An Initiative for Bridging Digital Divide : PROF C J DASWANI, NATIONAL COORDINATOR, BRIDGES TO THE FUTURE INITIATIVE (BFI)

Interviews

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August 6, 2009

The central philosophy of the Bridges to the Future Initiative (BFI) programme has been to bridge the digital divide between the ICT-haves and ICT-have-nots. Consequently, BFI seeks to build educational and learning programmes that will enable the less-advantaged learners to employ and utilise ICTs, to both acquire knowledge and to improve their lives through better economic opportunities. Digital Learning presents the first person account of the project through an interview with Prof Daswani, the National Coordinator, BFI.

The concept of BFI has to do with `bridging` the divide worldwide between the `digital haves` and `digital have-nots`. The divide exists within a country and across countries and in developing nations, it is likely to deny future generations of learners, both children and youth, the benefits of ICT

What was the basic purpose of initiating the BFI project in India?

The concept of Bridges to the Furture Initaitive (BFI) was visualised and developed at the International Literacy Institute (ILI) of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA with support from UNESCO, by its Director, Professor Daniel A. Wagner and several funders. The digital divide exists within a country and across countries. The divide between the `haves` and `have-nots` in developing countries is likely to deny future generations of learners, both children and youth, the benefits of ICT. The Project

Russian invitation to Indian Coaching Gurus

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August 6, 2009

Indian coaching industry and the employees in the industry are getting international recognition. A Russian state medical academy has begun to take Indian teachers from such coaching classes to its own location where they coach Indian medical under-graduates to crack the Medical Council of India's screening test for MBBS doctors. Under Indian regulations, students studying medicine in foreign countries can practice in India only if they clear the MCI's screening test, which has to be taken after graduation. The passing rate for this screening test is a meager 8%, proving to be a major obstacle in increasing the popularity of studying medicine abroad. Hence, the Smolensk State Medical Academy has tied up with teachers who run successful coaching classes in India. These teachers are taken to Smolensk for a total of seven months during the last two years of the six-year medical course, where they coach Indian medical under-graduates for the examination. This practice began a couple of years ago, in a move to ensure that Indian students can practice in India. Close to 1,000 students have been going to Russia every year to study medicine.

While the Smolensk Academy has a total intake of 150 overseas students, this entire number is filled by Indian students. Recently, due to aggressive marketing by some Russian universities, there is an increasing demand for the medical course from Indian students, coupled with the high cut off marks for admission to Indian medical colleges. Already all the 150 seats reserved for foreign students at the Smolensk State Medical Academy are filled by Indian students. Russia is being accepted as an educational destination for the medical course in part because it is cheaper there than in India. For instance, a six-year course at the Smolensk costs around INR 16 lakh, including tuition and living costs. The fees for a four-and-a-half year MMBS degree from a private medical college in India would put parents back by INR 15-30 lakh with living costs and the initial donation being extra.

Online CAT exam’s pattern unlikely to change

Higher Education

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August 6, 2009

Common Admission Test (CAT) , the highly anticipated exam, will seemingly not see any major change in its pattern, even though the mode will shift from paper to a computer-based one. The candidates will be divided into 20 batches with two batches sitting for the test everyday over a period of 10 days. Prometric, the firm entrusted with the task of conducting this year's test, has said that CAT will be held in 20 possible sittings across 23 cities. However, irrespective of the delivery mechanism, the pattern of the exam for admission to MBAs in the prestigious IIMs will remain more or less the same.

While the infrastructure needed to undertake this task will be determined only after the actual number of aspirants is known, the mammoth task might require about 15,000 computers. Prometric, given the enormity of the task, hopes to leverage their experience at the international level for the CAT exam and is working closely with the IIMs in this regard. It has also conducted computer-based examinations like GMAT and TOEFL. The IIMs announced in April that the CAT would be held through computers. While a computer-based system is expected to speed up the process of evaluation, it will enable IIMs and more than a hundred other Indian B-schools that rely on its scores to quickly take a decision on admissions. It will also provide greater flexibility to candidates in selecting the date, time and location of the test to suit their needs.

Career Launcher to Conduct first online All India Mock CAT

Corporate Updates

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August 6, 2009

Career Launcher, the leading education service provider of India, will conduct the first ever Open Online Mock CAT test series across the country. The tests will be conducted in various major cities across India, between 25th July to 2nd August. This test series spanning over eight days will be open to non Career Launcher students as well. Speaking on the importance of this test, R. Shiva Kumar, Director, R&D and Academics, Career Launcher said, 'There has been a lot of anxiety and apprehension about the Computer Based CAT (CBT-CAT) in past few weeks and we intended to acclimatize aspirants with the new format in a live test environment. This test will also help them identify their areas of concern and in course correct them in the next few months. This is a first of its kind mock test held in the history of MBA test preparation in India. We have created a total of 1500 slots and expect over 50,000 students to take this test, it will serve as an effective benchmarking tool for the new CAT format.'

The students can choose time slots (7 am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7pm) according to their convenience and take this test at the computer labs in the designated test centers. The entire process, from booking a time slot to getting the scores has been simulated to give the students a real life experience of the actual exam. 'We have created an actual test environment in our centers which will help the students to try their mettle under the same pressure and test conditions as the actual CBT-CAT. Since Career Launcher had introduced online mock tests for its students from June 1 itself, we feel our students already have an edge over others,' added Shiva Kumar. For more details, registration and test schedule in different cities, please contact your nearest Career Launcher centre. To find the list of CL centres, check www.careerlauncher.com.

eLearning at Kenya

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August 6, 2009

Kenya has become the first in sub-Saharan region to introduce digital content for Electronic learning (E-learning) in schools. The move is expected to see advancements in the education sector as both students and pupils can now study via the computer through interactive programs. Education minister Prof. Sam Ongeri officiated over the historical launch during which he dispelled fears among the teaching fraternity that this would cut down on human resource but rather urged them to maximize on the ICT benefits. However the initiative is beset by various challenges including the fear of loss of jobs for teachers. There is also the issue of how it will benefit the rural schools, some of which do not have electricity.

Ongeri assured teachers that they will be educated on the new technology and issued with laptops to facilitate the new technology where mobile buses will be used to enhance ICT in all constituencies. With 38% of Kenya's population said to be illiterate, this technology that has been piloted in 19 schools countrywide, is expected to address the quality service gap arising from the increased school attendance by pupils due to the free primary education and other incentives in the education sector. Before the initiative takes full course in primary's class 6,7 and 8 and secondary's form 3 and 4, the teachers have been urged to rally support behind the new technology in order to benefit. The publishing sector is also expected to keep up with times and start making books available for E-learning.

Making Communications Easy in Classroom : Ranjit Singh, Genee Solutions

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August 5, 2009

Genee Solutions plays a pivotal role in moving India forward with reference to future classrooms. The organisation strives to provide innovative and easy to use software, hardware and AV equipment that integrates seamlessly with other solutions in both the classroom and presentation area. Ranjit Singh, CEO, Genee Solutions India Pvt. Ltd., shares more about the organisation while in conversation with Digital Learning.

“The potential in India is huge and we expect our cutting edge ICT products to grow massively in the next few years. We are unique because we do our research and development in India for both software and hardware and then integrate the two together for Indian schools incorporating the Indian curriculum. We are a Specialist Education Provider not hardware IT Company.”

Tell us about Genee Solutions in India. How does it help the technology enhanced education?

Genee Solutions is an ICT Solution Provider. Teaching is about Communication. It is all about the teacher getting complex concepts and ideas across to the students. Our technology allows the teacher to achieve this. It enables communication to be simpler and easier by the utilisation of our Genee PowerBoards, Genee Visualisers or Genee Classcomm Response System.

Teaching is made up of three essential elements: Lesson Preparation, Teaching and Assessment. Our technology helps the teachers prepare their lessons. Infact, for the teachers we have already created 11,000 Content Worksheets (software), many of which are animations to aid understanding. Teaching itself is made easier and assessment can be automatically done utilising our Classcomm Response System.

How do you see the education market in India growing as far as your products are concerned? Globally, where does India stand?

Genee Solutions is a global player when it comes to classroom technology. We have been in this business for the past 10 years and now have over 20,000 classrooms worldwide with our products in.

There is no doubt that the Indian Education Market is developing fast. We have seen in India – Hospital Theatres, Corporates, Retail Outlets changing dramatically over the last 5 years. The classroom is the next area where we will see dramatic change with the traditional classroom being replaced by an integrated ICT classroom. This is essential if we are to get Indian children ready for this new century and compete at a global level. It is essential that they learn new technology and skills and the teachers MUST LEARN it as well so that they incorporate it into their teaching.

“Our technology helps the teacher with three essential elements of teaching: Lesson prepration; Teaching and Assesment”

We envision our technology going into every classroom across India and therefore we see massive growth for our products. Globally, Indian classrooms are behind UK and US. However, schools are integrating this NEW Technology very fast into their teaching and we anticipate the growth over the next few years to be much higher than in the West. The potential in India is huge and we expect our cutting edge ICT products to grow massively in the next few years.

What, according to you, is the Unique Selling Point of Genee Solutions that makes it different from other private players?

Firstly, we have been in the ICT and education market for 10 years so we have a lot of experience and knowledge of what schools require to enhance teaching and learning. We are a company setup by teachers for teachers and this is something we are very proud of. Most of the technology that we supply to schools in India has been directly manufactured by ourselves. Our Research and Software Development Centre is in India.

We have found that many of our competitors in India are just importing in hardware from the US, Canada or China and supplying to the schools without considering the appropriate relevance of the technology in terms of need for the schools.

Generally, there is a little or no thought given to software content or training requirements for the school. Some of our competitors are just providing US or UK curriculum content to Indian schools. Genee Solutions develops its content for Indian schools in India by Indian teachers, identifying the key areas of the curriculum where our technology can really fit in. Training is given by teachers who know the curriculum and not by the technicians who have no understanding of how the teacher would want to use the technology.

We are unique because we do our research and development in India for both software and hardware and then integrate the two together for Indian schools incorporating the Indian curriculum. We are a Specialist Education Provider and not hardware IT Company.

Does Genee Solutions have any collaborative partnerships with the Government? What are the states/regions where you have already carved your presence?

All Genee Solutions, products have recently been registered on the Government Rate Contracts. This means that all government bodies including government schools can have access to our products and, most importantly, the vital training that comes with it.

Our head office is in Gurgaon, just outside Delhi, however we have established offices in Punjab and in the South. We also have a very close tie up with partners across India. We are very particular who we ask to work with. Accreditation is only given to those partners who have successfully completed our intensive training programme and can provide schools with support and training. Traditionally, we have been very strong around Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and North Punjab. However, recently we have seen good growth in areas such as Kolkata and Kerala.

What is next for Genee Solutions in India?

Our vision is to grow our presence, continually, in the Indian market, especially within education sector. We will continue to enhance our current products while growing our product portfolio over the next few years.

Currently, we are working on a number of EXCITING new projects in terms of Software and Hardware that we will be unleashing for the coming year in India. So please watch out for this space

Skills Connect With Oracle Academy : Krishan Dhawan, Oracle Academy

Interviews

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August 5, 2009

The ability to use technology to learn and succeed has become a “new basic” for students in the 21st century. Oracle Academy helps students develop the technology and business skills required for 21st century careers. The Oracle Academy is one part of Oracle`s larger commitment to corporate citizenship, which includes initiatives to advance education, promote diversity, enrich community life, and protect the environment. Krishan Dhawan, Managing Director, Oracle India shares more on some of the innovative spirit that drive the programmes of Oracle Academy, which benefit communities worldwide.

The company offers ongoing, low-cost IT training for individual adult learners through the Workforce Development Programme (WDP). In India, close to 10,000 students annually receive training via the WDP.

What are the Oracle Academy`s offerings?

The Oracle Academy includes three options

Indian President: Legislation to curb Ragging

Policy Matters

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August 4, 2009

Expressing concern at ragging incidents in colleges, one of which led to the death of a student, President Pratibha Patil on Saturday said if necessary, a law should be considered to curb the practice. 'I am deeply concerned about incidents of ragging which has become rampant in college campuses. I saw the agony of parents who lost their children in a ragging incident,' she said, while inaugurating a seminar on Development of Sustainable Rural Health at Suttur near Mysore, about 130 km from here. 'Strict action should be taken to see that such incidents were not repeated,' maintained Patil. The issue should be taken seriously and if need be, legislation should be brought in to prevent it, said the president. She called for collective efforts by students, parents, teachers, college and university authorities and state governments to end incidents of ragging.

The seminar was organised by the Jagadguru Shivarathri Swami (JSS) Medical College as part of its silver jubilee celebrations. Patil also inaugurated the JSS School girls hostel building. Ragging has become a major problem in colleges and freshers subjected to ragging go through mental agony due to fear and humiliation, she noted. 'It is a crime against humanity,' asserted Patil. She advised senior students to create congenial atmosphere for the juniors to be at ease in colleges. Aman Kachroo, a student of a medical college in Himachal Pradesh, died March 8 allegedly after he was severely beaten as part of being ragged by his seniors. The death has again brought the issue under focus.

150 new colleges in Maharashtra

Higher Education

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August 4, 2009

The State Government of Maharashtra is likely to grant permission to set up 150 new colleges across the state within a week with an intake of 18,000. All these colleges will have arts, commerce and science faculties.

The higher and technical education minister, Rajesh Tope, announced this on Thursday. 'We have received around 800 applications to start new colleges in the state by different institutions. During scrutiny around only 175 institutions have been found eligible to start new colleges,' said Rajesh Tope. 'The Government is willing to start new colleges to accommodate all the students who have passed their standard 12 exams,' added Tope.

Study: 20 Higher Education challenges in Southern Africa

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August 4, 2009

Fifteen countries of the South African Development Community were included in a study. From the study were identified 20 leadership challenges facing the region, governments and institutions. The challenges ranged from improved data collection, access, student success, staffing and funding to policy and planning, capacity, infrastructure, private provision and quality. The challenges identified show the considerable amount of work needed to build a strong and sustainable higher education system across the region. The Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), the organisation representing vice-chancellors of public universities in SADC, commissioned several studies in 2008 designed to provide baseline information on higher education in Southern Africa. The studies were reported earlier this year. Now SARUA has published the first in a Leadership Dialogue Series, titled Leadership Challenges for Higher Education in Southern Africa. The series is edited by SARUA Chief Executive Piyushi Kotecha and the first report is written by her, Pam Watson and Enver Motala. It highlights 20 leadership challenges identified from the 2008 research.

The objectives of the study is to provide evidence to inform higher education policy and practice in Southern Africa, and to broadly disseminate information and ideas. SADC comprises 15 countries with various histories and cultures, and uneven economic and social development. The SARUA research found that SADC has 66 public universities, 119 publicly-funded polytechnics or colleges and 178 private universities or colleges. South Africa has 23 of the public universities and 70% of overall enrollments in the region. Five of the 15 countries – Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland – have a single public university. In other countries, numbers range from two in Malawi and Mauritius to nine in Zimbabwe. Zambia has three public universities, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Mozambique have four, Madagascar has six and Tanzania has eight. The 15th SADC country is Seychelles. Private higher education institutions outnumber public institutions in all SADC countries but most enrollments are in public institutions and 72% are in contact study. The report points out that the notion of regional cooperation in higher education in Africa is not new. The earliest agreement was the 1981 Arusha Convention on the recognition of qualifications. The 1997 SADC Protocol on Education has sections devoted to cooperation in higher education and on research and development. The same goals are set by 2007 African Union Harmonisation Policy for Higher Education.

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