Blockchain enhancing data protection in educational institutions

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September 7, 2022

Recent McKinsey research states that there are over 90 use cases for blockchain business applications across industries. Introducing such technology to educational institutions will make the process easy for the administration to keep data safe & secure. Exploring this emerging concept further, Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network had an exclusive conversation with Harsh Bharwani, CEO and Managing Director, Jetking Infotrain. Edited excerpts:

How can introduction to blockchain in educational institutes enhance data protection? Will it be able to protect from cyber threats?

One common application of blockchain in education is record keeping. There are essentially infinite student records, and establishing academic qualifications can be time-consuming, requiring extensive paper documentation and case-by-case checking. According to a 2019 study by Credential Engine, there are over 738,000 unique credentials proving to learn, including degrees, certificates, digital badges, and apprenticeships.

When it comes to things like transfers across schools or states, blockchain can eliminate much of the overhead associated with this process and streamline verification procedures, saving educators and administrators time. A college enrolling a transfer student might use blockchain to authenticate their record and the courses they studied with a few simple clicks. The same idea applies to sharing records with an employer.

Why should educational institutions adopt ethical hackers to protect themselves from ransomware??

A digital transcript can be extremely thorough, covering information such as attendance, courses studied, and even the outcomes of specific tests or papers. Those that have access to the student’s transcript, such as other institutions or possible employers, can see how they performed on several examinations. This technology has the potential to be useful not just in higher education, but also in primary and secondary education.

Since the implementation of COVID-19, cybersecurity threats in educational institutions have surged. According to the K-12 Cybersecurity Resource Center, 408 publicly revealed cybersecurity events targeted K-12 schools in 2020 alone, representing an 18 per cent increase over 2019 and the second consecutive annual record. Data breaches accounted for 36 per cent of these occurrences, and while the majority of these affected children, several also compromised teachers’ data.

While the blockchain is erupting as a possible technology to avert cyber threats, Do you think any alternative will induce in the tech industry that can take over blockchain’s prominence in the long run?

Teachers became increasingly susceptible to fraudsters as more online learning platforms were employed during COVID lockdowns. Malware can be found in online textbooks and papers that students and professors download. Others attempt to hack into remote learning sessions in order to disrupt classes and transmit undesirable content.

Before implementing digital tools, school districts should conduct study on them. Third-party software vendor vulnerabilities can jeopardise instructors’ data, therefore schools should ensure that these tools are safe. This involves looking for features such as end-to-end encryption and analysing a company’s history of data breaches.

It is not quite possible to forecast whether cryptocurrencies will grow rapidly in Blockchain 2.0, because corporate leaders and members of the general public may have lingering misgivings that are difficult to overcome. However, we anticipate increased utilisation rates. Furthermore, miners will have more options from which to choose. Although Bitcoin now accounts for roughly 40 to 50 per cent of cryptocurrency market valuation, other cryptocurrencies are gaining popularity. Ethereum, for example, now accounts for over 10 per cent of market capitalisation. Small ICOs (those outside the top 20) now account for roughly 20 per cent of market capitalisation, up from 5 per cent only two years ago.

What are the types of ransomware attacks that majorly happen in educational institutions?

University College London was a well-known victim of the WannaCry ransomware outbreak in 2017, which infected 100,000 systems worldwide in a single weekend, losing access to its shared data repositories and student management system.

Clark County, a 320,000-student school district in Las Vegas, Nevada, became the largest school district to be hit by a ransomware attack since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on September 28, 2020.

Following a ransomware attack that brought down its websites, email servers, and voicemail systems, Los Angeles Valley College paid over $28,000 to online criminals.

A ransomware attack paralysed the University of Calgary for over a week, and it eventually paid a $20,000 ransom to restore over 100 of its systems.

Do you think technology comes with many drawbacks? What could be possible drawbacks in the use case of blockchain technology in cybersecurity?

Lack of Blockchain Developers: Learning blockchain technology requires the efforts of learning and having knowledge of various programming languages like Python, Java, solidity etc , various development, and other tools. The challenge our country faces currently is the lack of blockchain developers in spite of having numerous uses of blockchain technology.

Scalability: Blockchains are not as scalable as centralised systems. If the Bitcoin network is used, the transactions are processed in accordance with network congestion. This problem is linked to blockchain network scalability concerns. Simply put, the more people or nodes that join the network, the slower it will be!

The data on blockchain is immutable: Multiple systems benefit with the use of blockchain technology like education, financial systems, supply chain etc. Immutability can only be present if the data has been distributed fairly.

And also once the data has been written it cannot be removed. Hence even if a person wants to delete some information online on blockchain, he will not be able to do so.

What sparked the sudden demand for Cybersecurity professionals?

Employers consider cybersecurity management as vital, and they need seasoned individuals who can hit the ground running. Today’s typical cybersecurity job demands a college degree, which creates a significant barrier to entrance because the school system is not producing enough graduates. In many cases, a college degree is unneeded and is not the ideal approach to prepare for a field in which technology is rapidly evolving. To tackle the skills deficit, training providers and workforce development officials must devise plans and techniques.

Hackers aren’t simply after computers, websites, and servers; any technology based on code provides an entry point. More items and systems are at risk than ever before, ranging from airline systems and vehicle alarms to power grids and security systems.

PM Modi announces PM-SHRI scheme on Teachers’ Day

Schools News

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 6, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced a new scheme — PM-SHRI Yojana — to develop 14,500 schools as model schools that will be equipped with modern infrastructure, which will include labs, smart classrooms, libraries, and sports facilities.

PM Modi announced the scheme on the occasion of Teachers’ Day and said the schools developed under the Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) will become model schools, encapsulating the full spirit of the new National Education Policy.

“Today, on Teachers Day, I am glad to announce a new initiative – the development and upgradation of 14,500 schools across India under the (PM-SHRI) Yojana. These will become model schools which will encapsulate the full spirit of NEP,” he said in a series of tweets.

PM Modi said, “The PM-SHRI schools will have a modern, transformational and holistic method of imparting education. Emphasis will be on a discovery-oriented, learning-centric way of teaching.

“I am certain that the PM-SHRI schools will further benefit lakhs of students across India in the spirit of NEP”, PM said and mentioned the National Education Policy has transformed the education sector in recent years.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, “PM SHRI Schools will showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020 and act as exemplar schools and also offer mentorship to other schools in their vicinity. The aim of these schools will not only be qualitative teaching, learning, and cognitive development, but also creating holistic and well-rounded individuals equipped with key 21st-century skills,” It said pedagogy adopted in these schools will be more experiential, holistic, integrated, play/toy-based (particularly, in the foundational years) inquiry-driven, and discovery-oriented.”Assessment at all levels will be based on conceptual understanding and application of knowledge to real-life situations and will be competency-based,” it said.

“These schools will be equipped with modern infrastructure including labs, smart classrooms, libraries, sports equipment, art room etc. which is inclusive and accessible. These schools shall also be developed as green schools with water conservation, waste recycling, energy-efficient infrastructure, and integration of organic lifestyle in curriculum,” the PMO said.

The PMO further added and said “They will provide leadership in their respective regions in providing high-quality education in an equitable, inclusive and joyful school environment that takes care of the diverse background, multilingual needs, and different academic abilities of children and makes them active participants in their own learning process as per the vision of NEP 2020”.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lauded the initiative as a significant step towards implementing the vision of NEP and making India a vibrant knowledge society.

Pradhan said, “A laboratory of NEP 2020, these 14,500 exemplar schools with their unique experiential, holistic, inquiry-driven and learner-centric pedagogy will facilitate the creation of well-rounded individuals with humanistic attitudes who are equipped with skills of the 21st century.PM Shri Schools will also offer leadership to other schools in the region for making the learning environment more joyful as well as improving educational outcomes”.

Impact of introducing problem-based learning at an early age

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 6, 2022

How can we prepare our children for success in their lives and careers? It has been a debated topic for a very long time. The institutions that provide a platform to students in preparing for the future have transformed, and so have our definitions of what high-quality education means. In most educational institutions, practical knowledge is completely ignored for theory and facts which leads to students forgetting what they studied after passing one exam. The emphasis is on exam performance rather than providing students with problem-based learning skills combined with technology to help them navigate the world of tomorrow. Mental health issues like anxiety among students is a consequence of pressure and stress related to exams. This may manifest as negative thoughts in children and make them feel incapable of having a future if they don’t pass a certain test and further give rise to physiological signs like tense muscles or trembling. The impacts of anxiety might affect a child’s capacity to process and comprehend questions and perform to their highest potential and that is where problem-based learning comes into play.

Problem-based learning (PBL) teaching style substitutes the direct presentation of information for complex real-world problems as a means of encouraging student understanding of ideas and principles. The first step in this process is to find out the real problems and problems that students may face in their future employment and personal lives. Problems are understood through research, experimentation, data collection, and scientific principles. A person with a problem is presented with a solution through ideation and testing of the solution, resulting in a finished product.

In today’s rapidly changing world, not only academic skills such as literature, mathematics, and science, but also a wide range of abilities such as teamwork, critical thinking, communication, perseverance, problem-solving, and creativity are required. Young people learn more easily when they have better control over their emotions. PBL helps students improve their communication, critical thinking, and problem solving skills in addition to their knowledge of course materials. It also provides opportunities for group collaboration, searching and evaluating research material, and lifelong learning.

Problem-based learning can be implemented in almost all schools with the use of the right techniques and a number of tools provided by design thinking. The main components of design thinking are problem identification, creative problem solving, and iterative improvement of those ideas. Students will be better equipped to handle the ever changing difficulties of both school and life thanks to this method of thinking and creating.

It is no longer adequate to teach kids facts mindlessly and have them recite them out of context in order to prepare them for life in the modern world. Students must possess both foundational skills (reading, writing, and math) and contemporary skills in order to solve extremely complicated situations (teamwork, problem-solving, research gathering, time management, information synthesising, and utilising high-tech tools). With this set of abilities, students may take control of and manage their learning process while being directed and supervised by an experienced teacher.

Active learning is now associated with flipped classrooms. The idea of flipping classes gained popularity as technological advancements made it simpler to acquire and produce educational materials. The premise of a flipped classroom is that lectures and one-on-one training are not the most effective uses of class time. Instead, students receive material outside of class, freeing up class time for higher-order thinking exercises.

The fact that the whole school is a classroom with different learning zones for different activities where there are closed classrooms for lectures, learner presentations, and discussions, open zones like the area surrounding the classroom for group work, individual work, spaces for creation, and digital connections to the world outside the school, both domestic and international, aided by accessible technology (personal device) will work together in favor of enhancing educational standards and expanding the system’s reach. It stands to reason that a good school infrastructure shouldn’t be uneasy, alienating, chaotic or monotonous. What the data demonstrates is that many of the characteristics important for ensuring a healthy environment, including aspects like decisions about decor, furniture, and fittings, and about how the rooms are “dressed,” have a substantial impact on learning.

It might be difficult to balance problem-based learning activities with traditional academics and test preparation. Therefore, technology is used to create tailored online learning exercises that can improve the effectiveness of basic academic idea instruction.

PBL adheres to the fundamentals of effective teaching and learning. Numerous learning skills can be acquired along the journey and won’t function until these abilities are mastered; these are learned in context, and through the entire process—from the inception of the group to problem-solving. PBL encourages and demands reflection on the learning process at the end like – how was the process? Will the team be prepared and efficient the next time?

Views expressed by: Allan Kjaer Andersen, Director and Principal, Chaman Bhartiya School

Advent of technology: An enabler for economically vulnerable sections

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 6, 2022

Technology is an enabler and has become an equaliser also given the fast-paced changing environment today. We have reached a long way after covid advances the adoption of technology into our professional and personal lives. There are institutions that are very much adapting to the changing landscape of emerging technology and doing some wonderful work for the human spirit irrespective of any discrimination. To delve deeper into the topic, Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network interacted with Monisha Banerjee, CEO, Anudip Foundation. Edited excerpts:

Could you elaborate on the various courses your foundation offers?

We run a range of courses across the country, that includes broad based entry-level programs post which students could be placed in any sector but also some high-end specialised courses such as AWS and Java that enable students to start lucrative careers in the IT industry. However, the common thread in all this is that we run courses based on the demand for a certain job role or skill set in that geography. Our model of E2T (Employer to Training) is about identifying job roles that are in demand and working with the employer/industry to curate courses that are up-to-date and relevant. This ensures that students have a better chance of cracking the interviews and getting selected..

What are the digital capabilities required by tech professionals to be future-ready?

While several technical skills are needed by different organisations, the core competency that tech professionals have to develop is learning agility, given the fast-paced changing environment of today. What digital capabilities must be required by an organization will of course depend on the business, but while those could differ from business and geography there are a few common capabilities that most companies in the digital era require. Largely these are customer centricity, agility, and responsiveness, working with large sets of data, and positioning to deploy newer technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. All this requires collective action and not a sum of individual performances, and therefore beyond the digital skills, tech professionals must know how to function effectively in teams.

What do you consider the most important skill sets to be inculcated in our youth to make them excel while working in the industry?

Our students come from economically vulnerable sections of society and under-resourced communities and therefore the education they have received has not been able to transform them into truly thinking and learning individuals. For them to compete with mainstream youngsters, they first need to build the foundational skills needed in the twenty-first century. Key skills include communication, curiosity and learning agility, self-discipline, critical thinking, and problem-solving. These skills are inevitable and need to be developed for them to truly not just get a ‘job’ but build an aspirational career.

How do you think technology is bridging the knowledge gap for socially and economically vulnerable sections of society?

Technology is an equaliser. Without access to technology, the divide between the haves and the have-nots will only deepen and create greater inequity. It is imperative in the 21st Century to be digitally literate to be able to avail of education, skilling, and even medical facilities (as we have seen during the pandemic). Government schemes and utilities have moved completely online and the payments have gone digital. Agriculture and manufacturing are rapidly transforming as technology is being used to drive efficiency, cost reduction, and productivity. Retail has fast been consumed and enhanced by e-commerce.

Most student households that we work with typically have at least one mobile phone and hence have some access to information and amenities. During the pandemic we have seen, nano-enterprises gain from digital training and unemployed people could access skills and get placed in jobs ensuring survival. Thus, in my opinion, technology is an enabler and should not be seen as a wasteful expense. More needs to be done for sure to enable cheaper access to the internet and ensure internet availability in remote geographical terrains.

Life is a process of continuous learning. What skills do you recommend to women who are now homemakers and want to learn something to be financially independent?

Indeed, learning is lifelong and in some ways basic survival skills. With the uncertainties that exist with climate change, the advent of technology, and pandemics, it is important to adapt. Hence there is no age for learning and becoming ‘financially independent. In fact for women, a certain way to gain agency and be part of the decision-making process at home is to be well-aware of the external world and generate income at home. For women, in particular, I would say that self-learning, communication, persuasion, and resilience are important to start something at a later stage in life. Women first have to believe in themselves and enroll in a training program and then start the journey. There will be numerous hurdles that they will have to surmount and the easiest route often, is to give up. Hence the ability to persevere, gather support from family and friends, and be ready to constantly learn from failures will be essential.

The prominence of innovation in teaching pedagogy

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Sheeba Chauhan, Senior Sub Editor

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September 6, 2022

The world is changing at a very fast pace. However, we still teach in a way that was invented in the Industrial Revolution. It doesn’t work anymore.

I am sure we all are aware of the 21st century learning skills as the 4Cs: Critical Thinking, Creativity & Innovation, Collaboration, and Communication. With the onset of the 21st century, the entire world has witnessed an era of intense transformation in all areas, be it education, global trade, and economy, technology or society.

Thus, the 21st Century Skills are the skills that are required by an individual for his/her holistic development so that he/she can contribute to the progress and development of his society/ nation and world.

Empowering our students with these skills is no doubt a challenging task. To handle this we need to adopt and initiate innovative teaching methodologies and practices to empower our students. Innovating and being creative allows us to better understand concepts. Innovation in education encourages teachers and students to explore, research and use all the tools to uncover something new. It involves a different way of looking at problems and solving them. The thinking process that goes into it will help students develop their creativity and their problem solving skills. Innovation in education is about more than just videos and presentations. It’s about how we can use technology to empower students to become lifelong learners who are our future leaders.

Innovation cannot be graded, but it can be inculcated and built up in students. We at the Millennium schools believe that every child is unique and, we cater to their individual needs, we assign projects to students in groups/ teams or individually based on their interests and capabilities. We use innovation by integrating different subjects and giving hands-on experiences with Project based Learning and Integrated Projects. The best classroom environment is one that has some elements of creativity that make lessons more engaging and interactive. Students who are given the right mix of creativity and curriculum are more likely to learn new things and be innovative. Learning can be transformed in creative classrooms by giving students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in their real lives. I will summarise the importance of innovation in teaching methodologies through these points:

1. Improves Thinking Capability
2. Ensure Emotional Development
3. Boosts Problem Solving Skills
4. Enhances Communication skills
5. Reduce Stress and Anxiety

“If you look at history, innovation doesn’t come just from giving people incentives; it comes from creating environments where their ideas can connect.”

Views expressed by Seema Gupta, Principal, Millennium World School Faridabad.

CM Yogi honours 75 Basic Education teachers on Teachers’ Day; lays stone for new educational institutions virtually

Government News

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 6, 2022

Honouring teachers on the occasion of Teachers’ Day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the recognition given in the form of an award brings additional responsibility to the school teachers for contributing to nation-building.

“With this award, your competition with yourself has also started. After getting awarded at the state level, you must perform consistently well as the results of the student also depend on your performance,” said CM Yogi.

Paying tribute to Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan on his birth anniversary, the CM said that education can be a powerful medium for building modern India, adding that Dr Radhakrishnan was awarded the highest civilian award of India, the Bharat Ratna for his services to the field of education.

To honour the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the state, Yogi Adityanath conferred the State Teacher Award 2021 on 75 Basic Education Department teachers on the occasion of Teacher’s Day at an event held at Lokbhawan, Lucknow.

Besides, the CM also felicitated eight principals of UP, CBSE, CISCE Boards schools as well as Uttar Pradesh Sanskrit Shiksha Parishad whose students topped this year’s exams.

CM Yogi also transferred stipend and escort allowance to girls of Kasturba Gandhi Schools as well as differently-abled children under ‘Samarth Programme’ (total of 1.02 lakh students) through DBT. Moreover, the CM launched ‘Pahuch’, ‘Pragyan’, ‘Pankh’, ‘Parakh’ and ‘Pehchan’ portals, which are related to the programmes of the Department of Secondary Education.

At the same time, the Chief Minister virtually laid the foundation stone of 39 new high schools and 14 inter colleges. MoU between the Secondary Education Department and Skill Development Mission was also signed on the occasion.

Stating that no work should be considered ‘menial’ or ‘inappropriate’, Yogi said that he saw no harm in teachers joining students to sweep the floors in order to maintain cleanliness at the school.

“The National Education Policy implemented by PM Modi in 2020 will boost India’s status in the field of education”, said CM, and expressed his happiness over the awards being given to the teachers of Basic Education.

NEP-2020 focuses on both theoretical and behavioral aspects, aiming at complete development of students. Through the new policy, the Prime Minister seeks to realise the potential of every child by honing their special skills. This will establish India as a world leader in education, the CM pointed out.

Mentioning the transformation being witnessed in the Basic and Secondary Education department, Chief Minister said, “Before 2017, most of the schools of Basic and Secondary Education were either on the verge of closure or in a dilapidated state. We worked towards changing the status of these schools through Operation Kayalap.”

The CM said that when he took charge as chief minister of UP, the secondary school exams were on, so he urged the then Deputy Chief Minister of the state Dinesh Sharma to do an inspection of some schools and ensure that a cheating-free exam is conducted.

“We also set a target to ensure no cheating in any exam in 2018. Around 56 lakh students appeared in the cheating-free exams conducted in the state”, Yogi said.

On transparency in recruitment process, the CM said that their government conducted fair recruitment of 1.26 lakh teachers in Basic Education whereas vacant posts of 40,000 teachers were filled in secondary school.

“In July 2017, we started the School Chalo Abhiyan and positive results were seen. Before that, only 1.34 crore students were enrolled in Basic education, now it has reached 1.92 crore which is proof of its success,” he remarked.

NEP being lauded globally, India on the right path to strengthen education: PM

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 6, 2022

India is moving in the right direction to strengthen its education ecosystem and the new education policy is being appreciated across the globe, with teachers having played a major role in formulating it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.

India surpassing the UK to become the world’s fifth largest economy is “special” because the country has left behind those who ruled it for 250 years, said PM.

Interacting with National Teacher Award recipients, Modi said teachers not only have to educate students but transform their lives for the better.

“Our new National Education Policy is being applauded across the world. India is moving in the right direction to strengthen its education ecosystem and people can see it.

PM further said, “Our teachers have played a very important role in formulating the policy. It is up to our teachers to prepare our youth, who will decide what India would look like in ‘Amrit Kaal’ by 2047”.

“We not only have to educate students but transform their lives, and lives cannot be transformed by working in silos or isolation. A successful teacher is one for whom every student is equal and there are no likes or dislikes. For teachers, an integrated approach is a must.

Modi said if a child sees something in school and something else at home, he or she gets trapped in conflict and contradiction, and there is no injection to pull them out of this confusion.

“A teacher has the strength of positivity and always motivates the students to face challenges. This helps them tackle every challenge. A true teacher motivates the students to dream, to achieve what is unachievable,” the prime minister said.

Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu presented National Teacher Awards to selected teachers to honour their unique contribution to school education. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has been organising a function at Vigyan Bhawan here every year on Teachers’ Day on September 5 to confer the awards to the best teachers of the country who are selected through a three-stage tedious, transparent, and online process.

Rajasthan government launches India’s largest Personalised and Adaptive Learning (PAL) program

Schools News

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 5, 2022

The outbreak of COVID-19 has created massive gaps in learning, especially for girls in non-urban areas, and has forced the entire education industry to bring up the inevitable changes in its practices.

Rajasthan government has successfully completed a pilot for Mission Buniyaad – an ambitious PAL program aiming to recoup learning level loss due to Covid-19 for 1 million adolescent girls and 2 million students in Rajasthan. Hon. Dr. Bulaki Das Kalla, The education minister of Rajasthan, and Hon. Smt. Zahida Khan, Minister of State, Education, announced the state-wide scale-up of Mission Buniyaad at an event on Monday to commemorate Teachers’ Day.

The EdTech pilot was conducted among 35,000 girl students in six districts – Udaipur, Bhilwara, Sikar, Karauli, Dhaulpur, and Sirohi, with an average learning outcome improvement of 16% between baseline and endline. The six-month pilot included grade 8-12 students spending two hours per week on digital devices for PAL and in-person school instruction.

Overall, the PAL intervention has produced early signs of extremely promising success in a short time, given that a change of 0.2 SD and above in a year is considered significant in educational interventions.

Mission Buniyaad involved several key initiatives, including alignment of content with the State Board syllabus, getting approvals on content before starting the program, on boarding the community by addressing their concerns, and creating ownership of the government as this initiative helps them achieve the goals laid out in National Education Policy 2020 and STARS program. The program also developed an SOP and WhatsApp groups for teachers to address their issues.

The roadmap for Mission Buniyaad targets improvements across all three pillars of digital education – Access, Equity, and Quality. This year, the government will scale the program by enabling ICT and Tablet labs across all 33 districts with the PAL platform to produce fruitful results. The PAL platform backtracks on a student’s progression to cover every possible gap in learning.

The students can access the PAL platform through school ICT labs or smartphones at home. Teachers would use real-time data and trends accumulated through adaptive assessments to calibrate the teaching process in a classroom. Student-wise and topic-wise insights are available for teachers to teach at the right level and further personalize their instructions as per the classroom’s strengths and weaknesses.

Around 130 million children attend government schools in India. It is more than the overall population of many countries. Many of these children can do wonders. EdTech programs like Mission Buniyaad fulfill those aspirations with the hope of developing long-term systemic reform in school education.

“MOBILE LEARNING” sustainable or harmful for School students

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digitalLEARNING Network

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September 5, 2022

With the advent of the 21st century, we were happy to pronounce that the world is now a Global Village, everything is so well connected, and well collaborated. Education, research, and innovation had no bounds. Students across the world got connected through technology. Children could interact with students of remote countries, share projects, and have webinars and everyone felt their collective actions can help to build a more resilient education system for the future and sure they did. When the testing time came, we stood like solid rock and demonstrated that learning never stops.

Then came the unprecedented lockdown when schools, colleges, offices, courts, airports, railway stations everything closed. More than 1.5 million students across the world got affected by the school and university closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. Educationists across the world started creating platforms for collaborations and exchange to protect the right to education. The Global Education Coalition launched by UNESCO was embraced by organisations like WHO, United Nations, and academia all across the world to ensure that Learning Never Stops.

In a UNESCO report, Shuler and Winters, defined mobile learning as the utilisation of mobile technologies, such as smartphones, mobile phones, e-readers, and tablets to facilitate learning. They argue that these devices offer ‘unparalleled access to communication and information. Yes, during the lockdown it was imperios, students needed personal learning pathways with micro–lessons to address the gaps in understanding and knowledge. There was a need to use Mobile Learning to get connected with students remotely, to communicate, and stay connected. Mobile devices helped deliver localised learning at a cost and scale which could be sustained by our masses. So yes, during the pandemic mobile was a boon.

However, the situations have changed now, do we deny that we are humans? We need to socialise, get connected, share educational content offline that human touch, and that sheer joy of running together in the playground or dancing to the same tune together in class. Reading, writing, and listening, the soft affectionate pat on the back by the teacher can never be replaced.

Yes, we have mobile/tablet apps that are meant for self paced learning. There are online lessons about nature available continuously during 5-week period between Earth Day and World Environment Day. Yet the experience of going to the school garden and observing the butterflies hop from one flower to the other or actually planting a seed in the soil, watering it for days together, and then understanding the process of germination that sense of accomplishment, joy, and sheer pride of a child will create an environmentalist for life.

We have wisdom walls all across the premises. Children when found not wearing proper school uniforms are asked to randomly say tables, numbers as big as 27 or 56. They, while standing next to the wisdom wall, have to calculate mentally, learn and say immediately Purpose? Yes, off course, the whole activity enhances their numeracy skills and above all, there is a sense of gratification after achieving the task. A teacher’s acceptance and an affectionate reminder to follow rules makes a great difference.

It is important for school Principals and Managements to realise that we are dealing with human beings,each child is an individual, they have their own strengths and attributes and that can be understood and nurtured by a teacher and not a mobile app. We, as schools, need to embrace them wholeheartedly and unconditionally, only then can we have geniuses created.

Views Expressed by: Supriti Katkar, Principal, Radcliffe School, Thane

Teachers’ Day 2022: Commemorating trailblazing innovations of educators

Article

By

Sheeba Chauhan, Senior Sub Editor

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September 5, 2022

Innovation is the carrier of change for positive development. Teachers have been creating these innovations and enhancing best practices in education paradigm for a long. Sheeba Chauhan of Elets News Network (ENN) interacted with various educators to celebrate their commendable contribution and trailblazing innovations on the occasion of Teachers’ day. Edited excerpts:

Dr. Yajulu Medury, Vice–Chancellor, Mahindra University

“Remembering the great teacher and an influential Indian thinker, late Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on the occasion of Teacher’s Day which also marks his birth anniversary. From imparting wisdom to guiding and motivating future citizens, the role of a teacher goes far beyond the boundaries of a classroom. A teacher not only educates youngsters but also supports them in overall personality development, turning young minds into global thinkers and engaged leaders. While the pandemic was filled with setbacks, the period also led to the rise of a more passionate, resilient, and adaptable teaching workforce. A passionate workforce like this accompanied by an appropriate ecosystem that is capable of fostering the growth of both teachers and students can surely take India back to its glory days, turning our nation into a hub of knowledge and innovation.”

Rishi Khemka, Founder and CEO, MindBox India

“A teacher or ‘Guru’ has the power to influence, shape and direct an individuals character and caliber. As the nation charts its growth path towards Atmanirbharta, the youth will play an important catalyst in this journey. As technology takes the center stage, it has become pivotal for us to expose students to new-age future tech concepts at an early stage. In order to ensure this, there is a need to have an interdisciplinary approach to education that integrates learning with practical application and on-ground projects. At MindBox we endeavor to create an ecosystem of academic experts and teachers who inspire the students to follow their interest in technology, thereby empowering them with future skillsets”

Sarita Digumarti, Chief Learning Officer, UNext

“The last two years have seen a massive disruption in teaching frameworks, methodologies, and strategies. It is increasingly becoming clear that teaching a Digital First audience requires new ways of leveraging technology, which allows for greater reach and greater personalisation of learning journeys based on learning styles. However, the most critical aspect of learning, especially at younger ages, is the ability of a teacher to meaningfully connect with every learner, in person or online, and we need to ensure that our updated learning models appropriately cover this important aspect.”

Amit Singhal, Founder, Sitare Foundation

“We need to cultivate intelligence and an inquisitive mindset in order to realise creative possibilities uniformly across the socioeconomic fabric of India. The underprivileged children of our nation also need equal access to quality education to shape them into potential leaders of tomorrow. Just like education, a good teacher has the potential to alter the course of an individuals life as knowledge serves as a pillar of strength and a guiding force in a students life. Their capacity to provide inspiration, direction, mentorship, encouragement, and support makes them an indispensable part of any student’s life.”

Dr. Sindhura P, Director, The Narayana Group

“The education ecosystem is constantly evolving and changing. Effective learning is the function of retention and error correction. The mind requires strong associations to enhance retention and continuous feedback for error correction and deepening understanding. Innovations in technologies and teaching strategies target these two aspects of learning.

In recent years, teaching strategies incorporating multiple intelligences, project-based learning, peer-to-peer learning, game-based learning, and the Feynman technique have been adopted in classrooms. These methodologies direct students’ focus onto the learning outcome and build multiple points of association around specific concepts in their minds. They serve to retaining knowledge better and positively affect students’ emotions towards the subjects being learned. They also provide feedback for quick iterations which correct misperceptions and allow for creative thinking.

Rapid technological innovation has added several tools to improve learning. Improving visual content enhances understanding and increases retention. Specific and targeted feedback at a minute level helps students and teachers close learning gaps faster. They enable adaptive learning by matching the level of questions to the learner. They also enable remote doubt solving and proctoring for better reach.

We are at the onset of an exciting period of innovation in education. As research in neuroscience gathers pace, we will better understand our brain and how to be more effective at learning. This will lead to better tools and significantly improved learning outcomes for students.”

Dr. R Sugant, Dean – School of Management & School of Economics and Commerce, CMR University

“Marketers divide India into two – India that is affluent and can afford and Bharat that is the large majority who are aspiring to move up the value chain. Similarly, while we consider change and innovation, especially with regard to technology in higher education, we can divide India into two – India A – that are the top 20% of the students who are aspirational and fairly clear about their goals and get into top tier institutions – IIMs, IITs, NITs and other top Arts, Science, Commerce and Engineering colleges of the country; and India B – that constitute the majority 80% of students who are not clear about their goals and pursue their graduation for the sake of a degree. As an inclusive society, we should consider this India B while introducing change and innovation in education.

While India A quickly adapted to online courses, India B is not enthused about them and does not embrace them enthusiastically. For the learning to percolate to India B, technology has to go beyond plain vanilla online courses. The courses should be built on gamification and simulation, which can attract and retain the attention of India B. The irony is these courses are comparatively expensive to build and neither the students of India B nor the institutions where they are studying can afford them. Essentially for a majority of Indian students, change and real tech adoption in education is a utopian dream, at least for now.”

Sandhya Gatti, Head – Pedagogy and Professional Development, Chaman Bhartiya School

"The education ecosystem in India ironically has remained resistant to change despite glaring changes in, and demands of the society, economy, and in the needs and children today. The NEP 2020 clearly reflects the need to restructure not only our systems, but also our mindsets. Change and innovation in education are therefore, not only to be expected but actively thought about and implemented. This means school leaders, teachers, and parents must constantly challenge the status quo, and look at society as a vibrant, and dynamic entity. Education and education systems must keep the problems of such a changing world in perspective while designing curricula for young learners. A foresight into what kind of world our children will be getting into should shape the digital or non-digital innovations in the education space today.

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