e-Learning @ Hilton University makes employees loyal

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January 6, 2009

Hilton, part of Hilton Hotels Corporation, has proved that there is a link between employee development and reduced staff turnover.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

According to the findings of a recent team member survey, being given the opportunity to develop through Hilton University – the group's online learning platform – encourages employees to remain loyal. Hilton team members across the globe are able to access a wide range of learning activities through Hilton University. These include: 550 SkillSoft e-Learning courses – covering business, professional and IT skills; Books24x7 Referenceware – featuring best-selling management, business and technology books and reference materials; online mentoring and virtual classrooms.

Centre of Excellence on e-Gov at IIT Delhi

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January 6, 2009

IIT Delhi will house the Centre for Excellence on e-governance in collaboration with the leading open source company Sun Microsystems. The Centre promises research and training in areas of e-governance for all stakeholders functioning in the e-governance ecosystem.

It will also showcase latest technology innovations and solutions to the Government and also evaluate the impact of technology on the government and society and formulate appropriate IT policy papers.

PM moots for science popularisation

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January 6, 2009

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged the Indian industry to invest in research and development aimed at boosting science and technology so that young minds are attracted to seeking a career in science. He was inaugurating the 96th Indian Science Congress at the Northeastern Hill University in Shillong. The five-day congress will witness a conglomeration of eminent personalities in science and technology from all corners of the country.

PM announced doubling of the investment in science from one per cent of the national income to two per cent along with new institutes for research in Himalayan glaciology, molecular materials, nano science and technology. He also shared the recent parliament announcement of setting up of a National Science and Engineering Research Board that would work towards formulating plans for scientific research funding in the country.

Upside Learning bags a spot in top 100

Corporate Updates

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January 6, 2009

Upside Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd. was selected a winner of the Red Herring 100 Asia 2008 Award as Most Promising” Asian companies driving the future of technology. The company was evaluated as one of the top 100 companies in Asia leading the next wave of innovation.

Red Herring is a global media company announced the winners of Red Herring Innovation awards after an extensive survey of entrepreneurship around the globe.

Upside Learning is a leading eLearning with a range of innovative products and applications in education and training sector.

PPP model for medical education

Higher Education

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January 6, 2009

Studying medicine is a dream of every second student and doctors as noble profession. There has been a growing demand for doctors and due to paucity of recognised government colleges and institutes, the country has a dismal state as for every 10,000 Indians, there is one doctor.

The proposal submitted to the Medical Council of India aims to attract private players to invest in medical education under the new norms of shift to profit-making investment and pay tax to the government on the profits they make. The scheme weaved under the PPP model is proposed to encourage investment in the sector to meet the shortage of medical professionals in the country.

Earlier only governments, universities, trusts or charitable societies can set up medical colleges and private players had only a not-for-profit state. With the changed norms in place, private players are likely to face lesser entry barriers while making big investments in the medical education sector. The new guidelines seek to relax other rigid regulations such as land area restrictions and the teacher-to-student ratio.

The move came after the Planning Commission had recommended opening of the medical education sector for private sector participation to increase the supply of human resources at all levels while the country is facing an acute shortage of professionals in the healthcare sector.

IIM-B deliberate on leadership in education

Higher Education

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January 6, 2009

An International Conference on Educational Leadership (ICEL) was inaugurated on January 5 at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM B) will deliberate on challenges and opportunities of educators and administrators in positions of leadership need to manage change and improvement in educational institutions.

The three-day event will witness practioners and experts from across the world present their experience and research. Some of the key papers being presented at the conference include New Forms of Higher Education by Paul Goodman, Carnegie Mellon University and Co-Author Gerard Beenen, Tepper School of Business, Pittsburgh; Entrepreneurial Leadership and Academic Entrepreneurship in Malaysian Research by Dr Kamal K Jain, Indian Institute of Management, Indore amongst others.

The valedictory speech will be delivered by former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Interviews

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January 5, 2009

For a country of our size, it is difficult to implement all the technology solutions at one go in all the schools. So it has to be done in a graded manner

Subhash C Khuntia, Joint Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of HRD, , Government of India

The 11th Five Year Plan focuses on education in a big way. What are the key milestones that the government is looking at as far as school education is concerned in the coming year?

Since a large part of India’s population constitutes the youth, education occupies a prime position in the 11th Five Year Plan. If you see the Plan allocation, more than 19% of the total outlay is devoted to education, whereas it was 9.5% in the 10th Plan. And again school education gets high priority here. With Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan being a great success, large number of students will soon be knocking at the doors of secondary education and that is why we are planning to ensure that these children get adequate access to secondary education. Similarly those who complete secondary education should be able to move to higher education. Right now the enrollment ratio in higher education is 11%, and the Ministry has plans to increase it to 15% during the Plan period. This can only be achieved if elementary as well as secondary education is given the
pre-eminence.

We have also set some ambitious targets like increasing the gross enrollment ratio in secondary education (9th and 10th) from 53% to 75% in the next five years. Another target is to reduce the gender gap in enrollment and also to reduce the gap in enrollment for weaker sections of society.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has made an announcement about ‘model schools’. Can you elaborate on it?

The ‘model school’ scheme involves setting up of one model school in every block in the country. It will comprise of 3500 government schools and 2500 schools through Public Private Partnership. The model school would basically serve as a demonstration unit and as a focal point to network with other schools in the block to build up a synergy to enhance the quality of education in all secondary schools. The much needed educational technology and connectivity would be available in these model schools so that an ideal environment is created for teaching and learning.

In the new scheme where there is a talk of upgradation and maintenance of old and new schools, how is the role of ICT envisaged?

Of course, for the new schools we would like to have Information and Communication Technologies incorporated right into the structure of schools so that the paradigm of teaching and learning can be different, making the process enjoyable for the children. The old schools would require upgradation as far as technology is concerned. There is a centrally sponsored scheme called ‘ICT at Schools’ through which every secondary or higher secondary school will be facilitated with ICT infrastructure and connectivity. The idea is to have effective ICT integration in all secondary schools by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan.

There is a huge disparity in quality as well as IT integration in schools maintained by the Central government and those of states. How does the Centre plan to reduce this disparity?

The ‘ICT at Schools’ scheme seeks to remove such disparity. Through the scheme we plan to equip each and every school with the required ICT infrastructure. This will hopefully start a kind of chain reaction. The states can further reinforce this infrastructure as per requirements. Schools maintained by the Central government, like Kendriya Vidyalayas and Navodaya Vidyalayas, have been successful in IT integration as well as in provision of other resources. State governments having larger number of schools need to emulate them. Needless to say, all schools should maintain a minimum standard in all aspects including ICT.

Earlier ICT products in schools meant computers, computer labs, etc. Now there is no dearth of products in the market like smartboards, digital projectors, interactive websites, etc. How do you see these products being used in the government education system?

We have to be in sync with the latest in technology. But for a country of our size, it is difficult to implement all the technology solutions at one go in all the schools. So it has to be done in a graded manner. For example, in the model schools we are planning to use the best available technologies. Introduction of these technologies in other schools will have a lag but hopefully not for long, as our economy is growing at a steady pace and the prices of technology products is falling. So in the coming years it would be easier for the government to introduce technology in all schools and bridge the digital gap.

In some states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, the number of students far exceed the capacity of the state schools. As such many students are forced to give exams privately. How does your Ministry plan to address this issue?

We plan to address this issue through a new scheme called Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan under which areas would be mapped for the availability of schools keeping in mind certain norms, for example, there should be a primary school within one km, an upper primary school within 3 km, and a high school within 5 km of any habitation. In those places which don’t fulfill this criteria, new schools will be set up to ensure an even distribution throughout the country.

The governments in Rajasthan and Punjab are looking at the PPP model for setting up new schools, especially in the unreached or underserved areas. Will it be replicated at the central level and other states as well? What are the learnings from Rajasthan and Punjab?

We need to learn from the experience of these two States. The PPP model needs to be flexible to take care of the needs of individual States. Based on local context PPP can be at different levels, eg, (i) for provision of building infrastructure, (ii) for provision of non-educational services, and (iii) for provision of education services. The states can decide for themselves what level of PPP they want. However, the PPP model is not new to this country. The entire system of government-aided schools is nothing but Public Private Partnership.

ICT in education policy needs to concentrate on effective use of ICT to further the objectives of education and also increase access to it

Please tell us about the Skill Development Mission under the Central government.

At present, there is a vocational education scheme under which students are allowed to branch off to a vocational stream after class 10. In the higher secondary stage, they concentrate on learning certain skills in addition to general education so that after they pass out of 12th, they are in a position to get employment or go for higher education. At present, only 4-5% of students go to this stream. We hope to increase the enrollment in vocational education through revision of the scheme to make the curriculum more<

Facilitating ‘Operational Excellence’

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January 5, 2009

The Indian e-Learning market today is estimated to be around US$ 122 million growing at a whopping CAGR of around 70%

Navyug Mohnot
CEO, QAI

Please trace your journey from being an engineer to an entrepreneur.

QAI has been an interesting journey. When I returned to India after completing my PhD from USA, there wasn’t much of an IT industry those days. There were only few companies that existed and an antenna on the top of the Texas Instruments building in Bangalore was a tourist attraction. With this as context, QAI India was set up fifteen years ago, in association with QAI USA to be an ‘enabler’ for the Indian IT industry to emerge.

India and the Indian IT has come a long way since. We started with helping companies with Quality and today our charter has increased far beyond that to helping global organisations facilitate Operational Excellence. We have been partnering the journeys of over 300 clients in 30 countries. We also have wholly owned subsidiaries in
Singapore, Malaysia, China, UK and most recently, USA.

What, according to you, are the major issues confronting the Indian IT industry today?

The economic meltdown that has brought the US economy to deep recession has also impacted the Indian industry. To face the current financial crisis, the Indian IT and BPO sector need to plan for a slower growth rate. As manpower is one of the most substantial cost factors, the biggest impact of the slowdown would be on company’s HR spends. Hiring would take back seat for most of the organisations; many would also be looking at reducing manpower.

In this hour of global meltdown it is important for the organisation to reduce cost while maintaining their competitive advantage. For this, organisations need to retain competent people. This is where training and certifying people becomes important.

What are your views on the standard of training that is provided in IT finishing schools, particularly from the employability perspective?
Current training provided by most IT Finishing Schools falls short of expectations by the corporate. Most of them are designed for teaching skills on programming languages. Many IT schools fail to appreciate and educate the importance of process, quality, behavioral skills required for a job. Majority of the training is instructor led and the poor quality of the faculty affects the programme when you scale. It is very important to involve the industry practitioners in the programme to make it more meaningful.

How do you see the e-Learning market in India evolving? What are the key challenges or drivers?

The Indian e-Learning market today is estimated to be around US$ 122 million growing at a whopping CAGR of around 70%, while the global e-Learning market is growing at approximately 50%. The e-learning market is sitting at the cusp, waiting to explode. The timing, model and the value propositions are just right. In my opinion, the IT and the BPO sectors would consume huge market share of the e-Learning industry in the near future. The key challenge is that the e-Learning industry still faces conventional mindset which believes that e-Learning does not have as much credibility as classroom training. This challenge can be overcome by internationally recognised certifications or by a blended learning programme.

Please tell us about Six Sigma and its current application.

Six Sigma is a business strategy, which intelligently blends the wisdom of the organisation with proven statistical tools to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation in meeting customer needs. At one level, Six Sigma is a philosophy – that all business problems need to be solved using a scientific and structured methodology. At other level, this is operationalised through a series of Six Sigma process improvement projects and through a well-developed tool set

Providing An Enabling Environment : Mrs. Anjana Prakash, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri (West), Mumbai

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January 5, 2009

Mrs. Anjana Prakash
Principal, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri (West), Mumbai

“We do not believe in rote learning, instead we adopt such methods of teaching where a student’s involvement is more. We try to evoke interest in curriculum among the students”

What is your vision for quality education in Hansraj Morarji Public School?

Hansraj Morarji Public School is an institution which provides an enabling environment to its children to develop holistically. We believe in providing quality education to our students, for this we provide them the latest technology like computers with Internet facilities, Audio-Visual room with LCD projector to make teaching-learning more effective and interesting too.

In April this year, we also started a Junior college, which provides Science and commerce streams and has reserved seats for shoolchildren passing out of 10th standard.

Please tell us about the curriculum and learning methodology followed in the school.

We follow the Maharashtra State Board curriculum in our school. Apart from the curriculum, many other activities like Maths Club, Drama Club, Green Brigade Environment Club etc are a part of the student life at our school. We also won the ‘Green School Awards’ in the year 1996.

We do not believe in rote learning, instead we adopt such methods of teaching where a student’s involvement is more. We try to evoke interest in curriculum among the students, due to which learning becomes easier. For this we equip our teachers with the latest technology in teaching which makes the learning process easier.

What major challenges did you encounter while integrating ICT in education in your school?

A major hurdle which we faced is lack of knowledge among the teachers’ in this field. As such their involvement in IT usage was seen less. Teachers may find the conventional method of teaching easier than technology mediated education due to lack of expertise in this field. As the teachers may find it time consuming and more difficult to use it for expressing themselves, there may be a shortfall in communication between teachers and students.

The school management should also realise the importance of ICT in education so that relevant training programmes can be organised for teachers and adequate fund allotted for this purpose.

What are the initiatives taken up by your school for integrating ICT in school education?

ICT has been incorporated in our school sysytem for the benefit of teachers and students alike and they are using it to full capacity. We organise supervised training programmes for our staff to educate them on the proper use of internet. Teachers are encouraged to use ICT in their classroom teaching, do more research on their respective subjects through Internet and also assist students in usig it for their projects and class assignments. We have also started an inter-house competition on making projects on power points using Internet facility under the guidance of teachers.

How do you build teachers’ capacity in rendering technology mediated education?

Our teachers are encouraged to participate in various training programmes to enhance their knowledge in ICT use. We encourage them to take part in various inter-school competitions where the use of Internet becomes a must; this brings awareness among the teachers of growing importance of ICT in education. We also send them to various workshops to build awareness among them.

How do you see public-private partnership for enhancing proper use of technologies in school education?

I would vouch for the PPP model as private companies are better equipped to train teachers in the use of latest technologies owing to their research and advance knowledge in this field.

Partnering in Universalisation of Education : Shabnam Sinha, IL&FS ETS, India

Interviews

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January 5, 2009

Shabnam Sinha
IL&FS ETS

We are increasingly moving towards Public Private Partnership to impact the larger sectoral education initiative in the country. We work to supplement and enhance the quality of large educational programmes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA)

Please tell with us about your company’s engagement with educational infrastructure. What are the goals and objectives?

IL&FS is one of India’s leading infrastructure development and finance companies. Our engagement in the field of education is through its subsidiary IL&FS Education and Technology Services Limited (IETS). We offer learning content and training modules for schools, colleges, vocational training institutes, governments, and the corporate sector.

How does IETS approach Public Private Partnership as an important aspect of expansion of education?

We are increasingly moving towards Public Private Partnership (PPP) to impact the larger sectoral education initiative in the country. We work to supplement and enhance the quality of large educational programmes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

How do you support government efforts for universalisation of education?

We have been engaged in teacher training for a while, but we are now up-scaling. As part of the SSA, we have trained one lakh teachers in Jharkhand in two months. We also help the schools and classrooms in doing their MIAS and classroom management systems using technology platforms.

What are the challenges and issues that confront India’s education system right now?

There are many issues related to equity, in terms of social and gender dynamics, within the large education programmes. We in our interventions are covering girls, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. We are working with the government of Delhi on 300 schools for enhancing the school infrastructure.

Talking about curriculum, can you give specific examples of how you go about it in schools that you are associated with?

Under PPP the schools are handed over to us in various states of dis-repair. And we are asked to give them a quality standard and a uniform and signature look. A protractor is actually drawn on the floor at the door, so when it opens it makes an angle. You can thus measure the angles that you are covering as you open the door. Thus each corner of the building becomes a learning corner.

What are the various other offerings of IETS?

Unlike most of the companies which are product oriented, we are process oriented as we work in the area of PPP. Our programmes are usually long term, from three to five years. Here I woould like to mention two critical programmes — one is the Delhi schools programme dealing with infrastructural changes. We are impacting 300 schools located in 202 buildings through this programme. So, we are doing this entire physical infrastructure upgradation for quality improvement. The other is that we provide complete holistic solution.

Talking about skill development, do you have any programmes for younger generation and college students, for enhancing employability of youth?

There is a very interesting programme which I would like to mention, i.e., Developing Life Skills package. We did this project with ILO. This Life Skills package was developed for child labourers and the unemployed youth to make them functional in a work situation. The package comprised 13 skills which were identified by us at the national level.

We are now planning to take this project to SSA schools for upscaling. The project is important as it has a strong component of entrepreneurship, negotiation skills, financial planning and budgeting involved, which is highly relevant in the current context.

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