Intel Study An archetype for learning and teaching

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June 17, 2006

Intel Study An archetype for learning and teaching

In an attempt to bring in a fresh new perspective to class room learning, Intel research team in India carried out an exercise to capture what parents and teachers had to say about their lives in alignment with that of the children. The needs, dreams and aspirations of children were looked into, with an indepth exploration into their daily lives, surrounding home, school and spaces in between. Parents had a lot more to say in terms of dreams and aspirations and what they thought would be the ideal solution to the drawbacks in the present day education system. Teachers also contributed in coming out with the shortcomings, ailing classroom teaching, which helped ultimately the Intel team in finding out the present day paradigms and the trend settings for a technology-empowered generation for the future. The research provided with myriad insights can be the eye openers for developing a need-based solution for school education, particularly for an emerging market like India

Because of the deep-rooted inclination towards education, any attempt to bring about changes, however big or small, would necessarily have to be explicit in
terms of the benefits and value propositions. With this understanding, the research team at Intel in India has found it quite challenging to develop a solution, for the teachers to teach well and the students to learn better. The Intel team study captures student insights through in-depth personal interviews, expert observations and cultural probes. A number of artifacts used by them were also studied and documented in order to bring out the subtleties of personalisation and individual usage models. The study also unraveled the daily routine of a typical student and observations were mapped out within the context and the ecosystem captured as a whole. The research was not just limited to the end users or “consumers” of technology in education, but also to
the important drivers, chief stakeholders and also the players in the ecosystem. User research was done to understand the needs and attitudes of primary users,
secondary users and drivers. Secondary research was done to understand opportunities in education for middle tier India.
Secondary research
Areas covered in the research are-
• Market segmentation
• The Ecosystem- Users and Drivers
• Government initiatives and vision for ICT in Education
• Current education system
• In depth need analysis

Market segmentation
The target Segment for this study is the middle tier India, and in the education domain. The urban India segmentation is classified as the rich, the consuming class, the climbers, the aspirers, and the destitute. Indian middle tier comprises of the consuming class, the climbers and the aspirers. The rich class and the destitute are not included for this study. The other segment is the education
domain or schools, which was considered basing on the statistics on ICT
penetration in Indian schools, which is again less than one educational PC per 1000 students in schools. The focus was on the urban schools, and certain government sponsored schools, which will help to provide reach and network. Municipal and Government schools were not considered owing to low infrastructure.

Ecosystem – Users and Drivers
The user study was based on a classification of primary and secondary users. The primary users of any solution in the target segment would be the students.
Teachers and parents are the secondary users Schools and the Government (state nd centre) who have extended policy level support and funds for deployment of ICT for education in the schools are considered as the primary drivers. Parents and teachers are the secondary drivers.

Government initiatives
There are several policies and initiatives proposed by the government both at a central as well as state level, to promote the use of ICT in India education. The current policies by the central government include part of the tenth five-year plan, the CLASS project, Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, among others. Among state governments, Kerala, Delhi and Orissa have introduced policies for ICT implementation in education. Among visionaries, President Abdul Kalam and the Minister for Communication and Information Technology have proposed several initiatives regarding the use of technology in education. NCERT, a government agency, has helped ICT penetration by introducing programmes for the use of technology in education.

User research
The study was done in Mumbai and surrounding semi urban regions .The user research was complimented by ethnographic studies in Bangalore and Hyderabad schools in southern India. The goal of the user research was to understand the needs and the attitudes of middle tier India, in the domain of education. The user segmentation was done based on the socio-economic classifications, the samples being: students (30 numbers from 5th to 9th standards), schools (20 school representatives like Principal, Head mistress/Master, etc) and parents (15 families).

Key insights
The insights summarising analysis of user research, contain • Understanding of the needs and the motivations of the users • Relationship between the users and their environment • Understanding of current technology usage scenarios and extrapolation to future usages • Choke points and pressure points

Insights from the students
The need to carry all textbooks and notebooks everyday to the school irrespective of the timetable weighs down the child. At school, the large size of the class leads to lack of personal attention from the teachers and the unappealing text books coupled with traditional methods of teaching de-motivates the child. An integral part of the Indian child’s life is the tuitions, which along with the schools follow a complete exam focused process. Peer pressure and parental pressure drive the child towards result-oriented education

Insights from the parents
Even an illiterate parent realises the potential of computer education (though in many cases they cannot make out a difference between computer education and knowledge) and aspires to give his child computer education. Constant complaints about inaccessible learning and inconsistent curriculum are common notes in the research. Lack of innovative teaching and lackluster learning mechanism is what concerns the parents most.

Insights from the teachers
The education content contains novalue-based teaching and the curriculum is unappealing. The rush to meet curriculum deadlines also plays havoc in their approach to teaching. Lack of parental involvement leaves the moral onus
entirely on the teachers to bring out better results. The teachers seek technology as a solution for most of their problems. To them technology has a major share in markedly changing their lives for the better and opine that technology has made it easier for all and sundry except the teaching sector hence it is high time for technology to give them better honor.

Identified key challenges
• Traditional, non technology based teaching techniques
• Stressful life, over crowded classes, long study hours, need to carry heavy school bags, etc.
• Deficiencies in current education and examination system promoting scoring over learning, theoretical rather than practical, less attention to vocational or
technical education, etc. Towards a solution space Gathered from different perspectives, some solution points are
• Innovative content to make learning an exciting experience • Complete the learning experience by bringing together students, parents and teachers
• Role of technology enablers (like service providers, content providers) are critical
• Need to focus on developing the ecosystem to make the solution fruitful and effective
• Initiatives from the government side and policy implementations which help the education

segment develop
Some attempts for change The CBSE, Central Board of Secondary Education, has
introduced several initiatives to improve the education in India. It has made attempts to reduce the size of school bags and relieve burden on children, including locker provision and worksheets for homework. The board has also provides students with tips on relieving examination anxiety. A section of schools have introduced creative teaching techniques that include the use of computers and electronic media to impart educational material. Innovative electronic concepts for education are also brought about with private sector
participation. Previous studies have pointed out that there have been innovations like distance learning and e-learning, which have made learning a more enjoyable and fruitful experiences. Such endeavors address problems
faced by a particular section of users and cannot be a generalised solution. Hence it is necessary to envision and empower a design, which addresses the above-identified challenges that are universal to students, parents and teachers across India. The current research has led us to
realise the need for urgent intervention of technology in the Indian educational system to influence and revolutionise the learning techniques. Education is one
of the key areas constantly seeking attention from the policy makers and it is high time that technology is integrated by them not only into curriculum but also support for a

Education via PDA Technology

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June 17, 2006

A Portable Digital Assistant or PDA is a small, hand-held device equipped with computer capabilities that nowadays often includes wireless network connectivity, a mobile phone, a camera and a variety of add-on hardware and software extensions. For Attewell (2005), as the number of devices available globally increases, this technology will become “digital life” for many individuals. This tool potentially creates a spectrum of educational opportunities and a new type of student-technology partnership in learning. Equipped with multimedia capabilities this technology permits for delivery of all kinds of digital material such as video, audio, graphic and integrated multimedia presentation

Appropriately designed educational digital material church as learning objects could be effectively delivered to students via this technology any time and anywhere. Learning objects for educational applications via PDA technology must be designed around key benefits of this technology for learning as well as around its limitations.

Key benefits of this technology are portability and being able to act as personal companion to
individuals in variety of activities in productive ways. One of the key limitations of PDA is widely considered to be associated with small screen display area. The central focus of the study reported here is to gain understanding of important design consideration that will result in creation of better learning objects for educational applications via PDA technology.

The study of the effective design of Learning Objects for PDA delivery
The preliminary qualitative study reported in this paper was designed to explore the following questions: 1. What types of learning objects may be more effective for educational applications via PDA technology? 2. What may be a more effective context for their educational applications via PDA technology?

3. How can these types of learning objects be designed to manage the challenge of the small display area of PDA technology? There are two stages in this study. In the first stage, a number of educational professionals were interviewed. The condition for including an individual for an interview was that he or she be an experienced education professional who had previously used PDA technology for personal and educational uses. The interviews were facilitated by a PDA device and demonstrations of different types of learning objects (as classified above).

Various learning objects were shown and their educational possibilities for PDA delivery were discussed with the respondents. These learning objects were selected to also permit demonstration of various media (text, visuals, audio) and different kinds of interactions (buttons, hot-spots, sliders, text-entry boxes) in order to facilitate further discussion leading to an understanding of possibilities for dealing with the challenges of a small display area.

The design took into consideration the possibilities for dealing with the challenges of small screen as identified from the initial stage of the study through involvement with ten educational professionals experienced with educational use of PDA technology. Students’ experiences of using these learning objects are currently explored through experiments in one primary and one secondary school classroom.

The study insights
Data from the initial stage of the study suggests that the respondents in general understood that effective learning objects for delivery via PDA technology should be designed in a way that supports student-centered learning activities, such as problem solving (e.g. troubleshooting, strategic performance, case analysis, design or dilemma – for more detailed classification of problem types).

In particular, two types of learning objects from the classification appear to be favoured for delivery via PDA technology based on the perspectives of the respondents: an information object and a conceptual model. As the study continued to involve students and their teachers in the classroom, a conceptual model appeared favoured. In this paper, some discussion about this particular type of learning object is provided.

All the respondents suggested that the small display area is a critical limitation of this type of technology, a significant factor that affects the effectiveness of presentations of learning objects, and a factor that might negatively impact general acceptance of this type of technology in education communities. One idea to deal with the limitations of screen size was to provide a facility for students to zoom in on certain areas of the learningobject, while simultaneously having access to a thumbnail view of the entire learning object.

Another idea that surfaced in the study was the use of a “moveable” pop-up area that houses navigation elements or information. The movable screen elements could be designed in a way to be semi-transparent to allow partial visibility of the remaining screen behind them. One more idea that emerged was a novel way to utilise a pointing device (that is, a stylus pen). The conceptual model as type of learning objects is discussed here which seems as the most appropriate educational applications via PDA.

Conceptual models A conceptual model is a type of a learning object that represents one or more related concepts or ideas, usually in an interactive and visual way. It might be appropriate to think of conceptual models as representations of cognitive resources existing in the mind of subject matter experts, as useful conceptual knowledge that aids decision-making, disciplinary problem-solving and as key concepts from a discipline representing knowledge as sociohistorical heritage.

Previous research with visual educational material introduced a conceptual model (see Mayer, 1989. Mayer suggests that these improve the ability of learners to transfer their learning to solve new problems, because learners have constructed useful mind models that they are able to mentally manipulate when needed technology-based representations, Mayer (2003) suggests that multiple representations facilitate learning because different modalities are encoded and organised in different mind models which, when mentally connected, lead to deeper understanding. Now we have powerful technology-based tools that enable us to add critical dimensions to the design of conceptual models – interactivity and modalities.

For Fraser (1999), these capabilities of contemporary technology provide unique opportunity for communication of concepts to learners through representational pedagogical models. Fraser writes that “in the past, we relied on words, diagrams, equations, and gesticulations to build those models piece by piece in the minds of the students… we now have a new tool – not one that replaces the older ones, but one that greatly extends them: interactive computer visualisation.” Models were also discussed by Gibbons (n.d.). Gibbon suggests that all instruction should be based around three types of models representing instructional content: (a) models of environment; (b) models of natural or manufactured systems; and (c) models of human performance. However, these models appear to be representations of reality and expert performance, rather than models of conceptual knowledge. Interactivity and modalities allow the creation of conceptual models that potentially represent conceptual knowledge and ideas (not a simulation or emonstration of a performance).

An example of a conceptual model, “Exploring Pulleys System”, is presented here. This learning object is an interactive and visual representation of a concept of mechanical transfer of power through pulleys system. It allows students to manipulate a number of parameters and observe impact of the configuration on the pulleys system. In order for full educational potential of this learning object to be realised, a teacher needs to create a task within which students will be engaged in inquiry and exploration of underlining relationships embedded the learning object. Uncovering these relationship should lead to deeper understanding of the key concept represented by the learning object.

This deep understanding in the longer run might be supported by perceptual impressions and individuals cognitive ability to recreate interaction in the mind through imagination. However, fundamental in this context of effective utility of a learning object in learning is a task for student that is developed by a teacher. PDA technology allows conceptual models to be available to students in a variety of educational situations, any time and anywhere. An unexplored idea guiding my thinking at this stage is that these conceptual models might ct as mediating tools and external supplements to deficiencies in students’ knowledge within a context of intellectual activities which are at the higher level of complexity than their current level of development.

Through provision of external conceptual models, student problemsolving performance might be brought to a higher level. Portable Digital Assistant technology potentially creates a spectrum of educational opportunities and new types of student-technology partnerships in learning. The concept of the learning object opens the opportunity for novel ways of packaging educationally useful materials for delivery using a variety of technologies. Although the learning object is defined in a variety of ways that are often contradictory, the study respondents favour conceptual models as the most suitable type for PDA delivery.

The key limitation of PDA technology for the delivery of learning objects is the challenge of the small display area. The only way of dealing with this limitation is to re-invent some strategies for more effective design of learning objects and for novel ways of interaction with screen display elements of this technology.

Learning, Innovation, and A Way Forward The USAID experience in India

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June 17, 2006

Education: an Indian depiction

In the past few years, India has made significant progress in getting children enrolled in schools. Of the 200 million odd children in the age group 6-14, about 93% are en olled in some form of formal or non-formal schooling. In spite of the rise in enrolment, dropout rates continue to be very high. The dropout rate in government schools between grades I to VIII is as high as 52%. Attendance rates are also fairly poor – recent statistics indicate the average student attendance rate to be about 75%.

As per the government’s own statistics, only 28% of the children who enroll in grade I pass Grade V with a reasonable level of education (more than 60% score in exams) while only 15% pass out of Grade VIII. A recent survey by an Indian NGO revealed that close to 35% of the children in the 7-14 age group could not read a simple paragraph and almost 60% of the children could not read a simple story.

Why this poor quality?

The major reasons for the poor quality of education are: (i) Overcrowded classrooms: Though the average Student Classroom Ratio (SCR) at the national level is around 40:1, it is as high as 84:1 in some states like Bihar. As per a recent assessment done at the national level, there is a gap of 998,000 classrooms as of September 2005. (ii) Lack of physical facilities: Of the 890,000 odd primary schools in the country, 16% are without drinking water and 51% are without a toilet. 7% of the schools do not even have a functional blackboard. (i i) Shortage of teachers: Data as of September 2005 indicates that in 18% of the government primary schools and 7% upper primary schools, the Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) is more than 70. As many as 14% government primary schools and 3% upper primary schools are single teacher schools. (iv) Untrained or inadequately trained teachers: 32% of the 2.7 million government primary teachers and 29% of the 1.4 million government upper primary teachers are without pre-service training. (v) Monotonous teaching learning process (vi) Lack of accountability in the
education system

Education Technologies (ET)

for improving quality Effective use of educational technologies can help to address some of the above issues – especially the issues related to teacher availability, competency and support,which are so central to interactive teaching and learning processes. Information and communication technologies (ICT) facilitate dialogue, interactivity, speed and access to information sharing at lower costs and are crucial for connecting people for a better world. Children of this generation are exposed to new technologies at an early stage. Therefore, the way they see, perceive and know is multidimensional: the way they process and receive knowledge too is varied and multi layered. Thus, there is an emerging need for multi channel learning approaches, with intelligent combinations of face-to-face instruction, technology-mediated applications, more systematically designed print materials and other non-traditional educational resources. Unfortunately, education technologies is often looked upon as only computers and the Internet, ignoring a host of other technologies that are available. Ideally, education technologies should include all components of the information technology used in the delivery of education. Radio is easily available across large parts of the country including remote areas and can be very effective in awareness building, information dissemination, teacher training and guiding classroom activities. Television also has substantial penetration in rural India including many schools; along with a Video Cassette Player, this can be a useful educational resource to a school. It helps in self-learning and in keeping children engaged. Satellite communications technology

offers the unique capability of being able to simultaneously reach out to very large numbers spread over large

distances even in the most remote corners of the country. Through audio and video interconnectivity it is now possible to recreate a virtual classroom scenario in a distant mode. Even a technology like the telephone, which now has an extensive coverage in rural areas, can be used for providing dial-in services and answering educational queries – such services are presently prevalent in urban areas during examination time. Access to computers and the Internet has brought about a knowledge revolution. These technologies are a great resource to the students as well as the teachers. With the introduction of Computer Aided Education, the teachers no longer have to depend on a single source of information, typically a textbook, but are exposed to opportunities to use a variety of information sources. Technologies like videoconferencing, dial-in telephone services, satellitebased communication and the Internet can also be of great help in training and capacity building of teachers; unlike the traditional cascade method of teacher training, there is no transmission loss in this case.

National level initiatives

The National Plan of Action (NPA) 2003 of the Government of India on Education For All (EFA) lays emphasis on an open learning system through a distance education mode and on computer education at elementary level. In India, the first school broadcast project was commissioned as early as 1937. There are experiences of fairly successful language learning programmes through radio in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) also has an educational FM channel named Gyan Vani. Gyan Vani channels are operating at present in 17 cities and have plans to expand to 40 cities by 2007. IGNOU broadcasts Interactive Radio Counseling programmes every Sunday for one hour from 186 radio stations of All India Radio. The Center for Learning Resources also runs successful radio instruction programmes for schools in Maharashtra, Uttaranchal and Bihar. There has also been a fair amount of experimentation with distance learning through television and satellite communications. The Satellite Instruction Television Experiment (SITE), the Kheda Communication Project (KCP), the Jhabua Development Communication Project (JDCP), the Gramsat Programme (GP), the Training and Development Communication Channel (TDCC) and the INSAT system have been major efforts in this direction. In September 2004, the government launched ‘Edusat’ or he education satellite, to provide a boost to the distance mode of education. Designed and developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, this is the first Indian satellite dedicated exclusively to the education sector. Networks based on Edusat are capable of facilitating live lectures/power point presentations with student interaction, web-based learning, interactive training, virtual laboratory, video conferencing, etc. The government has also launched a separate TV channel ‘Gyan Darshan’ exclusively for telecasting educational programmes. In a bid to further strengthen distance education, the open school system, until recently restricted to the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), has now been strengthened through the establishment of State Open Schools. With respect to computer education at the elementary level, the government envisages a three-stage approach. he first stage would be computer literacy, the second stage would be computer-aided learning and the third stage would be computer based learning, according to the manifesto of the Indian Government. To provide for infrastructure and content development, financial provisions have been made under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme whereby each district is provided with a minimum of INR 1.5 million per year for computer education. Some of the initial initiatives in Computer Aided Education taken up under SSA by states like Assam and Orissa has shown positive results in terms of teacher empowerment and improving learning levels among students. A major initiative in computer aided learning (CAL) named ‘Headstart’ was undertaken in Madhya Pradesh under the District Primary Education Programme (and continued under SSA) and has yielded encouraging results. Apart from government efforts, there has been a number of nongovernment and corporate initiatives in recent years with respect to computer education and computeraided learning. Most of the private schools in the urban areas today have computer literacy classes at the elementary level and some of them make effective use of computers and the Internet for learning.

Challenges
Notwithstanding the efforts described above, the challenges to the effective utilisation of education technologies are serious: (i) Availability of computer ardware- about 8% elementary schools have computers
(ii) Potentials of satellite technology not harnessed adequately (iii) Inadequacy of quality educational content (iv) Inadequate teacher capacity to transfer technology into educational gains Lack of a comprehensive policy on education technology at the national level has resulted in a piecemeal approach towards education technologies. The possibilities and benefits of the various technologies and the ways in which they can help in improving the quality of education have not been realised to the fullest. In the coming years, QUEST (see the box) will attempt to consolidate the learning outcomes of the numerous
experiments and pilots across the country and arrive at a shared understanding of the cost effectiveness and applicability of each technology. It would also
attempt to put in place a system of assessing and evaluating digital educational content and come up with guidelines on instructional design. It is hoped that the T4 and QUEST activities will continue to provide models that can be scaled
up through government funding along with contributing to the development of a comprehensive policy on education technology at the national level.

India to introduce bill to regulate entry of foreign education providers

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June 16, 2006

The Ministry of Human Resource Development in India is all prepared to introduce a controversial legislation

University of Manchester launches Msc programme in ICT4D

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June 15, 2006

The University of Manchester is launching a new one-year MSc programme to address the training needs associated with recent massive expansion in Information and Communication Technologies for development (ICT4D) projects.

ICT4D projects include telecentres, ICT-enabled microenterprise, public service kiosks, e-Government initiatives, e-Health projects, and ICT-in-education in developing and transitional economies. Successful oversight of these projects requires 'ICT4D champions' who possess a combination of technical competencies (e.g. information systems skills) and contextual competencies (e.g. development skills). Such a combination is, as yet, rarely found. This has resulted in a high project failure rate, and a recognition of training need.

ICT growth Advice from Intel

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June 14, 2006

Last week a senior executive was sent to meet Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva by Intel, the Giant United States-based chipmaker, to urge that the Thai government gives more attention to the improvement of information and communications technology (ICT) education, to digital infrastructure investment, and to spending on WiMax to bridge the country's digital divide. Intel's general manger for Asia-Pacific, Navin Shenoy, proposed that expenditure be sourced from the Thai Khemkhaeng project. He said the government should invest 'smartly' in education to allow children throughout the country to have equal access to ICT, to enhance their learning experience. An improvement in the national digital infrastructure would help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by giving them a better chance to improve their business competitiveness. Investment in the correct technology would help to bridge the digital divide by giving people living in rural areas an equal chance to access knowledge.

Shenoy said that WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, was a technology suitable for current investment that would help Thailand to move forward quickly. He said the government's new infrastructure investment should include investment in ICT infrastructure at the same time. Thailand could also benefit from lower WiMax-investment costs because many countries in the region have been investing in the technology, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Indonesia. He explained that this will bring the cost of WiMax infrastructure and equipment down dramatically. However, to make rural broadband a reality, the government first had to make the WiMax spectrum available, with a clear directive. Then, private organisations could build business plans. Shenoy suggested that the Thai government could play an important role in making a rural broadband network available in the not-too-distant future by introducing policies, tax incentives and government purchases.

Women

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June 14, 2006

A study conducted by University of Nairobi on gender segmentation showed the ratio of 1:5 in the discipline of ICT education.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Though the government has committed to the cause of gender equality by its continued investments in adequate ICT education and training, institutions of higher learning round the country show that there is a gender disparity. The concern was expressed by APC's Africa ICT Policy Monitor body as it may affect badly women's access to information. The measured access and lack of control over communications technology, the stereo-typical portrayal of gender roles, and women's limited access to professional careers and decision-making positions in general highlight the urgent need for African women to enter the debate on the development potential.

President tells IBM to develop tablet PCs

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June 12, 2006

President of India APJ Abdul Kalam has asked IBM to join the global knowledge platform by developing low cost tablet PCs and computers based on nano technology. He pointed out that students should be able to use the tablet PC as a digital book, notebook and an e-learning device. The one time investment must make students' life easy and it will give them enough time to be creative in their studies. He pointed out that the world knowledge platform, consisting of partners from various countries, will enable joint design, development, cost effective production and marketing of knowledge products in various domains.

According to Kalam, the challenging task will be to configure, develop, produce and market the tablet PC at a cost of $150. IBM can think of possible collaborations with Indian industries for the development of integrated hardware and software systems that will be useful to the 300 million Indian students apart from the other common users, professionals and executives. Similarly, the President emphasised the need for developing nanotech computers.

“Can India and IBM think together to design, develop, produce and market nano computers? Most of the computers of the future and accessories will be micro-sized, wearable and will have wireless communication with each other,” Kalam noted.

ADB helps Central Asia to integrate ICT in basic education

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June 12, 2006

Government officials from Central Asia are meeting to discuss how to increase effectiveness of programs and projects in information and communications technology (ICT) in the region, as well as share experiences and lessons learned. They are taking part in a first regional meeting of Government Focal Points and Project Coordinators from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan, starting today in Tashkent. The meeting is being held under a US$700,000 grant from ADB and the Tokyo-based ADB Institute to improve effectiveness of ICT in basic education of Central Asian member-countries.

ADB approved the technical assistance project last December following consultations with government agencies in the participating countries. It will be carried out over about 18 months to November 2007. During the two-day meeting, participants will analyse the status of ICT development in education in the region, discuss ways to implement the TA in their respective countries in line with national governments' education strategies, and identify key challenges and issues. The TA will help achieve investments in ICT to improve education opportunities and align it closer with labour market needs in the six participating countries, allowing them to better analyze, plan and undertake projects and programs for ICT in basic education. It will achieve this by providing a forum, through workshops at national and subregional level for sharing experiences and lessons learned on key issues relating to effective and sustainable ICT investment in basic education.

Changes are to be sustainable : Dr Alok Shukla, Secretary, School Education, Chhattisgarh

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digitalLEARNING Network

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June 10, 2006

Can you discuss the vision and the major thrust of current education policy in the state of Chhattishgarh?

Chhattisgarh has shown healthy improvement in its literacy rate over the last decade and has achieved a literacy rate of 65.18%. The female literacy rate has shown remarkable improvement and has almost doubled in the same period, the male literacy is higher than the national average. Chhattisgarh is committed to its agenda of imparting education to all and has allocated a significant share of its plan outlay for this sector. Plan outlay for the social sector at 15% for Chhattisgarh compares favourably to 7% for all India figures. Chhattisgarh has already introduced teaching of English from Class 1.

What is the current strategy adopted to make ICT an integral part of the educational system in the state?

We have many schemes for using IT in education. Under SSA we have started a scheme called

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