85% of children in India have experienced cyberbullying: Survey

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August 8, 2022

A whopping 85 percent of children across India have reported being cyberbullied as well as having cyberbullied someone else at rates much over twice the global average, according to a report by top computer security software company McAfee.

According to the McAfee Cyberbullying report, a survey of 11,687 parents and their children was conducted this year between June 5-July 15 in 10 different countries.

According to the report, children in India witness and experience the majority of cyberbullying incidents on almost all social media and messaging platforms.

Personal insults, racism, sexual harassment, and trolling are just a few examples of cyberbullying.

Sharing his views in the report, Gagan Singh, Chief Product Officer, McAfee said, “Cyberbullying in India reaches alarming highs as more than 1 in 3 kids face cyber racism, sexual harassment, and threats of physical harm as early as at the age of 10 – making India the number 1 nation for reported cyberbullying in the world.”

The McAfee report stated that ”85 percent of Indian children reported being cyberbullied as well as having cyberbullied someone else at rates well over twice the international average.”

The report added, ”Indian children said that they are more likely to be cyberbullied by strangers compared to other children around the world, at 70 percent in India versus 45% worldwide.”

The survey also highlighted that 45 percent of children in India hide their cyberbullying experiences from parents, owing to the relative absence of conversation.

It is pertinent to note that 42 percent of children have experienced racist cyberbullying, which is disturbingly 14 percent more than the global average of 28 percent, according to Indian parents.

The report further said, “Extreme forms of cyberbullying reported besides racism include trolling (36 percent), personal attacks (29 percent), sexual harassment (30 percent), the threat of personal harm (28 percent), and doxing (23 percent), all of these at almost double the global average.”

Additionally, India reported notable instances of cyberbullying, including name-calling (34 percent), exclusion from groups and conversations (35 percent), and the spreading of false rumours (39 percent).

”Indian children reported cyberbullying up to 1.5 times more than children in other countries across fourteen surveyed platforms, ranging from Facebook and Instagram to Snapchat and WhatsApp. The one exception is TikTok, which remains banned in India,” the report added.

Besides, the report stated that nearly 3 out of 5 (58 percent) children are said to have deleted a social media account to avoid cyberbullying as compared to the global average of 33 per cent.

The report also found that 87 per cent of children said they discuss cyberbullying with their peers, which is 25 per cent again higher than the global average of 62 per cent.

Earlier in May, the McAfee study reported that 83 percent of children aged 10 to 14 in India use smartphones, which is seven percent more than the global average of 76 percent. This led to greater exposure to online risk, which in turn increased the number of children who were victims of cyberbullying and cyber crimes.

Moreover, the survey reported that only 47 percent of Indian parents were concerned about cyberbullying and abuse on social media, which is 10 percent less than the global average of 57 percent.

Additionally, the study titled “Life Behind the Screens of Parents, Tweens, and Teens” found that Indian children were engaging in private chats without knowing a person’s true identity which was noticeably 11 percent higher than other children around the world.

upGrad nets $210 Mn in latest fundraise

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digitalLEARNING Network

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August 8, 2022

The edtech unicorn upGrad has today said it has raised a fresh round of funds to the tune of $210 Mn from key investors and family offices who join the company capitalization table.

This round has witnessed participation from ETS Global (the world’s largest TOEFL & GRE Test Leader), Bodhi Tree (a JV of James Murdoch & Uday Shankar). Other investors that participated in the round include – Singapore’s Kaizen Management Advisors Pvt. Ltd, Family office of Bharti Airtel, Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office (Ambuja Cements and ACC), and Artisan Investments (Family Office of Lakshmi Mittal – Arcelor Mittal) along with existing investors Temasek, IFC, and IIFL.

In order to maintain their more than 50% stake in the edtech company, the Founder Group also invested $12.5 Mn in this funding round.

Sharing their views on the fundraise, upGrad Co-founders, Ronnie Screwvala and Mayank Kumar in a joint statement said, “We welcome our new investors and industry veterans to the upGrad cap table. There is a massive Re-skilling Revolution taking place around the world and over the last 5 years, our 4800+ colleagues have worked hard & smart to be at the epicenter of taking advantage of this, not just in India but around the world. Higher EdTech will be on the rise for the next 4 to 5 decades. upGrad in the last 12 months has re-shaped itself to be the most integrated company in this space with career opportunities for the College learners and Working Professionals from the age of 18 to 58 and will be a lifelong learning partner for millions in the coming years. We have always been very capital efficient while growing 100% year-on-year and hope to retain that discipline.”

With the fresh fundraise, the company plans to increase its team strength from the present 4,800 to 7,600 during the course of the next three months. This includes roughly 170 full-time faculty; 1,600 teachers, and more than 5000 on-contract coaches and mentors.

With a program completion rate of over 80 percent, upGrad has defied the trend of slump in the edtech sector and emerged as a world leader in higher education.

About 40 percent of the total revenue of upGrad is realized from Repeats and Referrals year-on-year, according to the company.

The edtech startup is on track to generate annual gross revenue worth $400-500 Mn in the current financial year. According to the company, about 45 percent of the total revenues for FY23 will be realised from upGrad’s own-branded online courses and programs.

Founded in 2015, upGrad is a pioneer in the online education space. The company is focused on promoting career success for a global workforce of over 1.3 Bn with the help of its online education platform.

With a learner base of over 3 Mn across 100+ countries and over 300 University partners, it is one of the few Integrated Life Long Learning Tech Companies in the world, spanning the college learner to the working professional from the age group of 18-50 years and across Undergrad courses, Campus & Job Linked Programs, Studying Abroad, short form to executive programs to Degrees, Masters, and Doctoral.

Termed as a leader in Asia’s higher edtech market, upGrad is now steadily expanding its activities across the globe to become the world’s leading edtech platform. Apart from India, it is currently operating in the Middle East, Singapore, the UK, the US and Vietnam, and various other countries.

Hindustan Online- CODE enters into partnership with DADB to offer course in 5G technology

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August 5, 2022

The e-learning arm of Chennai-based Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science (HITS) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the German Academy of Digital Education or the Deutsche Akademie fur Digitale Bildung (DADB) to offer course in fifth-generation (5G) technology.

The course will be offered to the regular students of HITS pursuing Electronics and Communications Engineering (ECE).

Also Read:- The future of e-learning in India

German professors and experts from the industry will conduct the overall four-month certification programme in 5G technology for which the course fee is Rs 5000. Eligible students should have a basic understanding of the wireless communication systems to pursue this course.

Sharing her views, Ami Agarwal, Head, Hindustan Online – CODE said, “There lies massive career opportunities in 5G technology with the increased digitisation across all sectors. With our collaboration with DADB, our students will be benefitted immensely in understanding the essentials and basics of 5G technology from the leading German professors and industry experts. This will be useful to those students who wish to enter this field or professionals working in the communication sector who would like to gain an in-depth understanding of the various aspects of advanced communication systems and the skills necessary to implement them.”

Launched in early 2021, the Hindustan Online-CODE claims to offer various University Grants Commission (UGC) approved undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs through online learning mode.

Earlier in May this year, while introducing new specialisation courses for academic year 2022-23 by Hindustan Online-CODE, Ami said, “With Hindustan Online – CODE, we offer people of all ages a convenient platform for pursuing higher education at their own pace. Designed by experts, Hindustan Online – CODE’s programs are backed by the experience and expertise of HITS, which has been established as a centre for excellence in delivering quality education over the years. It is our mission to reach out to all segments of society in their quest for knowledge, to empower and enrich them with global standards.”

The organisation aims to equip aspiring students and working professionals with requisite skills and knowledge required for them to be job-ready for the future in view of the growing demand for qualified and skilled professionals globally.

The Hindustan Online-CODE programmes are designed not merely to provide theoretical learning but they also focus on practical application of the concepts by following outcome-based learning modules.

The programs offered by the DADB are supported by German technology and expertise. Apart from 5G Technology, the DADB offers a wide variety of programmes that range from topics like Augmented Reality (AR), Automation, Industry 4.0, Robotics, and virtual reality among others.

The well-renowned Hindustan Group of Institutions, in its quest to be at the forefront of quality education, launched Hindustan Online – CODE. The programs offered by Hindustan Online – CODE are all well-curated with well-researched curriculum.

IIT Kanpur signs MoU with NPCI to share knowledge and collaborate on research

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August 4, 2022

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.

This agreement paves the way for the exchange of creative ideas and collaboration on the development of indigenous digital payment solutions.

Also Read:- IIT Kanpur signs MoU with Alliance Francaise to teach French to students

According to reports, the collaboration will also aid in strengthening cybersecurity controls for NPCI and its subsidiaries’ products and services. Moreover, the MoU will spur NPCI and IIT Kanpur to work together on a variety of projects.

With the help of this alliance, renowned faculty members from the institute will conduct in-depth educational sessions and share thoughts for NPCI staff on cybersecurity and the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Security Product Roadmaps, and Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT).

Besides, IIT Kanpur students will have the opportunity to participate in internship programmes through NPCI, which will give them the invaluable experience of working on live projects of NPCI.

While the domain-centric knowledge and expertise of IIT Kanpur scholars will aid NPCI in swiftly carrying out the changing demands of consumer-oriented offerings.

Commenting on the MoU, Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “IIT Kanpur has been at the forefront when it comes to developing secure and innovative solutions to digital transaction and storage of data. The institute houses the C3i Hub dedicated solely to developing cyber security solutions and cyber-physical systems. This collaboration with NCPI further strengthens our goal to achieve a holistic cyber secure ecosystem for our country. This association will not only give converge to the best of both the institutions in developing a robust digital payments system but will also pave the way for multi-disciplinary research and opportunities.”

Sharing his views, Antony Prakash, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), NPCI said, “At NPCI, we are committed to building a robust digital payments infrastructure and are constantly creating innovative offerings for seamless payments system. The association provides NPCI and IIT-K an excellent opportunity to develop advanced technical solutions that will provide customers with a best-in-class, convenient, and safer payments experience. We believe it will usher in the development of a more refined digital payments ecosystem which will further ameliorate any potential bottlenecks in the system.”

Prof. Sandeep K Shukla, Professor, Computer Science & Engineering Department, IIT Kanpur, and Joint Project Director, C3iHub, IIT Kanpur, stated, “IIT Kanpur has been paving the way for critical research and development in the field of cyber security and digital data privacy for long. In recent years, several blockchain-based and other cyber security initiatives have been developed and executed by IIT Kanpur. However, many of them are multi-disciplinary initiatives, and the need for such collaborations in today’s time is very crucial. This association with NPCI is in the same line and would ensure the development of a more secure and holistic ecosystem in the domain of digital payments and collaborative research initiatives.”

The MoU will mutually benefit both parties with its knowledge-sharing nature and will enable the constitution of better and more secure digital payment products and services oriented towards national interest and upliftment.

Delhi Government signs MoU with Burlington English India

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August 4, 2022

Delhi Board of School Education(DBSE) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Burlington English, a leading global provider of English language learning solutions. The partnership will provide students to develop global competencies in the English language thereby making them benevolent & future-ready. The programme named as “ईnnovation in कmmunication” (Innovation in Communication) will aim on strengthening the schools’ efforts to develop an immersive English language learning environment and also work on the capacity of the respective school teachers through digital and offline interventions. It is in line with the Delhi government’s vision to help students develop 21st century skills.

Himanshu Gupta, Director Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, said: “We have always worked to ensure that our children get a wide range of skills from our school system. We are pleased to partner with Burlington English to deliver learning opportunities to our students and teachers. It is important for 21st century learners to confidently communicate in English. This opens up a plethora of opportunities for them in the future. We have initiated Project Voices in Delhi government schools to boost students’ confidence and communication skills.”

Also Read:- Delhi government’s three departments to work for setting boarding school for Homeless Children

Ratnesh Jha, Chief Executive Officer, The Burlington Group of Companies, said, “It is a proud moment for us to be associated with the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi. Acquiring global competency in the English language is a necessity in today’s fast-paced world, and we believe that such a programme will deepen our commitment to providing the effective educational platform that every child deserves. He added, “At Burlington, we’re committed to helping learners with the best-in-class content, delivered through the latest technologies to ensure that the students are well prepared to become global citizens.”

As a part of this partnership, more than 200 students will get all-round support for developing English language communication, and it will be powered by deep technology. Plethora of learning opportunity will be provided to students of Classes 1–12 in other Delhi government schools as well, that are not yet affiliated with DBSE. While for Classes 1 to 5, it would work to improve the way the English language is learnt to level up language acquisition by integrating content and technology to covering interesting themes.It would aim to boost the spoken English skills amongst the students to support their future skilling and employability needs for Classes 9 to 12.

Burlington’s “ईnnovationin कmmunication” (Innovation in Communication) program will also augment teacher capacities through a blended program. To further improve their English language learning and teaching competencies, we will equip them with the techniques to drive improved learning outcomes. Debating Programmes will further be organised to supplement these efforts to draw students’ engagement and provide them a platform to showcase their language skills.

Some of the esteemed guests who joined the MoU signing program were K.S. Upadhyay, CEO, Delhi Board of School Education, and Samreen Ghauri, Senior Manager – Strategic Alliances, Burlington English.

UGC dual degree initiative – Face of tomorrow

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August 4, 2022

Indian higher education landscape is undergoing massive transformations. As announced in the new National Education Policy (NEP) and in order to allow students to acquire multiple skills, UGC is coming up with new guidelines to allow a candidate to pursue two degree programmes simultaneously. Digital Learning magazine invited feedback from the industry on this move that will allow students to enrich themselves and offer a diverse talent pool.

Rashi Nigam, Head Pedagogy, Kidex MIT/NITI Aayog Alumnus: The UGC policy on dual degree programs offers the advantage of flexibility of having multiple entry and exit points in a course. The multiple entry and exit points is a surefire way of making learning a primary objective of degrees. Consider the case of a student enrolled in a second year bachelor course in Fine Arts who now gets interested in AR/VR technology. He or she can simultaneously enroll in a science course to achieve their objective of creating mixed media art using Augmented Reality.

Amritanshu Kumar, CTO, Kidex, Blackrock/IIT KGP/IIM Calcutta Alumnus: Last NEP was in 1986. India was different then. We needed a different talent profile. But the world has changed now. The world is AGILE – during 3/4 years of a graduation, the job opportunities profile of industry changes a lot. Hence, this policy empowers students to pursue their interests and yet, opportunistically plan their career. This policy will be the backbone of making India world’s largest economy sooner by at least a decade.

Kapish Saraf, CEO, Kidex, BCG/IIT KGP/IIM Calcutta Alumnus: When I was at IIT Kharagpur, I was studying Biotechnology. Whenever I used to have free time, I would visit School of Management on IIT campus & attend classes there on Marketing, Finance, HR, Strategy etc. I gave exams for both Biotech & MBA papers and cleared them. But the more important benefit for me was that I realized I was more a business guy rather than a technical guy. It helped me decide my area of specialization in my post-graduate studies. I believe this policy will give this freedom & option to millions of Indians & hence, this is a step in the right direction. Word of caution: Ensure exams for such two subjects from different courses do not fall in the same time slot.

Convergence and collaboration driving innovation in education

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digitalLEARNING Network

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August 4, 2022

Supported by favorable policy measures including the revolutionary National Education Policy and state-led reforms to push for inclusive growth, the education segment is witnessing the creation of unprecedented opportunities. Initiatives and impetus given to developing education in the state of Telangana are driving a noteworthy change. And these initiatives are spanning all classes, subjects, age groups, and streams, encompassing the entire education ecosystem.

The Telangana government has been able to successfully understand & identify the pulse of the present system and fill the gaps to accelerate the growth of the education sector to meet the current demands and also have an industry-ready workforce. Identifying the crucial role technology is playing today and in the times to come, the state government has been introducing relevant courses and programmes in the region to give students much-needed exposure.

It is noteworthy to highlight the budgetary allocations made by the Telangana government that included Rs 16,043 crore to the education sector for 2022-23, compared to Rs 15,608 crore the previous year in the budget early this year to accelerate the growth of the segment.

This special issue of the Digital Learning magazine focusing on the education initiatives of Telangana bring to the fore in-depth insights from Navin Mittal, Commissioner, Collegiate and Technical Education Department, Government of Telangana, Syed Omar Jaleel, IAS, Secretary and Commissioner, Department of Intermediate Education, Government of Telangana and other notable education leaders from across the country highlight the significant initiatives and measures being undertaken in the state.

We also highlight the role of technology in transforming the education landscape across the country and segments beginning from early childhood education to higher education and beyond. And as this special issue gets unveiled at the 24th edition of the World Education Summit, we look forward to two days of enlightening and enriching discussions around the various innovations in education in the presence of a galaxy of luminaries from across the country.

We hope you enjoy reading this special issue!

“Telangana has the potential of becoming the dream destination for education not only in India but also globally”

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digitalLEARNING Network

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August 4, 2022

A state that has witnessed huge transformations in the higher education segment, starting 2018, Telangana has seen massive flexibility being provided to students while choosing their courses. Navin Mittal, Commissioner, Collegiate and Technical Education Department, Government of Telangana talks about the future landscape of education in the country with Hemangini Rajput of Elets News Network (ENN).

Telangana has expanded the ambit of learning with a renewed focus on technology-enabled learning as showcased by the recently launched courses on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) from this academic year. Could you elaborate upon the objectives of this push and other academic initiatives planned for the students?

Telangana has put a lot of focus on the new technology and the new age courses. For the last two years we have added almost about 25,000 seats in the new technology courses like artificial intelligence, machine learning, cyber security, robotics, data science, Internet of Things, in fact, the entire gamut of it.

I can proudly say that of the total seats added in the country, more than 20 per cent of those seats are in the state of Telangana, in the last two years. The Government of Telangana and the Department of Technical Education have laid that kind of emphasis. And it has been our continuous endeavour to encourage more and more students to take up the new age courses.

Apart from the full-fledged courses in this sector, we are also enabling students to do a minor in these courses. So, the students who are already in our engineering colleges, if they do about 20 credits in any field of specialisation, they can get a minor or a specialisation in their subject.

Thirdly, even for our degree college students, also, that is students who are doing B.Sc. we are starting AI/ML programs for them also. In fact a large percentage of B.com and B.Sc. students in the state are having computer science applications as an option, whereas in B.Com, 77 per cent of the students want to opt for B.Com computer applications. Similarly for the physical sciences also, the percentage is very high, almost 75 per cent upwards.

Last year, we also introduced a special course of B.Sc. Data Science, and Data analytics courses, are doing very well in the segment for the degree students. And this will really push the development of the new technology-related fields in the state of Telangana and in the country in general.

What are the special initiatives being taken to foster the technical education ecosystem in the state?

So, the special initiative which are being taken to foster the technical education ecosystem in the state is its multi-pronged approach. So, the first initiative is using technology in our education and that is being integrated in a very big way.

Of course, Covid was a one disruptor which forced us to go digital. But from the learning of covid we are integrating a lot of this digital ecosystem into our technical education system. Apart from this, we have also laid a lot of emphasis on the modern curriculum. So both in our engineering colleges as well as in our polytechnics, we have revisited the curriculum and made it more market-friendly which is what the industry needs. Also, we have made sure this is in sync with the latest technologies what students need to use when they go into the employment market, or they want to do something on their own being an entrepreneur.

The third initiative is that a lot of emphasis is being laid on reforms in the sector, which is making life easy for the students, and giving them a lot of flexibility in terms of how they want to shape up their careers in terms of subject choice, subject combination, and multiple pathways.

Finally, major emphasis is also laid on faculty development because unless you develop the faculty, they would not be able to teach. We expose our faculty to not only national best practises but also to international ecosystems in a very big way.

How do you see the future landscape of education in the country?

The future landscape of education in India is very bright. In fact, the last couple of years have been transformative in that regard. One is that NEP 2020 is a path-breaking policy regarding the direction, which especially higher education ecosystem is going to take in the country. Secondly, the overall technological development, which is taking place in the education sector.

Three, I think Covid 19 has been a big disruptor in changing the mindsets of people in terms of how we adopt technology; how we transform our education system. So, I think these three things put together are taking our system in the right direction. Personally, I am very optimistic and parallelly a lot of innovations are happening in this sector, especially in terms of how students shape up their career. In fact, work-integrated learning is a very big sector, which is now being adopted on a large scale and I see a lot of potential in this regard.

What have been the major transformations witnessed by the higher education segment in the state?

In the state, I would say huge transformations which have happened in the higher education segment. One of them was in the year 2018 when we went for a major overhaul of our government degree colleges, where we not only modernised courses, but also introduced new course combinations. Later in 2019, we went in for a lot of flexibility regarding how students choose their courses, which was first started with the government colleges and then extended to the private colleges.

We also revised the whole credit framework as well as the curriculum in 2019. And the net impact of that is our government colleges have seen a major upward trend. For instance, there has been a 68 per cent growth in the student admissions, in our government colleges in the state, which shows that once we show the quality and once, we address student choices, students are willing to come in a major way into that system. Apart from this, as I mentioned earlier, our emphasis is also in how we integrate technology into it; technology in multiple ways including technology in education and technology in teaching. That means students should be abreast of the latest technologies in terms of their learning. So I would say the integration of technology in multiple ways and has given us extremely good results and helped our students in their journey not only in terms of better employability but also an upsurge in students’ entrepreneurship.

What are the challenges and opportunities of digitisation in the education system?

The challenges and opportunities of digitisation are enormous. But each aspect of the education system can be benefited by digitisation. For example: in universities or college management systems it can be in terms of the use of biometric devices or facial recognition devices for attendance which we have adopted; it can be in terms of the use of e-office in our institutions which we have done in terms of evaluation. We have started on-screen digital evaluations and all our answers get scanned and are sent to the faculty members online who also evaluate them online. So this is the entire gamut of how digitisation can be done in administering the institutions.

Secondly, it is also about the use of technology in reaching out to the students. It could be through online programs, it could be through online classes, it could be through also use of hybrid mediums of education i.e., students who are not having success can also participate in the process through digital means.

And thirdly, as I said technology as education regarding new age technologies to be the focus of the educational journey. There are some challenges in terms of which this whole process must be handled very properly; in the sense that change management is very important, and up to what extent, we could leverage technology. In fact, covid has shown that simply online education will not help us in terms of student access because there is a lack of devices and lack of proper bandwidth at the student end but also in terms of the methodology or the pedagogy of teaching also. We have not yet been able to meet the full needs of students through the online mechanism and I think that is major challenge. So we must find out the best mix which is required for both the sides.

Your thoughts on making Telangana as a dream destination for higher education.

Telangana has the potential of becoming the dream destination for education not only in India but also globally, as we have done amazingly well in many sectors. We are known for IT globally. In fact, the big 5 of the world, Microsoft. Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook, all of them have their development centres in Hyderabad, speak of the IT progress which we have.

We have also done remarkably well in the pharma industry, as we are the major global exporter of pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines.

One of the challenges we have faced is that we were limited regarding Article 371 D in terms of our seats being reserved for local students, which prevented students from outside the states, as well as globally, from coming here for educational purposes.

To the great extent that has now been addressed in the Private Universities Act, wherein now almost 70 per cent of the seats are open to anybody. And I see huge interest in new private universities coming to the state of Telangana in fact some global interest regarding foreign universities is setting up its capex here.

Do we have a separate policy or anything for foreign students to come and study in Telangana?

India and UK have just signed mutual recognition of degrees, which was a major stumbling block, which means Indian degrees will be recognised in UK, and similarly, the UGC regulations have come up with the dual degrees, twinning programs/joint degrees, which is a great step forward.

What message would you like to give to our readers?

India is poised at a position that enables us to develop very quickly in the future, which results in a higher number of opportunities for employment innovation and entrepreneurship. Students should dream big. They should keep their goals high and work on themselves as much as possible to equip themselves with skills, knowledge, and the right attitude.

Fostering a professional learning environment for teachers

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digitalLEARNING Network

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August 3, 2022

Schools are temples of learning, and teacher capacity is considered one of the most significant factors that have a deep influence on student learning. Most schools do practice schedules for continuous professional development – CPD measures for faculty members. Yet, the quality of learning from the teachers’ side has a reduced repute. This is weirdly ironic. After all, aren’t they learning professionals? Vastly competent professionals who make use of avenues to learn and formulate learning and lead learning for others? Shouldn’t developers of amazing learning experiences for students also be the recipients of their own stellar learning experiences?

Ensuring deep and long-lasting learning experiences for all students, from elementary to senior secondary, is the strategic task that every school has to focus on. The teaching and learning department in each school has to be predicated on the belief that in order to attain this kind of learning for the students, must also attain this kind of learning for the teachers.

This is every now and then portrayed as ‘best practice’ or ‘exemplary form in the teaching-learning process’. The ideal conditions for learning are to ensure a suitable learning environment for all learners in school, no matter their age or experience. Because the most prevailing learning experiences for students are personalized and receptive, then what we have to suggest for teachers must also mark those inevitable qualities.

Formulating experiences for deeper learning

The teaching and learning department of every school has to develop a professional learning experience for teachers that is centered on the principles and practices of deeper learning for their students. In the process of articulating the content and learning outcomes for the work with teachers, school leadership has to understand that we need to plan their delivery model. How the teachers learn is just as important as what the teachers learned.

The leadership team has to show a keen interest in hearing directly from teachers about what is important to them in their own learning. Teachers will have a lot of experiences to share. It will be like no one had ever inquired them a query like this before. Teachers will have a number of previous experience related to the following:

How a professional continuous learning process is scheduled
Privileges and unique opportunities afforded to some teachers but not to some others
Decision-making about the topics and content selected prioritised for professional learning
Involvement of School Administration
The aptitude of fellow teachers in learning and collaborative works
The quantity of support they got after an early session.
The need for professional and continuous learning to be suitable and appropriate to the grades or subjects taught in different levels of schooling
Thoughts of apprehension and exhilaration about trying a new thing in the classroom
A mixture of release and satisfaction when students responded to practice and reached the preferred outcomes.

Feedback and Teacher Learning Experiences

The School Leadership team needs to make conscious efforts to understand the teachers and develop a co-created set of foundational beliefs and values about how the professional educators have to behave in the school experience of their own learning. Those principles will work as a guide to creating and delivering professional learning for teachers. This co-created list can work as the team’s playbook for planning. From its first use, it is expected to serve as a meaningful checklist, helping the leadership to create something impactful for teachers and students.

The leadership team has to build a Deeper Learning Foundations programme for teachers using these principles. As the school nears the end of one academic year offering that programme, the team can see measurable differences in both teachers’ and students’ levels of Meta cognition.

Views expressed by Haris Madappally, Executive Director, Peevees Public School, Nilambur, Kerala.

The growing trend of cloud computing has revolutionised the way we teach and learn – Ajay Kumar KVSSN

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August 3, 2022

Ajay Kumar KVSSN, Chief Operating Officer, Rapyder Cloud Solutions elaborates on the journey of Rapyder and the opportunities that the rise of cloud computing is bringing.

How did Rapyder came into existence? What was the thought behind its formation?

A journey that has crossed its 5th milestone years, started with just a 5-member team. Rapyder came into existence with a simple aim to create a passionate team who believes in creating & delivering value for our customers in a true sense making the cloud work for them.

Our philosophy is how we can create value for our teams and their well-being. We are strong believers that team members are differentiators for the success of the organisation. Our mission is to help businesses leverage the full potential of cloud benefits and newer opportunities around it and make business leadership stress-free for their business continuity. We have created an employee-friendly workplace that will drive excellence, and motivation and create better results.

Rapyder is mainly composed of 3Cs & 3 Ws. 3Cs for – Clarity, Culture, and Competency – and 3Ws for– Customer win, RapyDearWin, and Business Win. Rapyder strives to build high-performing and customer-focused teams yet remain focused on our mission to improve the workplace by allowing employees to thrive while keeping a customer centric attitude.

With high level cloud competencies as its strength, what type of consulting services does Rapyder offer for edtech and educational organisations?

Rapyder’s cloud solutions enrich the virtual classroom experience for edtech businesses through digital transformation ensuring a seamless customer experience with a business scalability meeting growing demands.

We are a strategic cloud partner for many educational institutions & edtech firms, having solved from simple to complex business problems in digital transition viz Cloud Consulting, Migration, DevOps, App Modernization, Data Analytics, and AI/ ML etc. We help stitch a bespoke cloud strategy that most suits the business needs with minimal downtime reducing operating expenses.

Our Cloud engineers are experts in developing cloud-based apps that can handle and analyse data quickly and reliably. Services surrounding AI/ML skills are used to analyse the available data and derive meaningful results. With our managed services edtech firms can get 24/7 support and stay focused on their core services.

Please elaborate on Rapyder’s other service portfolio for edtech customers.

Rapyder’s service portfolio for edtech customers includes SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS offerings. We have our own IP solutions to enhance the edtech communication channels with their users. Our Centre of Excellence has been putting heads together to solve edtech problems with Data Analytics & AI/ML solutions that enhance their teaching and learning process. Our team can help our edtech customers migrate their programmes and apps from their on premises location to the cloud or Cloud to Cloud.

How does Rapyder contribute to the cumulative demand in digital transformations that have seen a boom in recent times?

Rapyder has been working with Start-Ups, SMB’s & Enterprises in the implementation of cloud solutions for improved data protection, pricing, performance, and migration through a digital transformation. We conduct Know Your Architecture workshops, and IT Landscape assessments at regular intervals to make them cognizant of the digital transformation and show the value they derive in time.

Going by the aspirational value of cloud technology, is it a good career prospect for students?

Cloud as a career may be quite lucrative and long span in the industry to those who take an interest in it. Cloud services have grown indispensable in numerous areas, including health care, education, manufacturing, gaming and finance, etc. Cloud provides students with a plethora of opportunities due to its widespread availability, demand, and established public & private cloud solutions. It gives you the opportunity to advance their career by opting from a diverse selection and work as a cloud architect, cloud administrator, or cloud security expert, etc.

With a massive emphasis on digital transformation, the increased need for cloud specialists is being driven by the expanding number of start-ups, as well as existing global corporations. This is an indication for job seekers with a wonderful opportunity to grow their career, in the field of cloud and allied solutions.

There is immense talent in rural India and Rapyder is very keen to create opportunities for tier-2 and tier-3 cities students and make an impact in Indian towns & rural areas to contribute to their careers, bringing them to the speed on par with metros. We have already defined our hiring strategy in tier-2 & 3 cities and are making investments in training. The first batch is already identified and has been trained for 4 months and has started working with our customers.

What are some of the key challenges sustaining the education sector in India? How does Rapyder plan to address the same?

Over the last few years, the Indian education sector has seen a significant transformation due to the advent of new technologies. The growing trend of cloud computing has revolutionised the way we teach and learn. Although modern technologies have shown a significant impact on the education system, only a small percentage of the population benefits while the larger number is still unserved.

Reasons such as lack of digital infrastructure and awareness, security, and high expense perceptions are among the obstacles. Rapyder, as a cloud organisation, aspires to bridge the digital divide and ensure that everyone has equal access to information. We firmly believe that cloud computing has a great role in overcoming challenges faced by the Indian education system and hence provides cost-optimised cloud services enabling edtech companies to undergo much-needed digital transformation.

How do you envisage education five years down the line? What are future projects for Rapyder in the pipeline?

Learning will become far more exciting and rewarding because of creative, immersive, and interactive kinds of teaching. With rising online courses, there is a greater connection between the teacher, student, and parent, making learning more personal, intuitive, and responsive. Future education is collaborative and there is a pressing need to work in tandem with multiple partners converging into a single source to exchange information/content to create a seamless learning experience for users at speed.

a. We are migrating the company (on-premises), focusing on futuristic experiential learning and training consultant and solutions provider for K-12, higher education, and vocational & industrial organisations based in the Middle East.

b. Control tower setup for a Micro learning platform with a library of 5,000+ lessons to help students upskill in key areas like leadership, communication & marketing.

c. DevOps automation for a company that focuses on digital, Interactive Worksheets for your classroom.

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