years. All examinations from SSC onwards have been taken online. We also have a system that uses the online medium to provide monthly feedback on students to their parents. In fact, any interested party can access the performance report of the children. They can also get the information on the education institutes available in any particular area. The education portal that the state is developing is geared to create more levels of interactions in the educational space.

The state of Gujarat envisions having all the classrooms in the state incorporated with technological hardware and software, so that the teaching-learning process can be improved. Most of our students in government run schools are from poor backgrounds and at home they might not have access to devices and even Internet. So it will benefit them a lot if they can interact with technology at school level. The e-Governance system in schools envisages, computer education, a centralised educational material disseminated through e-learning, and online transactions between the various stakeholders.

We are not providing computer teachers to the schools. Our strategy is to provide trainers who can coach the teachers who are already employed in the schools.

Reforming the Education Sector

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

Instead of following the trends developed elsewhere in the world, weneed to start creating educational products that others can use

By Dr Akshai Aggarwal, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Technological University | www.gtu.ac.in

In Gujarat, the Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has a major role to play in the education space. GTU owns 95 percent of the total technology related seats in the state’s education sector. Hence any improvement in the quality of technology education being offered in the state must begin with GTU.

Speaking about the entire country, there is no doubt that in the field of education we have failed to keep up with many other parts of the world. Till 1985 we were nearly at the same level as China, but we were far behind Japan. Now even China has raced ahead. Other Asian countries like Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea are also ahead of us. If other Asian countries can be home to many top universities, then why cannot we?

It is not as if we are not capable of being at the top of the educational space. There is no dearth of talent in the country. Finances for setting up of educational infrastructure are also not that big a problem. Our students are quite intelligent. They often prove their intelligence when excel in foreign universities, and even in Indian universities.

The quality of our faculty is also quite good. However, it is true that the number of teachers is not enough to take care of the education necessities of all our students. In fact, in many western universities faculty of Indian origin is doing a remarkably good job. Indians are being prized as teachers. Perhaps the problem exists in the Indian educational system as a whole. In our education system, it is not possible for the teachers to carve a niche for themselves and grow on their job.

It is also possible that we have lost our desire to innovate in the educational space. The Indian civilisation is one of the oldest. We have a long tradition of excellence in education. But now we have lost track. After independence we have had the green revolution, the white revolution and many other interesting developments. Unfortunately a similarly beneficent revolution has eluded us in the education space.

This needs to change. We need to focus more on education. We need to bring in innovation and focus on using modern digital tools. It is education that serves as the foundation for every other sector in the country.

Where Are We Going Next?

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

Things are changing very fast in the educational space; old technologies are
transmogrifying into new ones, which promise better collaboration and connectivity

By Dilip Mehta, Principal, Olive Green International School, Ahmedabad |www.ogis.edu.in

These days it has become fashionable for everyone to talk about ICT infrastructure, digital tools, software and things like that. Such systems have already made deep inroads in modern schools. But they might not remain popular in times to come, when we expect many of our teaching tools to shift into the cloud space. Even today institutes are making use of cloud space to enhance the scope of learning.

Movement towards cloud
We can take it for granted that the cloud space is going to become much more important. Today we take copyright issues quite seriously, but in the cloud space copyright might not be applicable. Teachers will be able to access all kinds of teaching material directly from the cloud space and incorporate it into their curriculum. Much of the content in the cloud can be free, but the premium content will carry a price tag.

When the courseware rests in the cloud, then it might become possible for the students to access these on a 24/7 basis. They can even remain in touch with their instructional material while they are at home. However, the success of the cloud based model and other newer systems of education will depend on the kind of technological choices that institutions make. The systems have to be easily usable and they have to be cost effective.

Evolution of technology
At least in urban areas, the schools have reasonable budgets. They can afford to buy good ICT tools. But financial considerations should not be the only factor in deciding the kind of tools that schools should go in for. The first thing is to identify the need that a particular institution has, and then we have to go out and find the technological tool that will help us solve precisely that need. It makes no sense to go in for something that is almost two years ahead of its time. The technology implemented today should fulfil today’s need.

In two or more years our needs could have changed so drastically that we might need a different set of technological tools, which are not even available today, to fulfil those needs. We also can’t afford to ignore the fact that technology is evolving at such a fast pace that in two years of time we might have access to a completely different set of tools. The next generation is already immersed in software and gadgets. They know so much about new technologies that at times their knowledge is better than that of their teachers.

Tech companies that are into providing ICT based tools to schools and colleges have to contribute their mite by conducting workshops where teachers can be trained in the usage of new educational technology.

Technology Challenges and Digital Insights

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

Teachers feel a greater degree of motivation when they are teaching by the means of digital technologies

By Sreenarayanan P C, Director, Podar International School, Mumbai | www.podar.org

The digital system makes it much easier for students to develop the skills that they need to impart value to society. The students need to develop the original skills to solve all kinds of problems. In USA, lot of research has been done by universities to find out what employers are looking for these days. The main thing that they are looking for is that the future generation should be good communicators. If you have a good idea in your mind, but you are unable to communicate it effectively, then it is of no value.

So the students have to learn to think creatively, they must be able to challenge, debate, discuss, and be in a position to make all the crucial decisions. They should also have good planning and organisational skills, they should be able to teamwork. They have to be good at self management. Of course, they also need to be comfortable with using latest technology. It is our job to provide the technological and the educational materials that impart the student will all the necessary skills.

Equipping the 21st century learner
To equip today’s learner with necessary skills we need to equip our curriculum with 21st century technology. How do you do that? How do you incorporate today’s technology into the curriculum? This is the biggest challenge that we have. At Podar International School, we have managed to address some of these challenges. Few years ago, we replaced our blackboards with overhead projectors. We actually used to write transparencies, which could then be used for teaching in classrooms.

From transparencies we moved to having TV and computers in class. After that we moved on to flat screen computers. Then came the interactive boards. Now we have students using laptops and iPads in schools. I am of the opinion that the iPad can prove to be a very valuable educational tool. But to make transition from the blackboards to the iPad, we need to have teachers who are adequately trained in the ways of using technology.

Of course, the modern digital technology also makes it imperative for schools to make changes in the curriculum. The scope of education becomes much broader. Along with the teachers, the parents too need to be trained so that the child has access to best digital interfaces at school and at home. Digital technologies do result in distinct improvement in the quality of education that is being offered. We actually conducted a short-term experiment with two groups of students. One group was provided iPad, and the other was not. The performance of the students with iPads was much better.

The Classroom of the Future

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

What kind of classrooms are going to be there in the future? Perhaps the answer to that question can be found in the present trends

By Kartikay Saini, Chairman, Scottish High International School | www.scottishigh.com

There is no dearth of technology in the modern educational space. You look around and you see a vibrant imagery of devices, systems, software and infrastructure. There is so much around us that more often than not it is difficult for us to select the specific technological tools that are best suited to meet our needs. Selecting the right educational technology is an onerous task by itself. You have to do lot of research on not only the tools that are available, but also on the nature of your exact needs.

Facilitators of digital education
The search for new technology has to focus not only on the students, but also on the teachers and the administrators. Training sessions have to be conducted so that there can be a seamless integration of new technology into the classrooms. Most importantly, there has to be a comprehensive change in our viewpoint and our philosophy of education. Teachers have to imbibe the art of becoming the facilitators of digital education.

Until teachers become the facilitators of digital education, all the interactive whiteboards, smart tools, cloud computing and educational software will not be of much use. The best practise in education is one that leads to inquiry based learning, research based learning. As we can see around us, the learner’s profile is changing. Even children of 8 to 9 years have started learning through digital tools. They are quite comfortable with computers, digital boards and software.

In fact, it seems as if teachers and the general classroom environment is way behind students when it comes to understanding technology. It has often been found that children are much closer to technology as compared to teachers. The problem is that teachers are teaching what they had been taught, whereas the students have moved far ahead. A better understanding between teachers and students is required. It is necessary that the teachers should be on the same technological wavelength as their students.

If we, as teachers, want our students to learn from us, we have to be prepared to learn from them. We can learn from our students about the ways by which technology can become the inseparable parts of our lives. Many students spend lot of time these days on the Internet, and on social networking sites. Perhaps teachers can use such sites to disseminate teaching material. There is so much that can be done. The bottom line is that new technology has made it imperative for teachers to make fundamental changes in the way they approach education.

Supporting the Learners

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

Digital education can be effective only if teachers can ensure that students pay attention to what is being taught

By Vandana Lulla, Director, Podar International School, Mumbai | www.podarinternationalschool.com

It is a fact that by the time they are 21, most students have been exposed to educational content that is more digital and less textual. The digitisation of the educational content has had a seminal impact on the learning preferences of the students. Why do students go to the web? It is difficult for people like us to find an answer to that question. It seems as if the teens are connected to everyone, yet they are isolated. They prefer to send emails to friends rather than talk face to face.

Students versus faculty
Most of present day students are multi-taskers. Recently I was at a digital exhibition where I noticed a youngster, 11th standard student, who was using to the internet to create her own blog. She was editing, taking pictures, creating a movie and at the same time she was chatting. Most teens are like her. They are doing so many things at the same time. They prefer to have the internet on and at the same time read.

The faculty is not prone to multi-tasking. They too are comfortable with modern digital technology, but they prefer to do one thing at a time. We are moving towards digital classroom, where there is striving for honour online. When students are multi-tasking, they often make mistake in their online conduct. Perhaps teachers can control how students behave when they are online. As there is over-abundance of material in the online space, students can develop short attention spans. Teachers can help them in overcoming these issues.

Rise of digital tools
Teachers using the digital medium have more instruction time, as all the notes and other material created during a class lecture can be saved and emailed. We have all kinds of digital tools for providing education. For instance, there is Virtual Lab, through which students can observe chemical reactions. The tool called Cyber Science is now being used by many teachers for bringing about an improvement in the quality of their teaching.

A large number of tools are available online to bring about an improvement in the quality of teaching that happens in our schools. Children use YouTube videos to interact with educational material. At times, they also upload projects that they have created. I believe that students should be encouraged to upload more of their stuff, as this will allow them to become more creative. Their thought process will become more streamlined. Also, there is no dearth of websites that offer free content for teaching.

Education is a Recession free Industry

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

Our children are highly exposed to modern digital systems; they gain much knowledge from Google search and Facebook interactions

By Manjual Shroff, Founder and Pro Vice Chairperson—DPS, Ahmedabad | www.calorxdps.org

With lot of new ICT technology coming in, education is now a happening industry. Education is being recognised an industry that offers lot of revenue. It is an industry that does not seem to be affected by the recession that affects other sectors. It is not impacted by the phenomenon like the rupee slipping in comparison to the dollar. The education sector can also benefit a lot if FDI is allowed. There is already lot of talk about allowing FDI in education space.

From chalk boards to digital boards
During a recent session at two of our schools, we asked the students if machine would be better at teaching as compared to a real teacher. In a country like USA the answer to such a question would be a resounding “yes.” But this is India, a country where we still believe in the human element. We respect the institution of gurudeva. Hence we had a kind of mixed response from our students.

There were some students who stated that they learn a lot from their teachers, only a few of them seemed to have a preference for digital method of education. After all, our teachers are only too human, quite often we have cases where students have complained to their parents about the corporal punishments that they have suffered in class. When teaching is being imparted through digital interfaces, corporal punishments will naturally get avoided.

In last two years there has been a concerted move towards leaving behind the chalk and talk method of teaching. Everyone has recognised the advantages that can be accrued when you move education into a digital environment.

Benefits of going digital
Think of the entire data management, your student management, your fee management, the process of continuous evaluations, everything gets completely streamlined. The teacher is completely free to devote himself or herself to the exercise of creativity. The maximum standards in education can be achieved through a process of digitisation. The abstract difficult curriculum comes alive and becomes easier for the student to understand when there is multimedia way of teaching.

In USA almost 50 percent of the students do their higher education online. But in India the reach of online education is still quite small. What we are following is a system of blended learning, which incorporates aspects of both – the conventional as well as technological. We need more digitisation in the education space. It is lot easier to teach students when you are using the medium of videos and pictures.

Today students are highly exposed to technology. We like to call today’s students the Facebook generation. Now try to imagine how easy exchange of information between teachers and students can become if teachers started using Facebook.

Miles Ahead

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

New initiatives in Gujarat can open doors to higher education for many students

By Sandeep Sharma, Joint CEO, Society for Creation of Opportunity through Proficiency in English Education | www.scopegujarat.org

Gujarat is home to the best higher education institutes in the country, namely the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad; Nirma Institute of Technology and Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information & Communication Technology. There are several outstanding research institutes: Institute for Plasma Research, and Physical Research Laboratory (PRL). Gujarat has recently passed the Private Universities Bill, under which private universities can be formed without passage of legislation in the state assembly.

The Society for Creation of Opportunity through Proficiency in English (SCOPE) has been setup by the Government of Gujarat to build proficiency in English and thereby open new employment opportunities for the youth. The English language programme has been developed on the Common European Framework. Level I to V of the SCOPE’s Programme will map the levels A1 to C1 of the Common European Framework. Out of which levels I, II and III will be available at all centres and levels IV and V will be available to the select centres. Levels IV and V will be launched after six months of the launch of the programme.

Each level covers the following learning areas: listening, reading, speaking and grammar. Within each learning area there are a range of online tools designed to provide students with the pedagogical support needed to effectively and independently work in that learning area.
The assessment partner in this programme is Cambridge ESOL. Each year Cambridge ESOL exams are taken by over 1.75 million people, in 135 countries. They can help you gain entrance to a university or college, improve your job prospects and measure your progress in English. The Cambridge ESOL examinations are recognised by thousands of employers, universities and colleges, professional bodies and ministry and government organisations.

They are linked to the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) levels; Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and are the only certificated examinations referred to in the framework document as specifically linked to it by a long-term research programme. They can open doors to higher education, improve job prospects and, because the qualifications are so well known globally, increase mobility.

Gujarat Technological University (GTU) has decided to open a club, under the moniker Universal Development of Integrated Skills through Higher Education (Udisha), which aspires to strengthen the bond between industry and colleges. The Udisha clubs will help colleges develop understanding of the real requirements of the industry.

Our Children Need a Giant Leap

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

The classroom should be as vibrant and playful for our children as the sports ground is for the sportsmen

By Revathi Srinivasan, Director-Education and Principal, Smt Sulochanadevi Singhania School, Thane| www.singhaniaschool.org

Education is not about qualifications, it is about getting important skills for a productive life. The content of education and the way in which it is imparted might have undergone many changes over the centuries, but the aim of educationist should always be to instil virtue and wisdom in students.

At Singhania School, it is our endeavour to provide our students new opportunities through an environment that is positive, inspiring, challenging and stimulating. We want our students to follow their bliss and blaze new trails life. We wish to open many new doors for our students. There is certainly pride to be felt in the parents and teachers, who care, nurture and reassure the children so that they grow into mature, sensitive and responsible citizens of the country.

Singhania School with more than 5000 students seeks to grow like a temple of learning. The institution provides opportunities to the students for raising their intellectual and social potential. Much of what we learn in B-Schools is about managing our life and the people around us. This institution also conceives the sports-ground as some kind of a classroom. After all, the skills of communication, agility, collaboration, critical thinking, strategic management, initiative, and decision-making all come easily to anyone in the field of sports.

Indian children are blessed with happy families and are well cared for. The guardians are often able to ensure that their children have access to good learning. Are the children able to take advantage of the backing that they receive from their parents? With the levels of intelligence and street-smartness that our children display, it should be easy for them to invest their time on learning new skills. Learning to be self-reliant by fixing things in the house will help them in the long run for skilled labour is set to get very expensive in India. There is a concern over the cut-throat competition that students face.

Currently the Singhania School is offering students, a two day hands-on experience in a leading Mumbai based multinational company. By interacting with the company, children will learn about the way in which they will be expected to conduct themselves when they begin their career.

On Way to Achieving Success

Magazine

digitalLEARNING Network

January 10, 2012

The need of the hour for our country is to develop a workforce that is globally competitive

By Dr Ajoy Kumar Ray, Vice Chancellor, Bengal Engineering and Science University | www.becs.ac.in

In a growing global population that continually falls short of skilled workforce, we have to adopt best practices to promote skills training to the youth. There must be effective policy reforms to bring the aspect of quality in skills training. There have to be strategies for aligning education with employability skills. It is high time that the scholastic education system, the 10+2+3 model undergoes the necessary modifications to accommodate skill-based training programmes.

The need of the hour is to develop globally competitive workforce that can be absorbed in leading public or private organisations. Learning should be a collaborative and based on community approach. The content must be pedagogically effective and competent. Students should be able to mix and match what he or she wants to learn. The entire education system should be focussed on making the students turn into productive citizens.

It is surprising that a country like India, which recorded commendable GDP in the last years, has a jobless growth. There is thus an urgent need to evolve a model of development that ensures employment growth, along with GDP growth. We must encourage setting up of new vocational centres for the people in rural areas, so that migration of people to bigger cities can be checked.

The current trend in education has seen a leaning towards upgrading and updating knowledge and ideas to face increasingly demanding job requirements. Technology enabled centres have contributed their mite in helping to take forward the university level education to working professionals. Though many institutes provide quality education comparable to the best in the world, our institutes are short of facilities at all levels, be it in infrastructural or faculty, both in required numbers and quality. These problems needs to be resolved.

India’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is very low. We need to expand everything from state universities to central and private universities. An all out effort to raise the GER is required. More universities should be allowed to come in and also act as competition to the local players, thereby upgrading quality of higher education. If we administer it properly and if we make sure that the right kind of universities come in, it will have a huge positive impact.

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