Nominations for Government Policy/Initiative of the Year

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September 1, 2009

With Internet and e-commerce becoming buzzwords in the modern world, interest in ICT use by the Government had revived in the late 1990's in India and other parts of the developing world. Governments of various countries have sought to implement policies and programmes that would assist in the application of ICTs for development. Most developing countries are using ICTs to modernise and increase internal efficiency as well as to improve service delivery.

As a part of tracking various Government initiatives of different countries in ICT, digital Learning Magazine presents to you the nominations for the Best Government Policy/Initiative of the Year award.

PROJECT: Implementation of shared computing technology benefiting 1.8 million students in 5,000 government schools in Andhra Pradesh in 4 months
www.ncomputing.com

The Andhra Pradesh Government had envisaged an ambitious plan to bring computer access into 5000 government schools to benefit more than 1.8 million underprivileged children. The purpose of the project was to enable under privileged school children with computer skills in order to bridge the digital divide. To equip each of these schools with a computer lab of 10 seats, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, after serious evaluation chose to implement the NComputing solution to utilize the PC capacity by sharing the resources/PC power of 2 complete PC's with 8 additional computing stations, without compromising on the their performance.
The uniqueness in the project has been its very fast implementation in a record time of 4 months. Government of Andhra Pradesh was receptive to the idea of shared computing technology after they conducted extensive evaluation and testing experiments. The decision to implement the NComputing solution resulted in not only a quick and problem free deployment but also saving a great deal of money.

To equip each of these schools with a computer lab of 10 seats, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, after serious evaluation chose to implement the NComputing solution to utilise the PC capacity by sharing the resources/PC power of 2 complete PC's with 8 additional computing stations, without compromising on the their performance.

HIGHLIGHTS

5000 Government schools in Andhra Pradesh today are equipped with an up-to-date computer lab with the latest computer hardware, Microsoft and e-learning softwares, trained instructors, and reliable electricity support.

The overall cost of the project was over 300 crores plus for 5 years; with about 20% savings due to installation and deployment of the NComputing solution, allowing more schools to be equipped with PCs in the initial phase of the project.

Over 1.8 million students now have access to computer labs and regular computer classes.

The computing labs are being used to teach computer skills, office productivity (such as spreadsheets and word processing), as well as subjects like reading and math.

PROJECT: SIET, Kerala
www.sietkerala.nic.in

The State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) was constituted by the Government of India in all the States with an intention to promote the level of learning and also to disseminate knowledge to the students through the use of Radio and Television. SIET, Kerala is the latest in the array of 7 SIETs in the country. SIET, Kerala was constituted under the Travancore Literary Scientific and Charitable Societies Act 1951 in 1999 as an autonomous society. The Institute has adopted itself to play a catalytic role in fostering as well as supporting and supplementing the educational movement in the state particularly in the arena of secondary education.

Some of the successful initiatives under the programme have included: 1) Setting up of the CD Library project in 1000 Higher Secondary schools containing 150 CDs; 2500 High Schools containing 120 CDs; 3200 primary schools containing 50 CDs in the State of Kerala. This is the first time in the history of India a SIET implemented this type of a project for the promotion of E-Learning. 2) Implementation of a full fledged e-learning project in 29 Legislative constituencies in (6800 schools) in the state of Kerala.

In 2006 the M.M. Panth Commission constituted by the MHRD, Government. of India, after evaluating the performance of all the SIETs in India selected Kerala SIET as an excellent model and directed all the SIETs in India to follow the “Kerala Model” in the field of E-Learning system.

Some of the successful initiatives under the SIET programme have included: Setting up of the CD Library project in 1000 Higher Secondary schools and Implementation of a full fledged e-learning project in 29 Legislative constituencies in (6800 schools) in the state of Kerala.

HIGHLIGHTS

In 2006 the M.M. Panth Commission constituted by the MHRD, Government. of India, after evaluating the performance of all the SIETs in India selected Kerala SIET as an excellent model and directed all the SIETs in India to follow the “Kerala Model” in the field of E-Learning system.

PROJECT: Programme for distribution of valuable bon certificates

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September 1, 2009

Smt. D. Purandeswari
Minister of State, Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

Smt. D Purandeswari, Minister of State, Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, believes that reforms in the education sector, being an ongoing process, should respond to the needs and requirements of any country. She shares with digitalLEARNING her experience of serving a second term in the Department of Higher Education, her mission, and policy objectives.

The major challenge that we have is the low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education. As compared to the developed countries, our GER restricted to only 11% to12%.Whereas in the developed countries it is 16%, with International average standard of 23%. Even if we plan to increase our GER to 20%, we know we can not achieve it overnight. Therefore, we have set a target goal of 15% GER, which we plan to achieve by the end of the XIth Five Year Plan in 2012.

Please share with our readers your immediate reaction of coming to the same Department in a repeat term?

It is definitely a wonderful feeling to come back to the same Department again. I have been with this Department for the last two and half years. I am well versed with the issues and challenges of the education sector and the continuity would only enhance my domain knowledge of the same. After I was inducted, I met Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and she opined that I should retain the education portfolio because of my long standing association and engagement with issues relating to education. This is one ministry where the reforms/ programmes that are implemented require continuity and stability.

Is there any mission unaccomplished from your earlier tenure or do you have a fresh agenda to start with?

Reforms in the education sector is an ongoing process. We come up with answers, as the challenges and issues arise. We want to bring reforms in our education system in such a way that it responds to the needs and requirements of our nation.

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) should not encourage ‘profiteering’; rather it should promote accessible and quality education for all.

What are the major challenges of Higher education system in our country?

Our education system must be responsive to the needs of our nation. The major challenge that we have is the low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education. As compared to the developed countries, our GER restricted to only 11% to12%.Whereas in the developed countries it is 16%, with International average standard of 23%. Even if we plan to increase our GER to 20%, we know we can not achieve it overnight. Therefore, we have set a target goal of 15% GER, which we plan to achieve by the end of the XIth Five Year Plan in 2012.

Our strategy is to address the following questions: a) How do we intergrate the productive utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education; b) How do we move forward with adult education; c) How do we improve the literacy rate of women; d) How do we bring more girls into our education system; e) How do we address the issues of SC, STs, minorities and tribals? Our department has been seriously mulling over the strategies to work on these crucial issues.

What according to you is the role of ICTs in enhancing and scaling up the education system? What are the e-education strategies that your ministry proposes?

ICT is one of the major components to improve the GER and reduce marginalisation of education and students. We are looking at connecting 20,000 institutions through ICTs. We are also looking at inter-connectivity between 10,000 departments. Edusat has already been working in this field and the current need is to strengthen Edusat.

What are the possible reasons for having a Higher Education Council in place?

There is an urgent need to have a Higher Education Council where all the regulatory bodies can be brought under one umbrella. The AICTE was constituted with this intention. However the overlapping responsibilities of AICTE with other regulatory bodies like Medical Council of India (MCI) and UGC had resulted in duplication and unnecessary hurdles. To usher in synergies between different regulatory bodies and rope in more coordination, we felt the need to have the Higher Education Council. As we progress today, and Shri Kapil Sibal (Minister, HRD) also feels that, we need a Higher Education Council where all of the regulatory bodies could be brought under one umbrella.

What are the plans of your Ministry for bridging the gender disparity and encouraging women as far as Higher Education is concerned?

There are many programmes and schemes proposed by the Government to address this specific sphere of concern. There are various facilitating programmes introduced and initiated by UGC and AICTE to support women’s education. For a single girl child, there is a fee waiver at higher education. There are special scholarships for girl children. AICTE has relaxed the norms for establishing engineering colleges for women. In order to set up an engineering college, one requires five acres of land, but for a girls engineering institution, the norm is only 2.5 acres of land. At the same time, UGC is providing for exclusive Girls hostel to encourage girls from rural areas to pursue higher studies. Thanks to this, the literacy rate of women, which was meager earlier, is now 54%.

How do you see the engagement of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the education sector?

We all know very well and acknowledge that Private sectors have supplemented the efforts of the government in education; otherwise there would not have been such a proliferation of the technical education institutions. We appeal to them that ‘Profiteering’ can not be the motive of PPP. The motive is to give quality education and making education accessible to all. The National Policy on Education and the all the Supreme Court judgments have clearly stated that education is not for profiteering and one cannot come with business motive.

Universalising Education Through ICT: Plan, Practices and Policy : Subhash C Khuntia, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

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September 1, 2009

Subhash C Khuntia
Joint Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

Shri Subhash C Khuntia, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, shares with digital Learning, in an exclusive interview, his vision on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) practices in school education, the role of innovation in schools and his department`s commitment to present a policy framework on ICT in school education.

The Eleventh Five Year Plan has raised allocation to the education sector in a very big way. This sector now constitutes almost one fifth of the Plan size with an allocation of Rs 6000 crore for the use of ICT in schools.

This year, in 2009, it would be 25 years post initiation of computers in Indian schools. This is an occasion that we should celebrate. How do you assess CLASS – as a success or a failure! Is it contributing to the present day demands in terms of new ICT initiatives, vision, etc?

CLASS was one of the earliest attempts in the country to use ICT for education and was limited in its scope and scale. Every new attempt takes time to sink into the collective psyche and prepares the population for bigger things. Considering these aspects, I would not call it either a failure or a grand success. It was project that has ushered in the concept that ICT can be used to improve the quality of education.

How do you support the adoption of the principles like enhanced learning, engaging all stakeholders, making effective use of resources through policies? Do you see a continued emphasis on school planning in lines of the above issues?

The Internet and the availability of massive amount of information on various topics has resulted in participative learning, collaborative development of learning resources and anytime-anywhere learning. Thus there is a paradigm change occurring in the concept of teaching and learning. From deliverers of education, teachers are transforming to facilitators in learning by students. Use of ICT will further focus on concepts like enhanced and continuous learning through optimal use of resources. Future schools need to be planned to take advantage of this through adoption of appropriate and sound policies.

What has been the trend of investment in school education? What are the special efforts made in judicious utilisation of the budget in different ICT programmes and initiatives?

The public investment in education in India has been of the order of 3.5 to 4.0 per cent of GDP in the last several years. This is not considered adequate, and our aim is to raise it to 6.0 per cent in the next few years. The school education will then absorb 4.5 to 5.0 per cent of GDP, which would enable giving a boost to the aspects of expansion, excellence and inclusion. The Eleventh Five Year Plan has raised allocation to the education sector in a very big way. This sector now constitutes almost one fifth of the Plan size, whereas the proportion was less than one tenth in the Tenth Plan. This is timely as the world over, there is an acute need for skilled manpower, and the demographic advantage that our country enjoys can be harnessed if human capital is developed through education. During the Eleventh Plan, there is an allocation of Rs 6000 crore for use of ICT in schools whereas the outlay during the Tenth Plan was only Rs 800 crore. During this plan, the utilisation of budget provision has been almost total and sanctions have so far been given for coverage of more than 50,000 schools. We plan to cover almost all Government and Government aided secondary and higher secondary schools in the country during the Eleventh Plan. The twin objectives are computer education and computer-aided education, i.e., to provide computer education to all high school students and to make all high school teachers to teach their respective subjects using ICT.

A policy on ICT in school education is long overdue. With the new government speeding up the reform process, and also under your able leadership (that has helped initiating the policy dialogue in the recent past) are we expecting to see the policy framework/document in place?

The new Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal has already announced preparation of a draft National Policy of ICT in School Education as one of the action points for the first 100 days of Government. The draft has already been prepared through a collaborative process and is already available on the Ministry`s website. The draft will be further improved through consultation with various stakeholders and thereafter finalised.

Do you have any advice for the states that would want to blueprint new architecture of school education with innovation?

The States need to transform the architecture of school education to make use of the tremendous power of ICT in improving the standard of education and in enhancing access and equity. The States also need to be flexible in their approach in the face of rapid technological change that is taking place. Therefore, innovation has to be the buzz word in educational reform.

The new Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal has already announced preparation of a draft National Policy of ICT in School Education as one of the action points for the first 100 days of Government.

What do you hope to accomplish in your current role in the Ministry for school education?

The overriding concern is not only to universalise elementary education, but to push the vision further to be in a position to universalise education up to secondary level (class 10, age 16) by 2017, i.e. end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan. This would involve not only access, but quality with equity. Improvement of quality is quite important as that will reduce drop out rate and prepare many more for higher education or for work place where skill is essential. Only then can we build a more just and equitable society, where the citizens can take advantage of their knowledge and skill so that the country can reduce poverty, improve the standard of living and take its rightful place in the comity of nations.

Learning Goes Smart Through Online Assessment Application : Muralidhar K S, LearnSmart India Pvt. Ltd

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September 1, 2009

Muralidhar K S
CEO, LearnSmart India Pvt. Ltd,
Hyderabad

Education has varied options vis-à-vis content providers, through schools, teachers, tutorials, parents, Internet and e-learning websites. However, there exists no application that intelligenty assesses the conceptual understanding/comprehension in the subject. Muralidhar K S, CEO LearnSmart, in conversation with digital Learning, says that 24x7guru.com is driven with a passion to spread the benefits of Quality learning to the student’s community with the objective to enable them to compete globally

Please share with our readers about the potentials and opportunities of Indian education market, as far as your products and services are concerned?24x7guru.com is an Online Self Assessment Application for students from class 3 to 10. The application fundamentally believes that once a student understands the concepts, they are less likely to forget, as opposed to rote learning. 24x7guru.com is an intelligent web-based assessment application that enables a student to take tests as per the course curriculum: chapter-wise, periodic and customised. The application is parameterised in terms of complexity levels and provides a new set of questions each time a student attempts to answer. The scalability is scientifically designed and is aimed at drilling down conceptual comprehension and clarity amongst students.

Online Assessment Application:
Chapter wise assess the understanding of concepts and guides the students by providing an insight on where they went wrong and more importantly why they went wrong.
B) Edutainment:
i) Crosswords: Chapter wise cross words made available to the students that help in grasping the fundamentals and concepts in a fun manner.
ii) Link and Learn: An improvised version of match the following that develops the students reasoning and thinking ability. These again are available chapter wise for different grades.
C) Guru Gyaan: A pool of knowledge for students covering aspects of Guru Spell,Guru Fact, A TELL ME Series overing aspects of -The Who, What, When, Why, Where, How, Guru Quiz
etc.
D) JOE (The Joy of English): English practice module session with audio soundtrack to help students brush their language, reading and comprehension skills in the English language.
E) Guru Wellness: As important is education, that vital is sound health. That is why we tied up with the leadingexperts in child health care – Lifetime Wellness Rx International Ltd (An
Apollo Hospitals Group Initiative), so that we provide the best health assessment possible.

How do you compare your products with the existing market players/ competitors,
locally and globally? Do you have any expansion plan in the global market?
24x7guru.com is the only Online Self Assessment Portal for students from class 3 to 10 of its kind that develops the child’s conceptual clarity and fundamentals with a multi-dimensional approach towards learning. As for the expansion in global market, 24x7guru.com already has its presence in GCC and shall shortly have its footfalls in at least 2 or 3 countries in the Asian Region.

How do you see the collaborativeinitiatives and partnerships determine the economy of our country with regard to your product? How the community at large, learning and teaching, is benefited?
The economic growth of a country is in direct relation to the standards of education of that country. Economy grows: A) When the Young generation can compete in global competition and become successful entrepreneur; B) When we build the confidence levels in the minds of young students and through assessment alone but by giving them the overall multi- dimensional knowledge. In spite of the fact that the primary/ secondary education is important to stabilise the growth of the country, the Indian policy makers did not think that way. Only this year, we are able to see some light focusing into the primary/secondary education which is the foundation for our country’s growth

360 Degree Support to the Education System : Atul Kulshrestha, Extramarks

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September 1, 2009

Atul Kulshrestha, Chairman, Extramarks shares with digital LEARNING, how Extramarks is striving to make a difference in the Indian education system by providing students with `360 degree education` support and equipping schools with special teaching and learning aids, which are learner driven and scientific in nature.

Atul Kulshrestha
Chairman, Extramarks.com Education Private Limited

With `Simple Learning, High Scoring` as mantra, can you give us an overview of your organisation?

I have seen teachers, academicians trying all the tricks in their bag to make the student understand the concepts; but somehow we never take out time to put together the best practices to be able to set the basic standardized delivery model which will help students learn better and teachers teach effectively. With Extramarks we strive to achieve an everlasting solid foundation for future learning, making assimilation of content easier for the learners.

What are the products of Extramarks.com? What is the USP_unique selling point of your esteemed organisation?

By providing “360 degree education” support for the classes VI to XII, Extramarks equips a school with special teaching and learning aids. Extramarks products, are learner driven and scientific in nature. Our study modules like Mind Maps is devised to give a flowchart of every chapter in one glance, while our Smart Learning Modules explain the chapter in detail at four levels and challenge a student towards High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Extramarks also delivers its program through its online avatar

Flat Projection to Interactive Whiteboards : Jaemes Shanley, Mimio

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September 1, 2009

The Director, Jaemes Shanley, gives an insight to digital LEARNING regarding the role and priorities of the solution provider company. Mimio is a retrofit technology that turns any board or firm flat projection surface into a full featured interactive WhiteBoard.

Jaemes Shanley
Director of sales – asia pacific, latin america, newyork, Mimio

Mimio interactive technology is known to be synonymous with advanced innovative, quality and award-winning educational classroom solutions. Could you elaborate on how your product matches up to the description?

Our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art interactive classroom solutions that enable more teachers and students to benefit from the pedagogical power and enhanced learning enabled by these systems. Our sustained commitment to ease of use and practical training resources are key to insuring that Mimio systems are actually used in the classroom.

How has Mimio made its products more affordable than its competitive products in the Indian market?

Mimio is a retrofit technology that turns any board or firm flat projection surface into a full featured interactive WhiteBoard. This eliminates cost at multiple levels including the product itself, freight and transport, installation, and service. Mimio is more affordable both in terms of acquisition cost and, importantly, on each metric of total cost of ownership.

Are there any collaborative and partnership initiatives that Mimio has entered?

Our relationship with Educomp Solutions is one instance, as described above. We are also working with other organizations in India, like CRISP (Consortium for Research In School Pedagogy) to introduce interactive classroom technology to higher education and other school systems in India.

Mimio has been used in special educational settings as well. How has Interactive Whiteboards been used as Inclusive Technology?

The initial applications for Mimio in special needs education centered on our ink capture capability which enabled a variety of students with physical or learning challenges to obtain real time and post class access to WhiteBoard notes, in a versatile digital data format. As applications and resources for interactive WhiteBoard teaching have expanded to include a rich variety of tools for special needs education, Mimio again provides a versatile affordable means for special students to participate more fully in dynamic learning environments. Mimio`s unique portability provides the option, if necessary, for these students to literally carry the technology with them from classroom to classroom.

Has Mimio done any prior research to make its products respond to specific classroom environments? Any statistics on the current usage trends in India?

We have had the honor and good fortune, in India, to be able to work with Educomp Solutions, providing an interactive WhiteBoard system for their market leading Smart class solutions. Their marketing and leading delivery of full spectrum technology to Indian schools has provided the perfect venue to Mimio`s advanced technology, to be paired with complete interactive learning systems created specifically for the Indian classroom and educational standards.

What are your future plans and strategies for capturing the Indian market?

As a priority market for Mimio, we will continue to work collaboratively with our partners in India to understand the market more comprehensively and to make sure its needs are prioritized in our substantial new product development initiatives.

How do you see your services cater to the requirements of the students, keeping in mind the dynamic cultural diversity of the Indian education system? Therefore, expectations from the market re manifold and multifold?
The main aim of any academician or a teacher is to make learning easier for the student and reduce their workload. Extramarks does all this and much more by providing continuous workshops, seminars for the teachers. It is our learner centric attitude and approach that has helped us gain the edge with the schools.

In which part of India do you think, your products are doing well? What could be the possible reasons?
The areas in which our products are doing exceptionally well are Rajasthan, North East and South India comprising of mainly Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Reasons are varied from this diverse response. While the elitist schools of the country based in Rajasthan have takeour program enthusiastically, in North East it is the government schools that have shown their interest in our program. So, anyone who is motivated to change the regular school experience is our ideal partner. Are there any plans for expansion? Going by the great response we have
had in India, Extramarks.us is our recent launch that caters to the US students. All the study content on the US website is in accordance with California State University curriculum and it brings forth the best of eLearning attributes to its users. Further, we are planning to make way in other parts of the world like UK, Singapore and be a milestone in integrating technology with education.

Please share with our readers if Extramarks.com has entered into any collaborative or partnership initiatives?|
Extramarks is proud that various Governments at various levels has shown confidence in its offerings. We are the official education partner of NDTV for their online educational portal NDTVtutor.com. Also, Extramarks provides educational content for MyWay’s IPTV platform.

What are your plans for the future?
Our endeavour is to create easy to adopt solutions that have relevance and share the teacher and learners immediate study targets. We ourselves keep looking at our study modules and reinventing them in order to strike perfection. So, our future plan lies in getting the finesse with making inroads worldwide with our program

Bringing ICT and Education Solution to the Masses : Dinesh Mehta, Top Chalks

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September 1, 2009

TopChalks.com is a property of Catura Systems, a company focused on creating a revolutionary solution to educate and train masses without compromising the quality and the time tested instructor-led teaching techniques. Mr. Dinesh Mehta, Founder-Chairman, Topchalks.com, shares more about the organisation, its goals and future plans while in conversation with Digital Learning.

Dinesh Mehta
Founder – chairman, Top Chalks, India

What has been the goal of Topchalks.com in India. Please tell us more about your company?

We are focused on creating solutions that leverage technology to educate and train young masses of India. TopChalks.com, with the assistance of its unique applications, processes and means of delivery seeks to empower some the best minds of India and enable them to reach and educate masses without compromising the time tested instructor-led teaching techniques.

How do you fulfill your vision of `democratizing education` in India through your services? With the market opened up globally, what kind of market survey/ research do you carry out (as part of the background preparation)?

By “democratizing education in India” we mean that every student in India who is motivated and who wishes to learn should have an opportunity to learn from the best minds of India. A student`s or a
parent`s poor economic condition, lack of qualified instructors at institutions or lack of other similar resources should not be the reason for depriving a student of first class education.

Our applications and our business model give us the ability to enable a handful of excellent instructors in each of their areas competency, to capture their course content in its depth, along with experience that a student expects in a normal classroom and to deliver such content and experience efficiently to the target student audience via Internet, within the classroom, via digital libraries and via learning centers. We address the issue of affordability of such solution with our ability to leverage the provisioning of such content to the masses over the Internet.

We conduct market survey and research through various means. Our online solution also provides the mechanism for the consumers to critique our product and offer feedback at the granularity of a lecture. Our learning centers and digital libraries also solicit continuous feedback from the student community.

How do you see TopChalks.com capture the Indian market with the cost effective courses that are offered by you? How is it different from its counterparts/ competitors?

We are in the process of setting up pan India distribution channel in order make our content available on CDs throughout India. We have fully functional digital libraries and learning centers now operating in Kalu Sarai, New Delhi, in Hyderabad, AP and in Ambala, Haryana. The in depth nature, the completeness and the end user experience of our content sets us apart from our competitors.

Any other collaborative or partnership initiatives that you would like to share with us?

We have fostered many partnerships over the last several months. These range from content partners to marketing collaborations to distribution tie-ups. On the content side, while we actively develop content in house, we constantly seek experts in various areas to leverage the technology and process that we have developed to reach the masses. Career Launcher, a leader in CAT preparation in the country has collaborated with us to digitise test preparation material for CAT.

What does the future hold for TopChalks.com?

Our mission remains to democratise education in the country. That primarily requires two things – developing meaningful and in depth content for every segment of students out there and developing relevant distribution mechanisms to get the content out to those students. On the content side, we are going to expand our portfolio to include more vocational and college level curriculum besides further strengthening our school level offerings. On the distribution side, we will continue to expand our reach through our own sales and marketing efforts as well as through collaborative partnerships with other entities.

Increasing the Student Teacher Interaction : Tarun Jain, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pvt Ltd., Singapore

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September 1, 2009

Tarun Jain, Country Head, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pvt Ltd., Singapore, shares with digital LEARNING his understanding on White Board market in India and the challenges lying therein.

Tarun Jain
Country Head, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pvt Ltd., Singapore

What are the challenges that the Indian education market, though growing, is facing?

Laptops and computers are essential digital learning tools. In fact they complement interactive whiteboard technology. However, as stand-alone technology, they are more geared to `individual-learning` than `group-learning`. It is this difference that is critical, and it`s precisely this point, once appreciated, will lead to change in mindsets regarding the importance of interactive whiteboards in digital-learning. Also, development of better infrastructure, digital-content, financing options and user-education/training will help expedite adoption of interactive whiteboard technology in India.

In comparison to UK, why is it that the Indian education market is yet to catch up with the innovative technologies of the Interactive whiteboards? Is it the cost? What is the reach out of Hitachi StarBoards in India?

It may not be appropriate to compare the UK and India markets. For one, they differ vastly in market potential and size. The Indian education market is also far more heterogenous in terms of economic, technological and infrastructural parameters. Finally, interactive whiteboard technology has been introduced in India much later as compared to the UK. Having said that, we are currently witnessing a phased and successful adoption of interactive whiteboard technology in the India market, with mostly urban and technology-savvy institutions leading the way. There is also effort being put in to fit within with overall ICT-in-education policy being formulated by the government so that the benefits of interactive whiteboard technology can be reaped by education institutes in tier 2/3 cities and rural India. However, India has around 1.2 million schools, which means that it is going to be a while before we can achieve UK levels of adoption.

It is a common perception that interactive whiteboard technology is expensive. However if we recognise that the interactive whiteboard technology is a `group learning` tool the cost-per-student works out to be very affordable. Hitachi`s award-winning StarBoards, while incorporating best-in-industry technology, are specially priced to be cost-effective solutions. Innovative financing models, provided by solutions providers, further reduce the cost impact for buyers.

What are the strategies you have adopted to capture the Indian market?

Since the market for interactive whiteboard technology is still nascent in India we have adopted a two pronged strategy of brand as well as category building. On the brand front we have introduced our cutting-edge globally award-winning StarBoards range of interactive whiteboard solutions. We showcase our products through demos, advertisements, PR and other communications tools. On the category front we are currently evaluating strategic alliances and PPPs to undertake capacity building for the adoption of interactive whiteboard technology.

Who are your channel partners? Are you looking for any new alliances?

We are currently partnering with HCL (government sector) for the distribution of our StarBoards across India. However we are actively looking to partner with more distributors with whom we can identify synergies to better address private-sector market segments.

Are there any new developments in the K-12 segments and higher education segments, as far as Hitachi solutions are concerned? What is the way ahead for you?

Hitachi is one of the few companies that has its own brand of interactive whiteboard as well as projector solutions. We have introduced the cutting edge combination of the FX-DuoBoard and the Hitachi CPA-100 Ultra Short Throw Projector (for virtually shadowless presentation). The DuoBoard offers the dual option of writing with a digital pen as well as the finger. This makes it more convenient for students to interact with the interactive whiteboard. In addition, the DuoBoard offers the dual-touch feature by which two people can simultaneously write on the board. This potentially enhances student teacher group-collaboration.

Apart from this, our Bluetooth wireless tablet BT-2G and our portable StarBoard the T17-SXLG are selling very well.

Providing Access to Technology for Rural Students : Manish Sharma, Asia Pacific Ncomputing, India

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September 1, 2009

NComputing technology have allowed a single desktop computer to be shared by many users at the same time at very affordable costs. Manish Sharma, VP, Asia Pacific NComputing explains further about the project.

Manish Sharma
Vice president, asia pacific, ncomputing

What has been the primary aim of NComputing solutions in the field of ICTs in education ?

Currently there are about 850 million people in the world who have computer access. NComputing`s vision is to bring affordable computing to the next billion people so they can join the digital economy. Our technology allows a single desktop computer to be shared by many users at the same time at very affordable costs.

The primary aim of NComputing in the field of ICTs in education is to provide affordable computer education to not only private schools but also poor students and students studying in remote areas across the country. ready in the global competitive scenario.

Could you elaborate on your experience of working with the Andhra Pradesh government in providing shared computing for rural students in 5000 schools?

Andhra Pradesh Government being very forward looking, had an ambitious plan to bring computer access into 5000 government schools to benefit 1.8 million underprivileged children. Given limited funding, the government of Andhra Pradesh sought the most cost-effective way to provide computing access to these schools. They needed a low-cost solution that would also save them in long-term operational and maintenance expenses.

Government of Andhra Pradesh after serious evaluation chose to implement the NComputing solution to utilise the PC capacity by sharing the resources/PC power of 2 complete PC`s with 8 additional computing stations, without compromising on the their performance.

Besides the cost of the equipment, another key issue was access to power. Because the NComputing solution uses just 1 watt of power, the government purchased smaller, less expensive generators to run the computer labs and they will save money long-term on the fuel needed to operate them.

Environmental concerns have taken precedence in the modern day world and key policy makers have been extensively engaged in conservation drives. In this context, we would like to know more about Green Computing.

There are over a billion personal computers around the world. A typical PC uses over 110 watts of electricity and generates 10 kg of e-waste at the end of its short 3-5 year life. The overall impact is a massive output of greenhouse gases and hundreds of tons of toxic e-waste. Green computing will not succeed until PCs are more efficiently utilised. NComputing`s virtual desktop technology enables a single PC to be shared by as many as 30 users. These $70 virtual desktops use just 1 watt of electricity, weigh 100 grams, and have a 10-year useful life. Imagine a 98% reduction in electricity and a 99% reduction in e-waste. This is already a reality at tens of thousands of schools, governments and businesses, who are saving money and meeting green computing goals.

Do you have any specific successful venture that can be shared with our readers?

NComputing technology has been used in various parts of the globe, especially developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America to provide affordable computing access to students, thus empowering them for a better tomorrow. Macedonia is a small country in Europe where every students has 1:1 computer access, using the NComputing technology.

What are the future plans of NComputing in capturing the Indian market?

Our future strategy is to focus on reaching out to the potential customers in India and strengthening our channels base to serve those valuable customers. The marketing programs would be driven around creating awareness about the value propositions that NComputing products offer to its customer in term of cost efficiencies, low-maintenance and simplicity and on the whole, creating demand for the product in the Indian market.

Our marketing efforts focus on enabling channels partners and empowering them with all the marketing and technical support to target and serve their customers.

Polar Science programme to continue, CCEA approves

Higher Education

By

digitalLEARNING Network

-

August 28, 2009

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today approved the continuation of the project 'Polar Science: Expedition to Antarctica during the XI Five Year Plan period at an estimated cost of INR 230.01 crores. The objectives of this programme are to continue the long-term scientific pursuits undertaken to understand the global processes and phenomena some of which are directly pertinent to our needs having potential applications. The scientific expeditions which started in 1981 have contributed substantially to the growth of polar science in the country. Experiments mounted by Indian Scientists in disciplines such as atmospheric sciences & meteorology, earth sciences and glaciology, biology and environmental sciences have also contributed directly to global experiments mounted under the aegis of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).

The Indian Antarctic research base 'Maitri' (70o 45' 56.9''S : 11o 44' 08.62″E) is one of the few active permanent research stations in the Central Donning Maudland (CDML) of East Antarctica from where systematic scientific experiments are conducted on a year-round basis. The facilities available at this research base include a weather observatory, geomagnetic station; a permanent seismological observatory, GPS station, ice-core drilling facilities and laboratories for environmental, human health and communication research. The entire activities related to the planning, coordination and implementation of the Indian Antarctic Programme is managed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) through the National Centre for Antarctic & Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa, an autonomous institute under the Ministry, established in 1998.

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