NEET 2020: Students to upload live photos at the time of registration, read details

Higher Education

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November 28, 2019

In a recent development, students appearing for NEET examination will have to upload ‘live photos’, during the submission of application form, as per the new guidelines by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The NEET 2020 registrations are all set to hit the ground on December 2, 2019.

While filing up the application forms, students will have to pose in front of the webcam to click a picture and upload it accordingly. However, the process of uploading the pictures have not been disclosed by the National Testing Agency yet.

In order to avoid any identity theft issues, students clicking their live photographs will ensure that the person appearing for the examination is the same as the one applying for the examination.

Also Read: NEET UG 2020: Tips to secure better rankings

As per reports, there will also be a system in place for the candidates whose pictures do not match as they will not be allowed to appear for the examination. This will ensure that impersonators who take money from candidates to appear for the examination will not be encouraged.

If the National Testing Agency confirms the procedure then a step by step information regarding uploading the live photographs will be explained in the NEET 2020 information brochure which will be released along with the NEET 2020 application form.

Of all the rules followed by the National Testing Agency, students are not allowed to carry jewellery, shoes etc inside the examination centre premises. This is to avoid personation and malpractices to the maximum.

Also Read: NEET PG 2020: Application process begins, exam scheduled for January 5

The National Testing Agency will release the NEET 2020 application form on the official website on December 2, 2019. The examination will be conducted in the offline mode on May 3, 2020.

Why Students Need Guidance & Counselling in Education to Build Their Future

Article

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 28, 2019

Career counselling must start in the school itself, especially for Class 9-11 students because these are the academic levels where students select a specific stream as per their specialisation and interests, writes Rumani Arora of Elets News Network (ENN).

The latest incident of a 19-year-old IIT Madras student allegedly committing suicide after being depressed over scoring low marks in the internal examination is an eye-opener to the amount of academic stress that students undergo. Notably, this is the fourth case of suicide inside the IIT Madras campus this year, and fifth since December 2018.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), one student commits suicide in India every hour. Unfortunately, India has been witnessing one of the highest suicide rates among people aged between 15 to 29 years. The most vulnerable group being the one studying in Class 10 and Class 12, and the major reason is the board examination related pressure.

Sadly, depression among school and college students – is becoming a grave issue, especially in metro cities. It is high time for educational institutions to address the issue of academic stress seriously and provide remedial measures including counselling for students who are facing problems like stress and depression.

Recently, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched the ‘Smiling Schools Project’ after a student from Municipal Corporation committed suicide. The project is aimed at training the teachers and principals to identify the students facing mental or emotional stress.

Anurag Tripathi, Secretary, CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education) also raised concern on the mounting academic pressure on the students. In a recent interview with Elets News Network (ENN), he urged the teachers, principals and parents to create a stress-free environment for students at schools and at home, where they feel free and confident to think and innovate.

Why Career Counseling?

‘One size fits all’ approach to education, i.e., assuming all students learn in the same manner, will not work in the present scenario. We simply cannot expect every child to aspire to be an engineer or doctor as every individual is unique in his/her own way and possess different capabilities.

Career Counselling can help an individual understand one’s own self, as well as work trends, so that one can take an informed decision about career and education. And not only this, career counseling can help manage a diverse range of problems such as low concentration levels to poor time management, trust issues with family to disagreement between parents and children about making career choices.

Communicating the same thought, Sarika Babar, Principal & Director of Academics, Clara Global School, Pune, said, “We at Clara often invite those people as chief guests who have taken a different career path in life, so that our parents and students are aware of the various career avenues, other than the traditional doctors and engineers”.

The primary aim of career counselling is to help students choose a field that is in sync with their skills and their job expectations. Thus, with proper guidance and career counselling, most candidates end up choosing the right career, and perform their level best, which ultimately helps them build their career and succeed.

Need of Career Counselling in Schools

Career counselling must start in the school itself, especially for Class 9-11 students because these are the academic levels where students select a specific stream as per their specialisation and interests.

It is to be noted that many students are not satisfied with the stream they choose and tend to change it; this happens in lack of proper guidance about options available according to their interest and different education stream.

Many counselors, nowadays, prefer to conduct psychometric tests to analyse interests of students because usually, students are perplexed between their diverse interests but these psychometric tests help figure out students’ capabilities towards each of their interests. “Catch them right and catch them young philosophy makes our students stress free. It is essential for a school to conduct career counselling session periodically and also conduct Brain profiling of students to understand the preferences at an early stage,” said Lakshmi Rao Kadiyala, Academic Director, Jain Group of Schools, Hyderabad.

In the present time, where career options are continuously evolving, it has become significant to make students aware and help them see beyond the horizon. Highlighting the same, Dr. Ruchi Singh, Headmistress, Seth M A High School, Mumbai, said, “Jobs have emerged that didn’t exist five or ten years ago. The world of work well equipped with the latest technologies is fast and challenging. We in our school provide a platform that focuses on students as well as parents about the careers”.

Emphasising on developing skills among students, Kavisha Khurana, Founder Director, The Chintels School, Kanpur, said, “We are making our students ready for skilled based India by telling them about career options in modern India which are different from conventional careers”.

Besides, there is also a significant need to provide students with hands-on experience pertaining to different career fields. “We organise an event called MarketKshetra that is planned, organised, strategised and executed entirely by our students from grades as early as 6th and 7th, giving them hands-on exposure to handle finances, get into the role of planners and executors, thereby taking career counselling to a different level altogether,” said, Seema Negi, Principal, Sanjeevani World School, Mumbai.

Sharing the practices followed at her school, Dr. Sangeeta Srivastava, Principal, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vividhlaxi Vidyalaya, said, “We organise visit to parliaments, field trips to industries, Medical college, NDA, factories, workshops etc on regular basis to gain knowledge about these vocations to make informed choices about career”.

Developing Career Counselling Mechanism

Understanding the present scenario, it goes without saying that there is an urgent need to build a career counselling mechanism pan- India. But whose responsibility is this – schools or parents? Does the government have a role to play? Here’s what our edu-leaders think:

Kavita Singh, Principal, Ram Ratna Vidya Mandir, Thane, Maharashtra, believes that counseling must begin from home. “Parents act as a very important factor which the child considers before making a career choice. In an academic session, counseling sessions are arranged for the parents in the RRVM campus which are taken by in-house and expert Psychologists”.

“For any individual, the impact of people and interconnectedness with the environment helps in deciding the career path beginning from home and reaching educational institutions. The exposure to the world of work does not confine to one particular organisation or government,” said, Shobha Rao, ICT Head, Ajmera Global School, Mumbai.

Dr Kavita Bajpai, Director, The International School of Thrissur, believes that onus lies on schools but government also has a crucial role to play. She said, “Primarily the school should take this initiative as students spend most of their active hours in school. Government has a major role to play by providing the opportunity rising above the caste creed and stratum of society”.

Asserting that it’s the responsibility of both schools and universities to develop a career counselling mechanism, Dr. Priti Shrimal, Principal, Billabong High International, Baroda, said, “Career counselling starts from primary school when the children are shown a slice of the myriad professions. This continues to be shaped and nurtured by schools and then transit to university”. She asserted that the role of government lies in capacity building of youth and implement policies and guidelines to ensure that educational institutions provide holistic guidance and have counselling cells with qualified personnel in place.

Conclusion

With the emergence of technology and innovations, there are lots of rising opportunities with various fields where one can make a better career. Career counselling is instrumental in providing the guidance to students to have a clear vision on what to pursue, the course duration and fees. In modern world, there are numerous career choices available ranging from – medicine to mass communications, marine biology to information technology, engineering to event management and culinary arts to music. Choosing a field of study that is not in tune with the interests or skills of the person concerned could prove disastrous. And that’s where the career counselling comes in.

CBSE to revamp Class 10 & 12 exam pattern by 2023: Anurag Tripathi

Government News

By

Reetika Bose

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November 27, 2019

CBSE to revamp Class 10 & 12 exam pattern by 2023: Anurag Tripathi

In a recent development, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is going to revamp the examination pattern of Class 10 and 12 exams by 2023. Anurag Tripathi, CBSE Secretary, addressed this new move at the ASSOCHAM School Education Summit which was conducted at New Delhi.

As per reports are to believed, this step will be taken to boost the creative and analytical thinking of the students.

Addressing the ASSOCHAM School Education Summit, Anurag Tripathi, CBSE Secretary, said, “While this year with students of class 10 will get 20 percent objective questions and 10 percent questions would be based on creative thinking, by 2023 question papers for classes 10 and 12 will be based on creative, innovative and critical thinking and students will have to prepare in that manner, it is the need of the hour keeping in mind country’s future,”

The board is taking measures to enable students to deal with the upcoming competition and to improve the country’s future.

In an endeavour to encourage students to take vocational subjects, he further added, “The new policy has recommended that vocational subjects need to be a part of the five subjects, it would be a good move.”

Furthermore, he also suggested schools to give important training to teachers so that they can become highly motivated communicators, mentors, and learn to implement creative thinking and emotional balance.

Most of the students neglect vocational subjects due to various factors such as lack of employability, poor value and absence of stability in the market. So, there is a dire need to take proper measures to improve the linkage and bonding among infrastructure, teachers, parents and students.

Top Ed-Tech Trends of 2019 That Will Impact The Education Ecosystem in 2020

Magazine

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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November 27, 2019

Why Students Need Guidance & Counselling in Education to Build Their Future

G.D. Goenka Transforming Students’ Potential Into Success Stories

CBSE: Shifting Education Paradigm from Rote Learning to Experiential Learning

Interviews

By

digitalLEARNING Network

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November 27, 2019

In the last few years, CBSE has undertaken various efforts to shift the education paradigm from rote learning to experiential learning. “Experiential learning means – learning by doing – a system where students undertake projects, activities, go to field, develop sensitivity and learn to face challenges”, says Anurag Tripathi, Secretary, CBSE, in conversation with Chandan Anand of Elets News Network (ENN).

What has been your topmost priority ever since you took over the charge as CBSE Secretary?

As CBSE secretary and as board representative, the topmost priority of the organisation is to conduct Class 10th and 12th board examination. To adopt worldwide practices and ensure skill and value based education is imparted to the students in schools.

We have made the last CBSE Board examination error-free and leak-proof. Besides, digital innovations were followed in the process of conducting examinations. We have changed the assessment process internally. Further, we have focused on capacity building of teachers to reduce the problems faced by students during re-evaluation. More than 2,00,000 teacher evaluators have been given training. These efforts have lead to smooth conduct of Class 10th and Class 12th board examinations.

To enhance the learning outcome and academic quality, we have undertaken various innovative measures that can augment teaching-learning process, improve experiential learning, boost skill development in students and make them innovative & creative thinkers. We want to ensure that 2 Crore children studying in our schools not just rely on rote learning but must possess necessary skills and can serve as value based citizens of the country.

What initiatives CBSE has been undertaking to make sure that schools shift from rote learning to experiential learning smoothly?

In last 50 years, there has been an enormous shift in the way education is imparted (studying under tree to smart classrooms) but the practice of rote learning is still existent. This system of one way education doesn’t provide for the way to check the learning outcome of the students – whether their learning has improved and ethics & values are being adopted or not.

In the last few years, CBSE has undertaken various efforts to shift the education paradigm from rote learning to experiential learning. Experiential learning means – learning by doing – a system where students undertake projects, activities, go to field, develop sensitivity and learn to face challenges. Parents and teachers have a big role to play in creating an experiential learning environment for students.

We have started capacity building of teachers and principals in the entire country. Last year, 2, 00,000 teachers were trained. This year, more than 1, 00,000 teachers have been trained till now and I am hopeful by the end of this financial year, the figure will cross 3, 00,000. Secondly, we are focusing on Parents Orientation to ensure grooming & skilling of students and building right attitude & behavior at home, where they spend maximum time.

Thirdly, we are focusing on infrastructural changes to boost digital education. Fourthly, we have tried to change the module of the board examination question paper –integrating some creative & innovative questions that cannot be answered by memorizing but need thought process, research and understanding to answer. Fifthly, we have changed the assessment system by including objective type questions, one word Q/A, True/False, Short Q/A etc.

Also Read: CBSE to release board exam date sheet in December

What is your take on Draft New Education Policy? How it is going to transform the face of education in India?

The most important aspect of Draft New Education Policy is that now ‘education’ has come in the priority list of the government. The education budget will definitely increase which will lead to development of better human resource.

Secondly, this education policy is seriously focusing on capacity building of teachers and principals – who are the ultimate source of imparting knowledge to students. Further, it lays a great emphasis on Skill & Vocational training of students to ensure they have the necessary expertise to earn their livelihood in the future.

The policy also stresses a lot on Early Childhood Education on how to ensure natural development of children from the tender age. There is also due emphasis on assessment, board examination and internal assessment.

I am hopeful that the new education policy is going to bring a huge transformation in the education system of India, in the years to come.

Did the practice of preponing Board exams by 15 days this year, reap the desired benefits? Will the next year’s examination time table be same as this year’s?

Like this year, the board examination 2020 will also commence 15 days earlier. This pre-poning process has been done for vocational & skill subjects and minor subjects in which only a few number of students appear.

Earlier, exam time-table used to be two-months long but now we have squeezed it to one month. Further, this year we have completed the assessment/evaluation process in one month instead of two, thanks to technological innovations and efforts undertaken by the department.

The core purpose of compressing the examination process is to release results on time thereby allowing ample time to students to apply for admissions in various Indian and International Colleges/ Universities.

Tell us about the new reforms taken by CBSE with regards to its affiliation policy?

At present, CBSE heads over 22,000 schools and every year we receive more than 10,000 applications related to affiliation, extension, up-gradation and subject change. Two years ago, we shifted the affiliation process from offline to online mode. From submitting application to uploading of documents to providing the affiliation, every step is done online. By adopting the latest technology, the process of affiliation has become quite smooth and we have cleared the pending cases of last 6 to 8 years. The introduction of new and innovative technology has made the process simple for us as well as the schools.

15th World Education Summit: India’s Biggest Event on Innovation in Education commenced in Mumbai

News

By

Rumani Arora

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November 26, 2019

Since 2011, World Education Summits have witnessed the confluence of decision makers, influential experts and practitioners linked to education sector from across the world. The summit aims to explore groundbreaking innovations and encourage steps to ensure significant improvements in the global education sector.

In order to explore various facets of the education sector in India and abroad, Elets Technomedia along with digitalLEARNING magazine conducted the 15th edition of World Education Summit in Mumbai on November 21-22, 2019. The World Education Summit is the premier international platform dedicated to innovations and creative actions in the education sector. Here, top decision-makers share insights with on-the-ground practitioners and collaborate to rethink and find out various emerging opportunities in the education landscape at present and in future.

Held in the commercial capital of India, the 15th edition of World Education Summit was inaugurated in the presence of Dr Satish Chandra Dwivedi, Minister of State, Basic Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh; Shuchi Sharma, Secretary, Higher & Technical Education, Government of Rajasthan; Philippe Guillien, Western Zone Attaché for Cooperation, France Embassy to India; Dr A Ashok, Vice Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies, Basar, Telangana; Dr Chithung Mary Thomas, Secretary, Board of School Education, Manipur and Syed Omar Jaleel, IAS, CEO & Secretary, Telangana State Intermediate; Dr M S Shyamasundar, Advisor, NAAC; Jawahar Surisetti, Advisory to Government, Smart City Expert and Rakesh Kumar Verma, Special Secretary and Joint Executive Director Udyog Bandhu.

Famous Actor, Entrepreneur and Socialist – Vivek Anand Oberoi, also graced the occasion as the Special Guest.

15th World Education Summit, Mumbai was one of the biggest congregations of Game Changers from the education fraternity. Spread over two days, the summit witnessed the coming together of names like Kanak Gupta, Director, Seth M R Jaipuria Schools; Raghav Podar, Chairman, Podar Education; Roshan Gandhi, Director of Strategy, City; SK Rathor, MD & Chairman, Sanfort Group of Schools Montessori School; Reekrit Serai, Managing Director, Satluj Group of Schools; Pratima Sinha, CEO, DSR Educational Society, Hyderabad and many more from the School Education sector.

From the Higher Education spectrum, the summit witnessed the confluence of Pankaj Gupta, President, IIHMR, Jaipur; Kunwar Shekhar Vijendra, Chancellor, Shobhit University, Meerut; Dr Sandeep Pachpande, Chairman, ASM Group of Institutes, Pune; Sudhakar Rao, Director Branding, ICFAI Group, Hyderabad; Dr Sivaguru S Sritharan, Vice Chancellor, M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore among others.

Besides, the summit was also attended by the key government dignitaries, policy makers, government regulatory bodies and eminent edu-leaders from higher and school education sector, who leveraged the platform to analyse, understand, and share their vision and modern-day practices to bring improvement in the education landscape. The objective of the summit was to discuss policy framework and industry overview along with a vision for the future with the key stakeholders.

There were discussions and deliberations on topics ranging from: Role of Education in Building Entrepreneurial Competencies; Developing next generation of innovators and creative thinkers towards #Vision2024; Professional Development of Early Childhood Practitioners to Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning in Indian Classrooms; School’s Infrastructure: A Key Element of Students Learning Experience and others, in the school education hall.

In the Higher Education track, the panel discussions revolved around topics like: New Age Learning: Interactive, Blended & Self; International Study Destinations; Data, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Student Enrollment; Role of Counselling in School & Higher Education; Examination Reforms in Indian education system; Flipped Learning Collaborative and Problem-based Learning among others.

15^th World Education Summit was supported by Embassy of France as Country Partner. Whereas, Government of Manipur, Government of Uttarakhand, Government of Nagaland, Government of Telangana and Board of Secondary Education, Manipur participated as the government supporting partners.

Besides, the summit also had Billimoria High School, Birla Open Minds, HVB Global Academy, Seth M.R. Jaipur Schools as School partners and British Orchard Nursery as Preschool partner respectively.

The summit witnessed a number of Ed-tech corporate, schools and higher education institutes exhibiting latest technologies, innovations and best practices.

Top companies like Coursera, Elsa, Adobe, RGUKT, iRobolabs, CollPoll, Entab, Financepeer, KidZania, Lit Skills, Matific, Skoozo, Tata ClassEdge, Adventure Education Tours (Mumbai), Butterfly Edutech, Cerebry, CII Institute of Logistics, extraaedge, Grayquest, InCred, Leadsquared, Nexool, OpenDoor, School Handy, Purohit Academy, Sportz Village School, ViewSonic, WESA, YaruKey, YearbookCanvas, Infinity, Early Childhood Association (ECA) and Members of International Schools’ Association (MISA) among many others showcased the innovative products and services which have a tremendous potential to transform the education sector.

Besides, the industry presentations during the summit highlighted the scope of technology and its effects in the education sector and also underlined the need of extensive participation of corporate for betterment of education ecosystem.

The summit also witnessed the felicitation of to edu-leaders from School and Higher Education spectrum, acknowledging their exemplary contribution in transforming the education sector for a better tomorrow. The award ceremony was graced by Vivek Anand Oberoi, Dr A Ashok, Dr Chithung Mary Thomas, Shuchi Sharma and Rakesh Kumar Verma on both the days.

Digital Diplomas will play an instrumental role in the near future: Arvind Srinivasan

Interviews

By

Reetika Bose

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November 25, 2019

In conversation with Elets News Network, Arvind Srinivasan, SVP, Strategic – Global Initiatives, eMudhra shares the importance of security in the digital era, and the key issues in diploma frauds in India and abroad.

How the inception of eMudhra did come into being?

eMudhra started as a Certificate Authority in India to provide digital identities in the form of digital signatures, to the enterprise and retail market. Over the years, eMudhra has evolved to provide solutions that not only enable the creation of digital signature certificates, but also offer applications that support the use of digital identities that build a trust framework, in an effort to allow our society to embrace paperless initiatives and improve security in a digital application ecosystem.

Today, eMudhra has a global footprint that spans over 38 countries through a partner ecosystem with 6 global offices across 5 continents. eMudhra is also on its path to becoming a Globally Trusted Certificate Authority that can provide its solutions to wider audience focused on enabling an integrated digital society leveraging the framework around Identity and Digital Trust.

What is the impact of technology when it comes to digital diplomas? Is this the future we all are looking forward to?

There is always a sentiment attached to receiving a printed diploma on stage at the graduation ceremony in college or university. For this reason, the idea of physical diplomas becoming obsolete any time soon is not near. However, I would like to share some predictions down the road that such physical diplomas will be:

Embedded with a security and trust seal that helps in establishing the authenticity and integrity of the document.
Will be accompanied by a digital form of the document. This can be easily submitted to relying parties wherein they can establish the authenticity and integrity of the document in real-time averting fraud.

In not so far away in the future, Digital Diplomas will play an instrumental role in the Diploma issuance process and in time, it could very well be the norm.

Also Read: eMudhra simplifying digital certifications

What do you think are the challenges/barriers in adopting digital diploma? Why do you think all the educational institutions are not adopting it?

At the moment, it is a question of novelty. The concept is still nascent as it has just been introduced in the market. While there are no legal or technical barriers in adopting the technology, I think the primary challenge as of today is the awareness of such a technology and the doubts about its ability to cater to some very relevant and current problems. Further, to break the barriers of its adoption, this technology must be packaged tightly with the diploma printing houses to ensure that the universities can seamlessly issue e-Diplomas.

Today, we are actively working to address these challenges in India and ensure that Digital Diplomas becomes part of the future of Education in India. Our work has seen success with this approach in Colombia, South America. Over time, we are quite sure that many educational institutions will adopt the solution for its benefits.

We all understand the importance of security in the digital era. In what ways will digital diplomas help to address the key issue of diploma frauds?

I think Digital Diplomas (or eDiplomas) can play a significant role in curbing document fraud, specifically, diploma fraud in India and abroad. Faking is extensive today and ‘diploma mills’ get their hands on the same stock paper, and sophisticated equipment required to print diplomas. Typically, physical diplomas are all too easy to be faked, altered digitally to make it look real to an untrained eye. Also, they do not have an on-the-fly digital verification mechanism. As a result, relying parties have to rely solely on physical print security features in authenticating a diploma.

Our solution merges the physical diploma with a digital authentication medium by leveraging PKI (or Digital Signatures). Digital Diplomas issued by our system is verifiable in digital formats and physical formats (through a digitally signed QR code) whereby relying parties can establish whether the document in their hand, regardless of whether it is the original or a photocopy, is authentic! This is done by validating the digital signature and corresponding data embedded in the form of a QR code on a physical code or done automatically in the adobe PDF reader.

Your entry in LATAM region marks a significant milestone in terms of progress in driving the agenda of digital transformation beyond India. Tell us about your future collaboration and partnerships in this regard.

We have approximately seven university clients in Latin America who are currently using our solution to issue digital diplomas. Recently, eMudhra and Diplogrados partnered with ASCUN – Association of Colombian Universities, Colombia’s largest non-profit, non-governmental organization that congregates public and private Colombian universities for bringing in secure Paperless Transformation to Universities in the region. Our presence is also strengthening in North American regions as eMudhra has recently become a member of the Post-secondary Electronic Standards Council (PESC) – an Open Standards-Development and Open Standards-Setting body that is driving the adoption of trusted, free & open data standards across the education domain.

To sum it up, our eDiploma solution is equipped to not only mitigate diploma fraud but also increase the efficiency of diploma signing and removing the necessity of the dean, chancellor, and others having to manually sign thousands of documents yearly.

Institutes Inculcating New-Age Learning: Interactive, Blended & Self

Expert opinion

By

Reetika Bose

-

November 25, 2019

With the advancement in technology and Google search engine becoming the new-age Guru, there has been tremendous pressure on educational institutes to revamp their teaching methodologies.

We all know for the fact that traditional learning which typically comprises of classroom lectures, if happens through one-way interaction then it fails on two counts; one, delivery and two, understanding. In this setting, at times, students are compelled to sit and listen to the faculty, and then cram all the concepts which actually results in rote-learning. It doesn’t really develop soft skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and decision-making, which are otherwise crucial to survive and thrive in the current as well as future job market. Traditional learning is also based on the premise that one size fits all, meaning that all students have same level of capability and hence, common curriculum, pace and learning style is applicable to all.

In the new internet age, the whole process of learning is undergoing a sea change. With the ease of access to information, knowledge acquisition is not limited to class-room learning. In fact, there is huge chunk of information available on the web which is just a click away.

Because of changes in technology, students are looking for quick and latest information. Unless and until the Professor is well equipped and well informed, there won’t be much takeaway for a Gen Z student from the class room. Also, one has to remember that although there is no substitute for face to face live interaction, one should definitely try and make the learning experience interactive and more meaningful using new-age technology.

New-age learning using technology encourages students to explore, experiment and question instead of memorization. It also incorporates different forms of learning to make academics more interesting for students and empower them to learn according to their learning capability, style and more importantly at their own pace.

Let’s take a look at some of the new-age learning methodologies:

Interactive Learning

With the hyper growth in digital technology and virtual communication, new-age students expect interactive learning to be an integral part of their learning experience. It can be defined in two different contexts. The first one involves encouraging student participation. Instructors engage students in a number of ways such as group discussions, hands-on projects, role plays, discussion through case studies, etc. Here, the focus is on learning by doing, and instructor acts more as a facilitator than a mere transmitter of learning.

The second context is closely associated with digital learning. The proliferation of the internet, social media, mobile devices and smart technologies has been a key enabler of digital learning. Some of technology-driven interactive learning tools that many institutes are incorporating in their pedagogy are:

Digital classrooms equipped with desktops/laptops, interactive whiteboards, projectors and video conferencing tools.
Live and recorded streaming of educational videos and lecture from industry experts, foreign university faculty, etc.
Multimedia presentations with dynamic slides embedded with online audio-visual links to study materials, questionnaires, quizzes, etc.
Online community and group discussion forums where students and teachers can exchange opinions.
Classroom podcast to correspond with what students are learning.
Student-run blogs on institute’s website.
Gamification of lessons by incorporating game design and elements.

In today’s era, technology and digital disruption offer multifarious opportunities to educators to bring innovation in interactive learning so as to make it an enjoyable experience for students.

Blended Learning

Blended or hybrid learning combines the elements of traditional classroom teaching with online learning tools. It is gaining popularity because it helps students to combine the best of both worlds for effective learning and deeper engagement. It retains the human touch and face-to-face interaction in education, but at the same time promotes concept building and enquiry-based learning among students. It also reduces burden on the faculty and leaves more time for them to focus on academic research/collaboration and student interaction.

The beauty of blended learning also lies in the fact that it can be modified to different learning models, depending on the academic goals of the institute and the availability of resources. Two of the most common blended learning styles are:

Blended Face-to-Face Class: A majority of teaching is done in the classroom, but some activities are replaced by online activities.
Blended Online Class: A majority of teaching is done through online classes, but some amount of face-to-face interaction happens in a physical set up.

Given its benefits, blended learning is touted as the future of education, especially in India which has world’s largest population in the age bracket 5-24 years and boasts of the third-largest higher education system after the United States and China.

Self-Learning

Self-learning is an approach where students take charge and ownership of learning. Students set their own learning goals, schedules and outcomes. They also decide what pedagogy they would prefer. The instructor merely acts as a mentor. Self-learning basically enables students to customize education to suit their learning needs.

Once they complete a level or a module, they move on to the next one at their convenient speed. is usually done through online or distance courses. One of the most popular models of self-learning is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) where students can take online courses in their preferred subjects from the best institutes in the world. Self-learning is a viable option for students who can’t attend traditional classes due to personal or professional constraints, are residing in remote locations, want to access foreign university courses without relocating to another country or want to build a specific career skill set.

Going forward, interactive, blended and self-learning approaches can reinvent the education sector like never before. It’s about time that institutes start transforming themselves in this direction to survive and thrive.

This article is authored by Dr. Asmita Chitnis, Director Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB).

CBSE introduces Fit India Week, PM Modi appeals schools to join hands in the initiative

K-12

By

Reetika Bose

-

November 25, 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday has appealed to all schools, students, parents and teachers to participate in the programme introduced by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the ‘Fit India Week’ programme.

The prime objective of the programme is to indulge school children in physical fitness rather than passively consuming digital content.

Addressing the initiative at the 59th edition of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said, “CBSE has taken a commendable initiative of introducing the concept of ‘Fit India week’. Schools can celebrate the fitness week in December. It can involve several fitness-related activities, including sports, games, yoga and dance.”

“I appeal to all the schools to celebrate it. Students, parents and teachers must take part in it,” Prime Minister Modi further added.

Fit India doesn’t mean just exercising the mind or making fitness plans on paper or merely looking at fitness apps on the laptop or computer or on a mobile phone. Not at all you have to sweat it out. The food habits have to change”, he said.

Urging all schools to join Fit India Ranking, he said: “Fit India should become a part of an individual’s life naturally and comfortably. It should become a mass movement and efforts shall be taken up to create mass awareness on the fitness issue.”

The prime objective of the programme is to indulge school children in active field time than passive screen time.

As many as 22,000 CBSE schools will participate in the fitness programme and indigenous games from every state will be included in the active field time.

CTET Admit Card 2019 Released by CBSE, Download CTET 2019 Admit Card online at ctet.nic.in

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digitalLEARNING Network

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November 20, 2019

CTET Admit Card 2019 | The Central Board of Secondary Education, which conducts the CTET examination, released CTET Admit Card 2019. The CTET Admit Card 2019 was released by the CBSE on its official website at ctet.nic.in. Candidates who are preparing for the examination should keep an eye on the website for their admit card.

According to an official notification released by Central Board of Secondary Education, the CTET Admit Card 2019 is expected in third week of November. The CBSE will conduct CTET admit card 2019 for December 8.

CTET admit card 2019: How to download

Step 1: Visit the official website at ctet.nic.in

Step 2: Look for on the CTET admit card and click on it

Step 3: Login with your registration number and date of birth

Step 4: Download your CTET admit card 2019

Step 5: Take a printout for future reference

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