The monthly publication on ICT and Education RNI No. UPENG/2008/25311
digitalLEARNING INDIA
Volume IV Issue 12 December 2008 ISSN 0973-4139
Rs 75
Signalling Asian Dawn
www.digitalLEARNING.in
‘I’s of the Future Report: eASiA 2008 PAGE 6
Developing Higher Education Information Network PAGE 24
Empowerment Through Multimedia Interview: Dr Binod C Agrawal PAGE 33
eASiA 2008 Conference Report
Overcoming Barriers Through Technology Interview: Shilpi Kapoor PAGE 37
Revolutionising Education in the 21st Century page 42
With Every Right Comes a Responsibility Education is Everyone's Right and Spreading the Message of Education with ICTs is our Responsibility
Volume V Issu e
1 January 200 9
Celebrating its
3
rd
Anniversary in
JANUARY 2 009
You will hear voices from Government, Academia, Industry, and All the Stakeholders of ICTs and Education. For Advertising Enquiry, Contact: Siddharth Verma (+ 91-9811561645), siddharth@csdms.in For Editorial Enquiry, Contact: Manjushree Reddy (+ 91-9999662910), manjushree@csdms.in
Contents Volume IV Issue XII, December 2008
Cover Story
Research
6
29
‘I’s of the Future Report: eASiA 2008 Conference and Exhibition
Teaching and Learning Using Learning Object Approach
School Track Education 42 Revolutionising in the 21st Century Interview: Rita Kaul
Sonal Chawla & Prof. R K Singla
Commentary
19
Radicalising Education Through ICTs Dr Ananya S Guha
Development Agenda
33
Perspective
22
Creating a Professional ‘ID’ Saswati Paik
Country Focus
24
Developing Higher Education Information Network
Empowerment Through Multimedia Interview: Dr Binod C Agrawal
Corporate Diary
35
Commentary: Technology and the School Leader Meera Balachandran
37
Dr Soekartawi
Foyer: Overcoming Barriers Through Technology Interview: Shilpi Kapoor, BarrierBreak Technologies
39
Perspective: Empowering 21st Century Workforce Ashutosh Chadha
Regulars
46
Mark Your Calendar
News
20 28 40 44
India Asia Corporate World
All the articles are available online at www.digitalLearning.in
digital LEARNING INDIA Volume IV, Issue 12 | December 2008
President M P Narayanan Editor-in-Chief Ravi Gupta Group Directors Maneesh Prasad, Sanjay Kumar Programme Co-ordinator Jayalakshmi Chittoor Assistant Editor Manjushree Reddy email: manjushree@digitallearning.in Research Associates Rachita Jha, Dr Rajeshree Dutta Kumar, Shilpa Sahay, N. Samungou Singh Research Assistants Angela S Nath, Yukti Pahwa Marketing Siddharth Verma (+91-9811561645) email: siddharth@digitallearning.in Sales Executives Rudra Ghosh, Fahimul Haque Subscription & Circulation Lipika Dutta (+91-9871481708) Manoj Kumar (+91-9971404484) Sr Graphic Designer Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Graphic Designers Om Prakash Thakur, Chandrakesh Bihari Lal (James) Web Zia Salahuddin, Amit Pal Editorial & Marketing Correspondence digital Learning G-4 Sector 39, NOIDA 201301, India Phone +91 120 2502181-85 Fax +91 120 2500060 Email info@digitalLearning.in
Editorial Giving ICT an Asian Perspective The Asia Pacific region presents a picture of contrast when it comes to developmental stages of different countries. On the one hand it has countries like Australia, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which have comparatively mature economies, competitive ICT infrastructure and solid human resource base. On the other hand there are countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, that face daunting challenges. Recently held eAsia 2008 presented key policy makers, managers and academicians with an overview of these differences, while highlighting challenges and opportunities that countries face in effective utilisation of ICT. The eAsia report in this issue points towards the need for Asia to take a lead in new growth areas, while facilitating multi-stakeholder participation to overcome various roadblocks. The Asia Knowledge Forum, launched at the event, represents a fruition of an endeavour to assist the Asian countries in mobilising best practices and knowledge on integrating technology in education. The commentary section spells out need for radicalising education through ICTs. The author, who is an IGNOU joint director, emphasises on the utility and subjective appropriateness of technology. Various modes of technology can be an answer to a heterogenous society with variable levels of socio-economic development. We also present Indonesia’s tryst with integration of ICT in the higher education sector, and the constraints it faces. There is also an interview of Dr Binod Agrawal, who pioneered use of qualitative methods for communications research during the world famous Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) of ISRO. SITE proved beyond doubt that the gap between urban and rural India can be neutralised through information technology. As 2008 goes by, we wish our readers a happy New Year! We will see you next year with our 3rd anniversary issue, which will carry a perspective of all stakeholders on ICT in education.
digital LEARNING is published in technical collaboration with Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies.
Ravi Gupta Editor-in-Chief Ravi.Gupta@csdms.in Owner, Publisher, Printer, Ravi Gupta Printed at Vinayak Print Media E-53, Sector 7, Noida, U.P. and published from 710, Vasto Mahagun Manor, F-30, Sector - 50, Noida,| UP Digital Learning Vol 4 Issue 11 November 2008 Editor: Ravi Gupta
c
ory t s r ove
ICT, Innovation, Impact
‘I’s of the Future REPORT: eASiA2008 Conference & Exhibition, 11-13 November, KLCC, Malaysia
Several Asian countries have made enormous progress in the arena of ICT awareness, knowledge, and skill. Some have completely outpaced others in particular areas to become global leaders. But most of these countries have a long way to go as far as returns from ICT is concerned. Many new market segments and new domains will probably see a big growth in times to come. A leading position in these new growth areas is crucial, if Asia wants to play in the first league of productivity and progress, combined with a strong policy system. eASIA2008 was just another attempt and approach of exploring all those opportunities leading towards a Digital Asia.
December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
The organisers
eASiA 2008 conference and exhibition was held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from November 11-13 in Malaysia by the Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS), the leading nongovernmental organisation engaged in advocacy, research and community building in ICT for development and knowledge management issues. Hosted by the Ministry of Water, Energy and Communications, Malaysia, and in partnership with several other agencies, the event brought together over 800 delegates from 45 countries in three days of intensive discussions, consultations, deliberations, sharing and networking covering five developmental trackseGov, mServe, Digital LEARNING, Asian Telecentre Forum, and eHealth. This three-day mega event was planned to create a unique platform for knowledge sharing in different domains of ICT for development and facilitate multi-stakeholder partnership development and professional networking among governments, industry, academia and civil society organisations of Asian countries. The objective was to bring together ICTD experts, practitioners, business leaders and stakeholders of the region onto one platform, through keynote addresses, presentations, thematic workshops, exhibition and in the process provide an excellent opportunity for participants to interact with a wide and diverse development community, to carry forward the vision of the region and consolidate them into an actionable programme.
The Outcome
eASiA2008 brought out a number of important outcomes that are crucial for addressing the present and future challenges of the ICT4D sector in Asian countries. The delivery of the event was in such way that the growing need for a multi-stakeholder participation of five overlapping domains of ICT4D, namely - rural development, e-government and e-education, e-health and mobile services, was addressed under a single knowledge-sharing platform allowing people and organisations working in Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
apparently isolated domains of ICTD, to intertwine with each other and engage themselves in mutual experience sharing and understanding of convergent issues in their individual pursuit for development.
of the event. The thematic conferences were supported by the track partners. Some universities of repute, like NUS, OUM, UNIMAS, STOU, UiTM, etc were asscociated with the event as the academic partners. The worldwide
The conference as well as the report aims to identify new ICT and Development related questions, roadblocks, progresses, and debatable issues, triggered by the popular opinions to provide a new impetus to the ICT4D discussions
The conference deliberations and discussions through various sessions saw some major outcomes like identifying key policy issues and implementation challenges the Asian countries face, recommendations for policy action, collaborations, new alliances, and stronger multi-stakeholder partnerships, some business driven models defining innovations and sustainability factors of ICTD projects, and also addressed, identified and evaluated some emerging markets.
leader in software for personal and business computing, Microsoft, was the principal sponsor of the eASIA2008 event, while chipmaker Intel Corp was the gold sponsor. The representatives ranged from top government bureaucrats, policy makers, and officials, donor agency representatives, corporate leaders, academicians and researchers,
Key Facts
The purpose of this conference as well as the report is to identify new ICT and Development related questions, roadblocks, progresses, and debatable issues, something triggered by the popular opinions to provide new impetus to the ICT4D discussions, which can also make a reference note towards policy level preparations, a study on the Asian minds on education technology, and an approach for the development of the community.
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eASiA 2008: Asia’s premier ICT4D event
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Objective: Platform for knowledge sharing and facilitating multistakeholder partnership in different domains of ICT4D
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Date & Venue: 11-13 November, KLCC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Organisers: CSDMS, elets, and cohosted by Ministry of Energy, Water & Communications, Govt of Malaysia
The Partners and Participants
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Structure: Five thematic tracks, namely, egov, digital Learning, eHealth, Telecentre Forum, and mserve, and 50 power-packed sessions
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Participants: 800 delegates and 100 corporates from 45 countries
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Exhibiton: 19 exhibitors showcasing latest technology, e-Solutions, services and initiatives from Asia and beyond
Other than the previlege of having the support of KTAK as the host organisation of the event, eASIA this year saw many new partnerships under new tags. Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology were the Country Partners
NGO practitioners, and experts and consultants, some prominent name among which are telecentre.org, IDRC, Rockfeller Foundaton, Global eSchools and Communities Initiative, The World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Commonwealth Medical Association, Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications (MEWC), Malaysia’s Ministries of Education ( MOE), Higher Education (MOHE), Finance, and Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Commission (MDEC), Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), India’s
Technology, Singapore, Institute of Information and Communication Technology Bangladesh, etc among others.
The Grand Inauguration
The first day plenary of the conference set the stage for the next two days of consultation on telecentres, eGovernance, Digital Learning, eHealth and mobiles for development. Inauguratiing the conference, Deputy Minster for Energy, Water and Telecommunications Datuk Joseph Salang said, his ministry was working to transform its rural telecentres, known as Pusat Internet Desa, to hubs of socio-economic development. The new initiative, known as the Malaysian Telecentre Social Entrepreneurs’ Club, will transform telecentres to foster
Dr M P Narayanan, President, CSDMS at the inauguration
entrepreneurship and encourage learning in these communities, he said. Salang explained this was in line with the government’s national broadband plan. He added that local clinics and libraries would also be included as part of the government’s broadband agenda. Commenting on eAsia 2008, Joseph said the event was a platform for ICT players to network and establish partnerships for cooperation and collaboration. He also urged the ICT industry to build on each other’s strength to create activities and growth in developing nations while creating markets for themselves. ‘Studies have found that
Dy. Minister for Energy,Water and Telecommunications Datuk Joseph Salang inaugurating eASiA 2008
Ministry of Communication & Information Technology, Open University of Malaysia, UiTM, University of Malaya, South East Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), Gedaref Digital City Organisation(GDCO), Forum for Information Technology Nepal (FIT Nepal), Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Bangkok, OneRoof Inc., USA, Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Limited (PTCL), University of New England Armidale, Australia, University of Kelaniya Sri Lanka, School of Electronics & Info-Comm
Inauguration Ceremony December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
developing countries have a lower rate of returns from ICT compared to those that are developed.’ He said this was attributed to an inadequate infrastructure to support ICT development in the economy. ‘In addition to infrastructure, the region is also witnessing a prolific growth in content creation. The growth in ICT infrastructure, applications and content provides the opportunity to set standards, including next generation services for the world,’ he added.
eASiA 2008 Exhibition
CSDMS President Dr M P Narayanan and Director Dr Ravi Gupta highlighted the vision and the key objectives behind the conference and exhibition. Dato’ Dr. Halim Man, Secretary General, Ministry of Energy, Water & Communications, Malaysia, Karl Brown, Associate Director - Applied Technology, Rockefeller Foundation, USA, Jyrki Pulkkinen, CEO, Global eSchools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), Dublin, Ireland, Richard Fuchs, Regional Director, East and South East Asia, International Development Research Centre, Yasmin Mahmood, Managing Director, Microsoft Malaysia SDN. BHD, Abdul Rahman Abu Haniffa, Director - Government Affairs, Malaysia & ASEAN, Intel Dr. Joseph Amuzu, Adviser, Social Transformation Programs Division - Health Section, Commonwealth Secretariat, UK also reiterated that the way forward for ICT4D in Asia was to collaborate and strengthen the initiatives through renewed partnerships and sharing of expertise. In another plenary session following the grand inaugural ceremony, some more key speakers had an enriching discussion on Development 2.0 while puting forth an an Emerging Markets Perspective on the theme. Florencio Ceballos, Programme Manager, telecentre.org, Dr. S. Ahrulraj, President, Commonwealth Medical Association, Toru Nakaya, Director, International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan, and Prof Anuwar Ali, Vice Chancellor & President, Open University Malaysia made their deliberations in the plenary. 10
December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
The Exhibition
The conference also served as a exhibition host of some of the latest e-solutions, services, initiatives and case studies from across Asia and beyond. Exhibitors from professional service providers, IT vendors, telecom venders, satellite providers, consulting firms, government agencies and national/international development organisations participated in the exhibition. KTAK, Microsoft, MSC Malaysia, MAMPU Malaysia, SMART Technologies, University of Malaya, OUM, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), UUM, QAI Global Institute, Promethean, OneRoof Inc, Ministry of Communication & Technology, Thailand, Hitachi, EP-TEC Solutions, etc are a few to name in the list of exhibitors. Session I: e-Education: The Asian Experience The Digital Learning track conference was inaugurated alongside the eASiA 2008 on the second day with the keynote session on e-Education: The Asian Experience. The first key note presentation was presented by Prof. Rashid Navi Bax, Deputy Director General, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia on e-Education in Malaysia: Policies and Initiatives. e-Education in Malaysia has been chosen as the main policy to increase accessibility of higher education of the country and has great potential especially with providing tertiary education to the workforce as well as
Dr Rashid Navi Bax, Ministry of HE, Malaysia
alternative routes for rural and urban population and people with disabilities (Note : current enrollment OUM has reached about 55,000). Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
In his presentation, Dr. Rashid Navi Bax said that currently, the 9th Malaysia plan is on in the country. e-Learning was introduced and initiated in the 8th Malaysia plan (2001-2005). The higher education of learning in Malaysia can be seen in broadly two categories: a) Public Institutions of Higher learning; b) Private Institutions of Higher Learning. While the Public Institutions of Higher Learning has 20 Universities, 27 Polytechnics, 37 Community colleges with 403,009 students enrolment; the Private Institutions of Higher Learning has 41 Universities/University Colleges, 4 Foreign University Branch Campuses, 526 Colleges with 419,778 students. During the 8th Malaysia Plan (20012005), the e-Learning progress saw an increased use of Internet; Smart School Community projects implemented
Sofian Azmi, Curriculum Development Division, Ministry of Education, Malaysia
tools to increase usage of ICT for socioeconomic well being, private sector being encouraged to provide conducive environment for e-Learning. Prof. Navi
e-Education has been chosen as the main policy in Malaysia to increase accessibility of higher education and for providing tertiary education to the workforce by Multimedia development; conceptualising and implementing Malaysia Grid for Learning (MyGfl), a repository and a directory for sharing digital content; and engaging with and involving the private sector initiatives to provide facilities and training in selected schools, among many other developments. Prof. Navi Bax also emphasised on the Public Private Partnerships, which contribute towards ICT infrastructure & Info structure, Smart school courseware, and Internet access via SchoolNet. During this plan period National e-Learning Consultative Committee (NeLCC) established the public sector e-Learning blueprint. Accelerating e-Learning Acculturation is one of the focus of the 9th Malaysia Plan with special focus on e-Learning initiatives in formal education sector, rural communities, senior citizens, persons with disabilities being given
Bax felt that there is a need to create e-Learning culture among Government workforce. He also insisted that National Vocational Training Council (NVTC) blueprint should include content standards, systems, accreditation processes to implement e-Training programmes. Sofian Azmi, Senior Assistant Director, Curriculum Development Division represented the Ministry of Education Malaysia and made his presentation on ‘MOE Malaysia: Towards Digital Learning’ which was focused on Vision 2020 leading to a Knowledge-based economy. The mantra that Ministry of education in Malaysia follows is ‘Learn anytime and anywhere’ by exploiting ICT in teaching and learning approaches. Almost all schools are connected via Internet Virtual Private Network (IP VPN). In the Education Development Master Plan 2006-2010, which coincides with 11
the 9th Master Plan of Malaysia, the six key thrusts are nation-building, developing human capital, strengthening national schools, bridging the education gap, enhancing teaching profession, and accelerating excellence of education institutions. Sofian also informed that at the policy level the MOE has initiated Smart School Project, Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI), School Access Centre, Computer Laboratory, SchoolNet, EduWebTV, Malaysian Grid for
• • • • • • • Toru Nakaya, International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan
•
An ‘Ideal’ learning environment can be built by investing in people and education systems, training teachers, building strong education leaders, reforming key standards across ICT, curriculum and assessments Learning (MyGfL), to create informative schooling culture, nurture thinking and creativity and to leverage ICT initiatives in school. He further elucidated that the Malaysian government is committed to provide computer laboratories to encourage eLearning by bringing the world into the classroom for all schools by 2010. The challenges that the Government is confronting are: • Remote schools and electricity supply • Infrastructure – building and internet connection • Parents’ expectations • Training He concluded his presentation by emphasising that there is a need to deploy nationwide smart school teaching concepts, materials, skills and technologies to school for which a concerted effort from all stakeholders can spearhead towards realising this aspiration. Toru Nakaya, Director, International Cooperation Division, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan made his presentation on University of the South Pacific (USP). 12
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The USP headquarters is located in Fiji with two supplementary campuses. The USP has provided distance learning courses since 1969 with the assistance of postal services and short wave radio. Currently, the USP has a total of 15,000 students. The mode through which they conduct DFL is Internet, Print-base, Flexi School (Intensive lecture), Video. Common Obstacles noted during the USP’s Research on ICT in Education in the Pacific Nations are highlighted by the speaker, which are-
• • •
High Costs: Equipment, Telecom rates Inadequate human resources Emigration of trained personnel Outdated curricula Hardware, infrastructure: sourcing & development Lack of incentives for schools and teachers, lack of job security Lack of awareness, uncertainty about role of ICT in curriculum Lack of software, collaborative platforms Lack of government vision, excessive bureaucracy Speed of change – pressure to upgrade, maintain and sustain initiatives Geographical isolation, wide dispersal of populations Evolution model: ICT in admin -> ICT in curriculum -> ICT in learning culture
Seik Kaa Hee, Intel, Malaysia
Siek Kah Hee, Education Programme Manager, Intel Malaysia, deliberated
Audience December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
on various educational programme offerings of the company in the country. The programmes include Intel Teach for professional development of teachers on effective use of technology, Intel Learn for 8-16 year old students offered in government community technology centres, Intel ISEF for supporting authentic science learning through science fairs, and Intel Higher Education for accelerating the advancement of university curricula and research and encourage students to choose technical careers. The Intel education programmes are spread over China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Australia. He further elaborated that an ‘Ideal’ learning environment can be built by investing in people and education systems, training teachers, building strong education leaders, reforming key standards across ICT, curriculum and assessments. He also stressed on implementing holistic policies to foster access to ICT by giveing all schools access to Internet, implementing Universal Service policy, Spectrum policy and initiating VoIP & Wireless Broadband. Session II: Planning an Asia Knowledge Forum The Asia Knowledge Forum had its first planning meeting alongside the eASIA2008. It is a Forum designed to assist some of the poorest Asian countries in mobilising best practices and knowledge around issues of integrating educational technology into
and networking between member countries and to promote cross country collaboration and communication. It would also explore opportunities for synergizing knowledge through the convergence of regional experiences and knowledge sharing from across the globe.
Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, GeSCI
The planning meeting on ‘Asia Knowledge Forum’ was convened by Global eSchools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI). The aim was to bring together ministries of education, opinion leaders, scholars and educators from Asian countries to exchange, collaborate and become engaged in an ongoing dialogue that will ultimately lead to the development of appropriate, innovative and possibly ground-breaking policy solutions to the impediments on ICT and Education that confront policy makers. The session started off with a background presentation by Ashish Garg, Asia Regional Coordinator (and Country Programme Director, India),
Global eSchools & Communities Initiatives (GeSCI). In her brief presentation, Ashish stressed on the need of an Asia Knowledge Forum, its expected outcome, and the impact that it seeks to create while, simultaneously addressing the challenges that the Asian region faces as far as ICT and education is concerned and providing a platform for the member participants to share their experience and replicate the good practices. She also emphasised that AKF could be a platform to attract the various governments of the Asian region. Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, CEO, Global eSchools & Communities Initiatives and the chair of the session shared his vision on the forum and spoke broadly about the significance and need of a joint and social understanding that can pave ways in organising the education. He said, ICT in education is not a technological but a social innovation which can bring about transformations in the society and in the education system. Ichiro Tambo, Executive Advisor to Director General, Economic Infrastructure Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan, in his keynote address echoed the transformative role that ICT has played in the education scenario and the way the concept and notion of education has been redefined. He shared with the participants about the changing scenario of the world of
Ashish Garg, GeSCI
learning environments. The Forum will endeavour to establish national and international partnerships to ensure the success of such structures. It will also provide a mechanism for exchange Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Microsoft Workshop: 21st Century Teaching and Learning
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presentation on ‘Power of Digitisation in Learning’, by Lim Soon Jinn, Heulab Deputy CEO. The session continued with a joint presentation on ‘Affordable Computing to Transform Education’, by Camille Mazo, Business Development Manager Education, UPG APAC and Sriddej Khruasuwan (Pom), Training Programme Manager / Technical Support – UPG, Microsoft Thailand Limited.
Microsofrt workshop in progress
Working in partnership with country governments, GeSCI supports the development of effective frameworks including policy and strategy formation on ICT in Education. This provided GeSCI with a unique insight into the specific challenges and solutions in using ICT for Education in developing countries.
Ichiro Tambo, Economic Infrastructure Department, Jica, Japan
education. The role of school teacher has now been reduced to that of a facilitator. ICTs have tremendous potential to change the spectrum of education. Role of education needs to be redefined and changed. He urged that country governance needed to be restructured according to the need of information based knowledge society. Following his presentation, all the participants were asked to share and articulate the challenges and gap areas that they could identify in their respective countries with reference to ICT and education. 14
Session III: 21st Century Teaching and Learning In yet another successful session, Microsoft coordinated a workshop titled ‘21st Century Teaching and Learning’, which provided the audience with an opportunity to know about various technical solutions that the teachers and learners can avail while effectively integrating ICTs in education. The general introduction to the session was given by Azizah Ali, General Manager, Public Sector, Microsoft Malaysia SDN BHD, following which there was a
Session IV: Building Capacity for a Learning Community The session was chaired by Devadason Robert Peter, Sr Specialist-ICT, South East Asian Ministries Educational Organisation (SEAMEO) RECSAM, Malaysia. He threw light on the importance of capacity building for today’s teaching and learning community, which includes teachers, educators, learners, and the educational functionaries.
Zainab Hussain Siddiqui, Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Ltd (PTCL), Pakistan
Zainab Hussain Siddiqui, Senior Manager, Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation Ltd (PTCL), Pakistan
e-Learning offers a unique opportunity to combine the power of technology and global network with the infinite economic potential that is realised when people acquire, create and apply knowledge and skills
December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
presented her paper on ‘Promoting Human Resource Capacity Building through e-Learning in Pakistan’. Through her presentation she endeavoured to address the issue of access to education in Pakistan. She emphasised on capitalising on ICT opportunities considering the dismal state of education infrastructure. Zainab further highlighted that PTCL is poised to be an instrumental agent in Pakistan’s economic and social growth. e-Learning offers a unique opportunity to combine the power of technology and global network with the infinite economic potential that is realised when people acquire, create and apply knowledge and skills. PTCL is the largest converged services carrier in Pakistan with 5.7 million customers. PTCL is the largest CDMA operator in the country and leading infrastructure provider to other telecom operators and corporate customers, it has 55% broadband market share and broadband presence in 121 cities and is a pioneer of IPTV service in Pakistan. She informed the audience of the launch of Easy Learning, which is a Global Skills Development Programme designed and developed by Serebra Learning Corporation, Canada. The EasyLearning system was designed by Serebra to overcome significant e-Learning issues, such as inconsistent infrastructure support and intermittent online access that have long been impediments to the dissemination of educational material.
Profulla Chandra Barman, BRAC, Bangladesh Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Adiya Ansari, BRAC, Bangladesh
The challenges that she shared are manifold including infrastructure, broadband and dial-up Internet penetration, computers, affordability of ICT equipment, language barriers, learning culture, etc. The other presentation of the session was on the vision and educational programmes of Bangladesh-based BRAC (Building Resources Across Communities), jointly presented by Profulla Chandra Barman, Manager, Pre-Primary Programme, & Adiya Ansari, Senior Teacher Trainer. While Profulla Barman presented on ICT programmes in rural library/community learning centres, Adiya Ansari made her presentation on Computer Aided Learning. Both the speakers discussed some crucial challenges in their country which are to familiarise the rural students and teachers with modern computer technology, to provide conceptual clarity, problem solving and real life examples for mathematics and science, self learning provision for both teachers and students, and above all, the challenges of power outage for long hours and low voltage in most of the areas.
Bhagya Rangachar, CLT, India
Bhagya Rangachar, Founder Trustee, CLT India made her presentation on the e-Patashale Initiative. She primarily spoke about the challenges that the learners face when ICT is taken to school education. Her concern was that e-Contents are mostly used as fillers for a computer class. There is a challenge of perception as well. It is crucial to perceive what the learners want before providing the e-Content to the child. The content, images and the delivery are not localised. Her main focus was that the localisation and customisation of content can take us closer to our goals of integrating ICT tools with conventional classroom teaching. She also stressed that the multi-media content can be an inclusive medium when we pay closer attention to the beneficiaries’ current practices and their immediate needs and challenges.
Manish Sharma, NComputing
Manish Sharma, Vice President, Asia Pacific, NComputing talked on ‘A Proven Strategy to Lower ICT Acquisition and Operational Costs in Education.’ As the theme suggests, he stressed on the fact that PC capacity massively exceeds user needs and in most of the cases the users do not use the capacity resulting in wastage of power and of capacity. He highlighted the NComputing approach of maximising one’s investment in PCs by sharing the excess power of one PC with many users for as little as US$80/user. In his presentation he also demonstrated the cost comparison analysis of NComputing approach. 15
Session V: Open and Distance Learning Practices The third and last day of conferencing began with the session on ‘Open and Distance Learning Practices’ which was chaired by Prof Mansor Fadzil, Senior Vice President, Open University Malaysia. He gave an overview of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) practices from the perspective of Open
Mansor Fadzil, Open University Malaysia
University Malaysia. The University broadly employs blended pedagogy, which includes online learning, selfmanaged learning, and face-to-face tutorials. Prof Fadzil also shared with the delegates that the technologies that they use to impart learning are radio, Internet radio, Internet (CMS & LMS), Mobile devices, audio-video cassettes, satellite programmes, audio/video conferencing, etc. The long term perspective for ODL, according to him, is that the quality will be increased with more diverse, reliable and cost effective e-contents and technologies on offer. Prof. Rozhan M. Idrus from School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains
Rozhan M. Idrus, School of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia
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Malaysia presented on Mobile Learning via SMS in Physics Education. He emphasised that the Short Message Service or SMS function can be utilised as an asynchronous form of communication with a student, fostering a sense of connectivity between the lecturer and student and facilitating a supportive learning environment. Anwar Harun Bin Abdullah Munir from Asia eUniversity made his presentation on ‘Ways to rebuild and restructure Digital Library (ICT) with Intelligence Diet’. His point of focus was on the various dimensions of organising ICT assisted digital library. He defined a digital library as a library in which pool are stored in digital system and easily reached by computers. With the help of ICT the digital content will be deposited locally, or accessed distantly through computer networks. A digital library may be termed as information repossession system also.
Chetan Mahajan, Apollo Group
Chetan Mahajan, Vice President - South Asia and Middle-East, Apollo Group Education discussed on ‘Collaboration in Online Learning’. He urged delegates to explore possible insights from the largest and most successful online university in the US and emphasised that collaboration and teamwork often are not given their place in online education while contents though important are often overrated. He spoke primarily about University of Phoenix and the pedagogical model that it adopts. Session VI: Towards a New Agenda in Higher Education The session was chaired by Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, who set the stage by raising
Prof. A K Bakshi, Institute of Life Long Learning, Delhi University, India
three issues/concerns as far as ICT and education is concerned. The three concerns are technological aspects, pedagogical issues and institutional issues. He emphasised that there is a strong belief on digital content, meaning that ICT means to access learning content. There is a very thin emphasis and mention of the communication aspect and collaborative dimension of ICT. There is a need to brain storm on innovation and creativity. He observed that the scalability and affordability no longer remains a serious concern with the stakeholders. After his enriching speech, he invited Prof. A K Bakshi, Director - Institute of Life Long Learning, Delhi University, India, to make his presentation on Higher education from the perspective of University of Delhi. He shared with the audience the initiatives that the institute has undertaken. He also focused on how the academicians have been engaged in developing digital content for various university courses while redefining pedagogy. The other speaker Dr. Abirami Devi, Senior Manager, Everonn Systems Ltd, India made a presentation on ‘Unleashing the Strength of Universities in India.’ The focus of her presentation was on how to strengthen the universities with ICT and its advantages and challenges involved in bringing the linkages between universities. December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Valedictory Session
The Valedictory was graced by Jyrki Pulkkinen, CEO, Global eSchools and Communities Initiative (GeSCI), Dublin, Ireland, Ichiro Tambo, Executive Advisor to Director General, Economic Infrastructure Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan, Maria Tess Camba, Director, Commission on Information
Dr Abirami Devi, Everonn Systems Ltd, India
Session VII: e-Learning Delivery Models: Re-engineering Pedagogy Eric Lee from the School of InfoComm Technology, Singapore made a presentation titled ‘Interactive Book with G-Scanner Technology’ and threw light on how together with textbook, e-Learning and G-Scanner, it becomes easy to re-engineer the delivery of teaching and learning.
Ravi Gupta, Director CSDMS, addressing the valedictory
Karl Brown, Rockfeller Foundation at the valedictory session
and Communication Technology, Government of Philippines, Philippines, Karl Brown, Associate Director- Applied
Technology, Rockfeller Foundation, USA, Florencio Ceballos, Programme Manager, telecentre.org. Dr. Ravi Gupta, Executive Director, CSDMS & Convener, eASiA 2008 rendered special thanks to all the stakeholders and participants for making the conference and exhibition a huge success. On the occasion, he also extended an invitation to all the participants and delegates to attend the next eINDIA2009 conference which will be held in August next year.
Eric Lee, School of Info-Comm Technology, Singapore
Capt K J S Brar, CEO, Designmate, India deliberated on the issue of Delivering Quality Content to the Learners and Teachers. The track conference of eASiA2008 came out with some major recommendations, like implementing holistic policies to foster access to ICT, give all schools access to Internet, Key Access Policies−Universal Service policy−Spectrum policy−VoIP & Wireless Broadband, etc. The participants called for strengthening of cooperation and linkages between educational institutions and organisations across the globe. Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Key speakers at the valedictory session
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innovative financial schemes, Locally relevant service & content bundles, Access into rural areas through connected communities, more through proactive publicprivate partnership
Reccomendations •
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Invest in People and Education Systems:Train teachers, Build strong education leaders, Reform key standards across ICT, curriculum and assessments Implement holistic policies to foster access to ICT, give all schools access to Internet, Key Access Policies−Universal Service policy−Spectrum policy−VoIP & Wireless Broadband, etc Support Rural Education by Wireless link, Provide equal opportunity, Affordability through
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Heavy collaboration–Gov + Educators + Community + Industry + Civil Society + Multilaterals + Corporations
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Provide conceptual clarity, problem solving and real life examples for mathematics and science
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Self learning provision for both teachers and students
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Revolutionize the economics of computing –eg Desktop virtualization hardware and software, etc
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Collaborations between ODL institutions for cross-border education, International offering of programmes
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Information repossession system, like , encouraging documenatation of ICT initiatives, teaching learning processes, a digital library, etc
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Administrators to facilitate students to have Internet access off campus and help them with trouble solving.
eASiA 2008 Glimpses
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December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
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Radicalising Education Through ICTs Dr. Ananya S Guha (nnyguha@gmail.com), Joint Director, Regional Services Division, IGNOU
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ommunication technologies popularly known as ICTs are being increasingly linked to education. Integrating technologies with the educational system is a major challenge of pedagogy today. Infact, the two are inseparable. In my opinion this ‘ technologising’ of education, all began with the phenomenon of distance education, and its growing popularity. It is adult education, continuing education, training, digital education and professional education - all interconnected, where distance education is a mechanism to facilitate learning for the above mentioned components. Technology is the interface and the catalytic medium to take education to various working groups of people, drop outs from the conventional system of education, and adult learners in general. The popularity of technology was because of its cost effectiveness, where there is little or no recurring expenditure, it breaks barriers of time, place and space, creating a cosmic space in the globalised community of today. Technology and education are concomitants and inseparable entities, where technology is a means to a larger end. To view technology only as an end in itself is positing a dangerous and inimical view, because in a technology driven society there is danger of its misuse and abuse.
characterises our demand for learning and training. The world of work and the world of education are intimately connected, as the Delors Commission Report( UNESCO, 1996) posits so aptly. But more than technological vision, it is the technological appositeness or appropriateness that is important. e- Learning is a composite compendium of technologies including the print material as print is the most primal form of technological intervention in education. Synchronous and asynchronous learning is a technology created potential, unleashing borderless education.
Distance Education efficaciously uses components of technology, holistically, where classroom teaching is also a significant methodology. But, technology aided instruction complements the study texts and weaves a complex fabric into the intricacies of learning and teaching. The furious clamour for e-Learning in the form of Internet and mobile learning
Two way audio and one way video tele-interactivity is cost efficient and effective, but we have to perhaps intensively reach rural areas, which are handicapped by limitations such as paucity of electricity and lack of TV signals.In the cities and towns, the internet is very popular due to the mushroom growth of cyber cafes. Education must be construed in terms of
Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
My experience as an academic administrator in the Indira Gandhi National Open University for the last sixteen years or so, has enabled me to understand not only the perspicacious utility of technology, but its subjective appropriateness. What is advantageous in one local condition is not so in another, in a heterogeneous society with an intermix of variable levels of social and economic development. This is the Indian context. Thus, contrary to common belief that the radio has now become an outmoded form of technology, there has been a resurgence of the radio in the form of FM Channels and the community radio.
learning and entertainment. In common parlance, ‘edutainment’ and technology is the driving force and moving spirit here. Computer broadcasting or podcasting can be very potent devices for teaching and learning. The skype and the yahoo messenger are repositories for educational texts in a contexts where education drives technology. Blogs should be used by teachers, which would help in creating classrooms within classrooms, both in tradtional and distance education contexts. I am trying to contextualise things in a country which has disparities of scale. The wide disparities of economy and diversities in geographical conditions automatically bring in the oft talked about and touted ‘digital divide’. It is here that e-Learning communities and groups can play a vital role in dissemination of knowledge and good practices about the successful use of technology for development and education. The broader platform of e-Learning is the rapid growth of online activism, writing, creative writing in various sites all over the world, including India. Learning in its broadest sense is a ‘continuing’ and e-Learning is part of such lifelong learning. The use of moodle for multi-tasking is another endeavour in replicating the classroom situation, online, with the help of the Internet. The challenge of education today is, radicalising it, with technology exacerbating knowledge driven forces, autodidactically. Dr Ananya S Guha is Joint Director, Regional Services Division, IGNOU 19
News INDIA DU joins international consortium for higher education
Delhi University has joined the Erasmus Mundus External Cooperation Window Lot 15 (EMECW15), designed to fund higher education, student and teaching staff mobility activities between 12 European universities and eight Indian universities. The consortium aims to create a partnership for research and development to strengthen academic cooperation between India and the European Union (EU).
Topics that will be included in the education and research collaboration include agriculture, food processing, climate change, energy, environment, information and communication technology (ICT), biotechnology, and nanotechnology. Under the scheme, a total of 301 scholarships (94 for Undergraduate students, 107 for Masters students, 80 for PhD students, 41 for Post Doctoral fellows and 80 for academic staff) will be offered to Indian students.
Recruiters line up at IIM-A defying global slowdown
Contrary to widespread speculation about the impact of the global economic crisis on placements at IIMA, the campus saw major recruiters from previous years reaffirming their commitment to select talent at a time when most firms are cautious about hiring. Close to 300 PGP students were eligible for summer placements this 20
season due to a considerable increase in batch size. The first day of placements saw major global banks and consulting firms on campus including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Rothschild and UBS among others. As informed by the IIM-A director, Sameer Barua, all the students of PGPM programme were placed.
Ministry, JNU tie-up for migration and diaspora research
Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has signed an agreement with the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, to work on a project for ‘International migration and diaspora research’ at its Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies. Economics Professor Binod Khadria, a reputed scholar in the field of international migration, will head the research project. The project will primarily focus on the complex links between social, economic, political, cultural and educational aspects of globalisation and migration. Apart from interfacing with the Union Ministry, the project also envisages international collaboration with globally renowned organisations in the field of international migration.
possibilities in development organisations, government bodies, banks, international agencies, corporate firms and teaching and research institutions. Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree from any recognised university with minimum 50% marks are eligible to apply for the course. Admission to the course will be on the basis of a written exam and interview.
IITs may soon be churning out doctors, historians
Graduation day at the Indian Institutes of Technology may soon see doctors, historians and perhaps policy makers too stepping out of their portals. In the coming years, the IIT palette will have on offer a range of shades beyond the cut-and-dry coding courses. The XIth five-year committee for higher education, headed by educationist Yash Pal, is working with them to see how the tech schools can change their character and, like American universities, enlarge their menu. While the IITs will be given more oxygen in terms of starting courses of their choice, it’s difficult to predict whether the new subjects offered will compare in excellence with the engineering departments, or be relegated to the sidelines, like the IITs’ management schools. However, Prof Yash Pal said, ‘All great universities around the world offer a range of undergraduate courses. Our IITs can’t be great unless they think in that direction.’
Right to Education Bill cleared by Cabinet
Ambedkar University launches its first academic programme
Newly set-up Ambedkar University, Delhi, has launched its first academic programme, a post-graduate diploma in Development Studies. The programme has been developed in collaboration with the Council for Social Development and is aimed at preparing development professionals with social concerns. The diploma will give placement
In a move expected to give a much needed boost to the education sector, the Union Cabinet has cleared the Right to Education Bill that makes free and compulsory education a fundamental right for all children between the ages of 6 and 14. It will now soon be tabled in Parliament for approval. Key provisions of the Bill include: 25% reservation in private schools for disadvantaged children from the neighbourhood, at the entry level. The government will reimburse expenditure incurred by schools; no donation or capitation fee on admission; and no December 2008 | www.digitalLearninG.in
Gujarat may get 400 more medical seats
interviewing the child or parents as part of the screening process. The Bill also prohibits physical punishment, expulsion or detention of a child, and deployment of teachers for non-educational purposes other than census or election duty and disaster relief. Running a school without recognition will also attract penal action.
Rajasthan Knowledge Corporation launches Digital literacy drive The Rajasthan Knowledge Corporation has launched a digital literacy drive, under which a network is proposed to be set up throughout the State beginning with district and sub-divisional headquarters and going down to villages with a population of 2,500 and above. The Corporation has signed agreements with ten computer-based industries as programme support agencies for working with the 1,000 IT ‘Gyan Kendras’ (knowledge centres) to be established across the State for evolving an institutional mechanism to develop the trained youth manpower with basic IT skills.
Chairman M L Mehta said that the project would help the youths in getting direct and indirect employment, besides bridging the digital divide and fulfilling the manpower needs of a thriving software product business. Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
In a landmark decision that will impact medical education all over the country, Union Health Ministry gave its nod for split campuses to start medical colleges with existing hospitals. In Gujarat, this decision may lead to nearly 400 more medical seats being available to students in the near future. ‘The split campus proposal has been cleared. It is good news for Gujarati students,’ state representative Medical Council of India (MCI) Dr Haresh Bhalodiya said. Gujarat and Maharashtra governments had written to MCI three years back to split the campus so that good hospitals in the cities were able to offer medical education as well. The MCI cleared the proposal recently, which allows a 25 acre campus to be split into two campuses of 15 acres and 10 acres respectively.
Online entrance test for pilots soon
According to a new system proposed by the Civil Aviation Ministry, the qualifying examination for becoming a commercial pilot will soon be made online, on the lines of TOEFL and GRE. Even the required medical tests could be conducted by private healthcare companies such as Fortis and Max. The new system would reduce the registration and examination processes by a few days unlike the prevailing practice which takes over four to five months. The Ministry has already initiated the process of setting up computerised examination centres in the national capital for the prospective aviators. It expects to conduct first online test by the end of the year. The same system is also expected to be extended for private pilot licence (PPL) as well in the second phase.
At IGNOU you can now choose your exam date
In a revolutionary step, nearly two million students pursuing education
in the Indira Gandhi National Open University across India and abroad will soon be able to choose their examination date. ‘Walk-in-examination would give learners the liberty to decide the dates of exams as per their own suitability and convenience, thus lowering the exam pressure on them,’ IGNOU spokesman Ravi Mohan said. Under the scheme, students, instead of waiting for the sixmonthly term end examination, could simply walk into any identified test centres of the university. The results would be processed on a monthly basis. The flexible examination pattern also reduces the possibility of malpractices, as each student will get a different set of question papers. Registration of students, allotment of the dates and the issue of hall ticket to the examinees for the walk-in examination would be done online.
Foreign universities seek partnerships in India
Foreign universities are increasingly seeking partnerships with Indian universities, specifically institutes of higher learning and research, with a view to expand their programmes and outreach, a FICCI-Ernst & Young study has said. Recently, during Belgian King Albert II’s visit, IIM-Ahmedabad signed a contract with the Universite’ libre de Bruxelles for cooperation in micro-finance research. A large delegation from the University of Cologne, Germany also paid a visit to India seeking partnerships with major universities. Keeping in view the prevailing situation, the study said, ‘Despite government initiatives, there exists a significant gap in the demand for higher education and the supply of infrastructure facilities. The government needs to step not only through improvised regulatory framework but through public-private partnership (PPP).’ 21
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Creating a Professional ‘ID’ Saswati Paik (saswati.paik@gmail.com), ID Specialist, Kolkata
Need to Design Instruction
Do we remember all our teachers who have ever taught us? Do we have sweet memories of all the classes we have attended during our student days? I am sure, you all will say ‘No’. Most of us remember only few teachers for reasons like their innovative teaching or their affectionate behaviour. There are numerous factors which are responsible for the popularity of a teacher. Ideally a teacher is supposed to prepare him/herself for any class as per the requirement of his/her students. Since the ability to grasp a subject varies from one student to another, teachers have to explore the best way to enhance the teaching-learning process in the class. A good teacher should necessarily have the following qualities: (i) good communication skill, (ii) analytical bent of mind to understand the requirements of the students, (iii) passion for teaching, and (iv) knowledge about the subject. All these qualities are so important and inter-linked that it is difficult to rank them as per their priorities. Students, on the other hand, come from different family backgrounds and may have different mental make-up. Moreover, their learning capacity also varies. All these factors have a bearing on the impact various teaching aids have on students. But an effective teacher is one who formulates the design of the teaching process and follows some ways to get a better or best response from her/his students. Here lies the importance of ‘Instructional Design’ or ID as it is popularly called. Although the process followed by teachers cannot 22
be defined as ID in present context, the origin of the concept lies somewhere in the teaching-learning process, which was once not accompanied by Computer Based Learning (CBT) or Web-Based Learning (WBT).
Why Instructional Design?
Following the IT boom, the past few decades has seen a change in the mode of learning. It has now become multi-faceted. With the change in the source of knowledge, the mode of knowledge transfer has also evolved. These days knowledge is not just confined to books or the traditional classroom-based teachinglearning process, it is easily accessible both online and offline through various media. People can easily avail webbased training programmes, learn through computer games and also attend interactive sessions from remote locations. With this shift in trends, the requirements of the teaching-learning process has changed with the courses concentrating more on learners’ requirements. In such a situation, people with a passion for teaching, good communication skills and the ability to visualise best practices in learning, can look for a booming career in the field of ID. ID can be defined as both the art and
science of designing instructions for learners, these instructions aiming at maximum knowledge transfer. It can be applied in game-based training for students, professional trainings and also interactive sessions on general knowledge.
Introducing ID as a Professional Course
An ideal ID course needs to cover the following areas: (i) Basics of learning that include various learning theories; (ii) Fundamentals of effective communication; (iii) Concept of Educational Psychology and implication of Educational Psychology in ID; (iv) Basic principles and tools of ID; (v) Concept of e-Learning and e-Learning authoring tools; (vi) Description of some ID models. All these elements can build up a professional course in colleges and universities. December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Moreover, organisations having experienced content developers and professional Instructional Designers can initiate short-term professional courses for experienced professionals looking forward to join the e-Learning sector. As per the standard requirement of IT industries working in the field of e-Learning, it is essential for willing ID professionals to achieve mainly three qualities: (i) basic understanding about learning theories and idea about CBT, WBT, Instructor Led Training (ILT), (ii) knowledge about basics of ID and e-Learning and (iii) mainly good communication skills. Usually, the ID professionals gain maximum knowledge on the job, handling various projects for different target audiences.
The origin of the ID concept lies somewhere in the teaching-learning process itself which was once not accompanied by Computer Based Learning (CBT) or Web-Based Learning (WBT)
ID as a Profession in India
ID is a process that analyses learning needs and promotes a delivery mechanism to meet those needs. A new age Instructional Designer should have some basic qualities like an ideal teacher. She/he also needs to have an open mind on constantly updating oneself to learn what are the latest trends in e-Learning tools and practices. The courses a designer designs, in any organisation, are made for a target audience already set by the organisation or onsite client. Therefore, a designer need to be flexible in terms of visualisation, knowledge update, and also inclination towards the subject assigned. Subjects, contents and mode of approach may vary with the nature of target audience. Sometimes they have to prepare learning instructions based on the contents provided, but at times they may also have to play the role of content developers as well. Therefore, big companies often look out for ‘Content Developers-cum-Instructional Designers’ rather than simply designers. In India, the job market for trained instructional designers is booming. Earlier, there were very few institutes, not more than four or five, offering training in ID. Lately, new institutes offering ID training have mushroomed. Many of these institutes are actually run by companies that are in the business of e-Learning. Since a large part of global Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Foundations of Instructional Design
e-Learning projects are outsourced to India, these companies are in demand and so constantly hone the skills of their designers. Unfortunately, the scope of ID has not been explored to the maximum. Students are pressurised into taking up engineering or medical streams to ensure a bright future. There is a need to change the mindset as far as Arts and Humanities streams are concerned.
The potential of this field cannot be fully realised unless more and more institutions and universities come forth to explore it. There is also a need for collaboration with foreign universities to generate an interest in ID among young people to adopt it as a career option. With every e-Learning company screaming for Instructional Designers, a trained designer can look forward to bright prospects and grow to be a manager and eventually a consultant, ten years down the line.
About Author Saswati, a geographer by qualification, has submitted her PhD thesis in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi on Adult Education. She has been working in the field of social research for past twelve years and has a special interest in adult learning methodology and tools. Apart from academic research activities, she has also served as Instructional Designer in Wipro Technologies. Currently she is involved in research activities related to Adult Education and Instructional Design. 23
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Developing Higher Education Information Network Dr Soekartawi (dr_soekartawi@depdiknas.go.id), Professor, Brawijaya University, Indonesia
Introduction
A university class in progress
Since its independence in 1945, education has always figured prominently in Indonesia’s national developmental policy. Its importance is highlighted through Article 31 of the Amended Indonesia Constitution, which identifies education as one of the key rights of its citizens. Further, the education sector is given a priority focus in Indonesia’s budget, receiving an allocation of a whopping 20% to the total budget outlay for 2008-2009. Despite these efforts, Indonesia’s education sector faces numerous challenges in teaching over 50 million students in 300,000 schools, employing about 3 million teachers spread across 17.5 thousand islands. Three major issues pose challenges to Indonesia’s education sector. These are: i) Increasing equity and expanding access to education; ii) Enhancing quality improvement, relevance, and competitiveness, and iii) Strengthening governance, accountability, and public image. One of the policy instruments in Indonesia is the integration of ICT into education ranging from the elementary school level to the higher education. This article discusses Indonesian government’s responses to the above challenges by using ICT and the success in achieving this. The national policy for integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into education by the Ministry of National Education of 24
Indonesia is laid down in the Five Year Development Plan, 2005-2009.
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Basic activities related to the policy of integrating ICT into education consist of development of systems, methods and learning materials through the use of ICT. This is expected to develop a higher education information network, infrastructure and human resource to support its implementation, both for education management and the learning process. By using ICT for educating students in higher education institutions equity of quality can be assured.
The goals and objectives of utilising ICT for education programme in higher education in Indonesia are to firstly provide all higher education institutions and its faculty, and students, with opportunities to learn the use of ICT. The goal is to employ ICT as an enabling tool to access information and gain knowledge through self-paced learning, or through interactions with lecturers/professors and fellow students.
Implementation of the policy and strategic development in integrating ICT in higher education in Indonesia may be grouped into three major directions, namely: • Quality of learning through increased access to new resources and improved teaching approaches, • Educational management and ICT led management information
systems, and Quality of ICT graduates and need for ICT specialists.
Secondly, it must electronically link institutions of higher learnings and libraries to provide students and teachers an environment in which distant resources can be made available remotely at finger tips. Finally, it must make maximum use of ICT in learning, including open and distance learning, to meet the needs December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
and aspirations of all students in higher educations or in continuing education and skill enhancement without any constraints with regard to age, sex, profession, social status, race, distance, or geographical location.
ICT Programmes in Higher Education
Several ICT programmes have been initiated in Indonesia’s higher education. These are: are Global Development Learning Network (GDLN), Indonesian Higher Education Network (Inherent), Jardiknas (National Education Network), Indonesia-Managing Higher Education for Relevance and Efficiency (I-MHERE), e-Education, etc. To optimise the use of ICT in higher education, GDLN is partnering with the Indonesian Higher Education Network (Inherent) programme. This joint partnership was recently launched by the Minister of National Education Republic of Indonesia on July 9, 2008. This network enables people in Indonesia – through 82 state universities, 140 private universities, and 12 regional offices – to connect, share and learn across geographical border. The Indonesia government believes that the current technological revolution has created new paths for people and organisations to relate with one another. It is also believed that these technologies can be included as a key factor in the improvement of processes and opportunities of teaching and learning. The integration of ICT in higher education in Indonesia is in line with the Dakar Framework for Action on Education for All, which states that ICT in the 21st century offers new ways of managing the education process as well as delivering particular programme. Such technologies can also help to deliver learning programmes at adult and professional levels, such as teacher education through distance education/ learning. Integrating technology with teaching implies the use of learning technologies to introduce, reinforce, supplement and extend skills. The difference between Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
the classroom of exemplary users of technology and technology users is in the way their classes are conducted. In the exemplary classrooms, student use of computers is woven integrally into the patterns of teaching; software is a natural extension of student tools. In the case of integrating ICT in higher education in Indonesia, various technologies have been used like: • Audio (cassette, radio broadcast, telephone, voice mail telephone), • Video and television (TV broadcast, VCD, fiber optics, video tape, video text, video messaging), • Computer and internet or web-base (fiber optics, computer, CD-ROM, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Based-Learning, Computer Based Technology), • Web-based via internet (chatting, bulletin board, e-mail, internet, online learning), and
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computers, giving ample opportunity to use electronic communication, and carefully integrating computer activities into the regular structure of the lesson for meaningful learning. According to Soekartawi (2006) and Rusmini K.A and S. P. Syed Ali (2004), information technology and Internet can also promote collaborative teaching and learning and raise the achievement of the students. It can also improve teachinglearning materials, management system, and assessment system. GDLN, Inherent, Inhere, Jardiknas and I-MHERE are higher education networks. Within the networks are some initiatives, like, • Dissemination of library service automation system, • Application system which is distributed to Higher Education Institutions for free,
Combination of audio, video, computer and web-based technologies).
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Experiences from Indonesia show that one of the most important things that should be taken into account is that each strategy should address a specific learning or teaching need. The most effective approach is one of solving instructional problems. Technology should be viewed as one of the means of solving some of the problems that teachers and learners face.
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Potential strengths and weaknesses of ICT in teaching and learning have been well documented in the literature with the former probably outweighing the latter. For example, Soekartawi (2004b, 2005, 2006) and Warschauer (1996) asserts that ICT can enhance student motivation by helping students gain knowledge and skills about using
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Development of Management Information System (MIS) and database system for Higher Education Institutions, Help universities in managing their data and/or information related to their assets and resources distributed for free, SISDIKSAT (Sistem Pendidikan Satelit) – the implementation of tele-teaching via satellite, targeted to less developed public Higher Education Institutions. GDLN – connected to the World Bank global development learning network. Connecting four universities (UI, UNRI, UNUD, UNHAS) in Indonesia Higher Education Institutions. Universitas Terbuka (The Indonesia Open University) – The Indonesian Open University with open learning contents (UT-on-Line) since 2001, and 25
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Indonesia-Managing Higher Education for Relevance and Efficiency (I-MHERE).,
Global Development Learning Network - a Case Study
As has been cited above, the Ministry of National Education has initiated a programme called Global Development Learning Network (GDLN). It was firstly initiated in academic year 2004/2005 with the participation of UI (University of Indonesia), Unri (University of Riau), Unud (Udayana University) and Unhas (Hasanudin University). GDLN Indonesia is treated as a learning center for Indonesians to
Indonesia to the world. GDLN Indonesia becomes the only place where one can share and learn from each other’s local and international experiences through programmes that are informative and yet critical to the key development practitioners in Indonesia. The mission is to be continuously broadening the national network and maintaining the connectivity to each local learning center. Not only that, programmes are critically selected and developed, which are related to the current and important issues in Indonesia that need immediate attention. Guided by these vision and mission, the GDLN has set up a network among
GDLN Network
enhance their knowledge by sharing and learning from others’ experiences in different local area or countries. GDLN programmes are specially designed to explore more on the current issues in Indonesia such as healthcare, agriculture, education, economic, technology, environment, tourism, social issues and many others. It is believed that that by sharing with international counterparts, Indonesians could adopt and adjust the international best practices for the local issues. This is an effort toward knowledge based society in Indonesia. The vision of GDLN is to be the largest, sophisticated and useful learning center in Indonesia that connects every part of 26
82 state universities, 140 private universities, and 12 regional offices. Some major activities of GDLN are: • Delivering GDLN International Programmes( i.e. Micro finance Training for Trainers, Combating the Scourge of Dengue Fever, and Incidental activities), • Delivering GDLN National Programmes (i.e. Course Content Development, GDLN Learning. Activity Development or GLAD, Coffee morning with Director General of Higher Education, Studium Generale, Seminars and trainings using Video Conference), • Designing Content Development (i.e. Course Content Development, Competitive grants to develop
course material through blended learning mode, and • Delivering GDLN Learning Activity Development (i.e. Competitive grants to develop learning activities, short courses or training, seminars). Continuing design of content course materials (i.e. Data Communication, Development of Open and Distance Learning on Thermal Processing, Technology of Canned, Food Products, Sampling Techniques, Investments, Nursing Process and Basic Human Needs, Improving the Teaching Quality of Probability & Statistics Course, Development of Customised Anatomy and Physiology, e-Learning Courseware for Engineering Student, Software Engineering, Database 1, Food Quality Assurance Course, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, Sensory Evaluation Course, Evaluation of Biological Value of Food, Food Microbiology, Forest Pathology, e-Commerce, e-Learning for Reading Comprehension Utilising Translation as a Didactic Procedure, etc General evaluation of the GDLN resulted in conclusion that there is a great demand of GDLN in more wide usages either in regular teaching learning activities or in distance and open learning activities. More specifically, it can be explained as follows: • First, there is a great demand of GDLN. In the beginning GDLN was set up for the purpose of networking by setting connectivity to enable knowledge exchange in the context of development. Presently, many colleges and universities demand more than the technical facility to run videoconferences. • Second, there is a great demand on the use of ICT in e-Learning, i.e. putting content in an online environment, using PBWiki (Wiki) or Moodle (LMS), using free e-discussion tools, such as Yahoo Groups, applying e-Survey, integrating synchronous small group and working activities using for example Skype.
Constraints in Integrating ICT in Higher Education
When identifying the constraints under December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
which we would develop an on-line learning programme, the following issues shall be taken into account (Soekartawi, 2003f, Munaf, 2001): • Budget (and schedule) - Certain aspects of on-line learning are relatively quick to develop (such as text and simple graphics). Others require more expense and time (such as extensive interaction, videos, simulations, and animations). • Quality - Because so many organisations have limited experience with on-line learning, we might investigate the prevailing notions of quality on-line learning within the organisation we are serving. Some have difficulty with the transition from classroom to computer-based training and become overwhelmed when discussing the possibilities of performance support. • Staff - Who’s going to work on this programme, either in a development capacity or as an advisor on the content? More specifically, what’s their experience with on-line learning. • Technology architecture Determine types of equipment, networks, and software are available in the organisation and find out where they are headed, so you can determine the configuration of the computers on which your programmes will be used. • Justification required - Proper justification is needed if management moves to online learning.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, ICT is potentially a useful tool both for managing education and for teaching. Use in managing educational institutions should be encouraged, as should use by instructors to gain access to educational materials. Experiences derived from the integration of ICT in higher education in Indonesia, resulted in its ability to support three pillars or objectives of education development in Indonesia, namely: increase equity and expansion to education; enhance Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
quality improvement, relevance, and competitiveness; and strengthen good governance, accountability, and public image.
References
More specifically, integration of ICT in higher education in Indonesia resulted in improving quality in education and research in universities, improving solution for higher education quality, access and equity improvement, bridging the quality gaps between institutions, improving resource sharing, therefore improving efficiency, improving information asymmetry, and becoming a catalyst for improving higher education role to the community.
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But getting the best from ICT integration depends on many variables, including the availability of the budget, appropriate design of software and hardware; the training and attitude of instructors; and the realisation that different students have different requirements. Finally, it should be taken into account that technology is never a substitute for good teaching. Without skilled instructors, no electronic delivery can achieve good results. But neither can traditional classroom teaching, come to that. The integration of ICT in higher education institutions, should be focused on: Firstly, learning about ICT -- computer and ICT literacy; second, working with ICT as a tool -- ICTassisted learning; third, learning by means of ICT -- ICT as an educational resource; fourth, treating ICT as a building block of a powerful learning environment; fifth, applying the positive ICT impact on the educational organisation and management and finally, minimising the constraints.
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Anonymous (2000). The Dakar Framework for Action Education for All, World Education Forum, Dakar, Sinegal, 26-28 April 2000. Anonymous (2005). Rencana Strategis Pendidikan Indonesia (Strategic Planning for Education in Indonesia). Depdiknas, Jakarta, Indonesia. Hashim, Y. and Razmah. Bt. Man (2001), An Overview of Instructional Design and Development Models for Electronic Instruction and Learning, Malaysian Journal of Educational Technology 1(1), 1-7. Dodi Nandika, Gatot, H. Priowirjanto, and Soekartawi (2007). JARDIKNAS: The Indonesia National Education ICT Network. Journal of SEAMEO Education Agenda, No. 2, pp: 43-45, November 2007, Bangkok, Thailand, ISSN: 1905 8225, 2007. Soekartawi, Gatot H. Priowirjanto dan Dodi Nandika (2007). “Integrating ICT for Enhancing Quality and Values of Education”. Paper presented in the Policy Forum of SEAMEO Council Conference in Westin Hotel, Denpasar, Indonesia, 14-15 March 2007. MacEke, 2000. Direction in Learning: Bringing e-Learning to the Enterprise with IBM Mindspand Solutions, La Hulpe: IBM White Paper. Mulvihill, R.P. (1997), Technology Application to Distance Education. Paper presented at the International Symposium on Distance Education and Open Learning organized by MONE Indonesia, IDLN, SEAMOLEC, ICDE, UNDP and UNESCO, Tuban, Bali, Indonesia, 17-20 November 1997. Munaf, D.R. (2001), Cultural Threats on Development of ICT as a Tool for Open and Distance Learning. Speech delivered at the 7th International Symposium on Distance Education and Open Learning at Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 1 November 2001.
About Author Prof. Soekartawi is a Professor at Brawijaya University (Indonesia) and former Director of the Southeast Asia Regional Open Learning Center (SEAMOLEC), 2002-2004 and Deputy Director of Southeast Asia Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA, Philippines), 1996-2001. He graduated from Brawijaya University (1974) and got his PhD from University of New England, Australia (1989). Prof Soekartawi is a recepient of several university awards, and most importantly, the ‘Satya Lencana Karya’ from the President of Indonesia in 1996. He has also been involved in various researches in the South-East Asia, particularly in the area of e-Learning and agribusiness development 27
News asia Intel expanding its teachertraining programme in Malaysia
Chipmaker Intel Corp is further expanding its successful IT-assisted teacher-training programme in Malaysia. Intel said it has trained a small but significant percentage of teachers in the last eight years and hopes to double that to 100,000 teachers over the next five years. Introduced in Malaysia in 2000, the programme has so far trained about 50,000 local teachers. Lim Siew Geck, a lecturer and head of the IT unit of the educational technology department at Institut Perguruan Ilmu Khas (IPIK), said the response to the Intel programme has been very favourable. ‘We have many pre-service and inservice teachers who are even willing to come for night classes.’
Singapore-based international school to open in Nagpur Singapore-based Global Indian International School is now set to open a branch in Nagpur, Maharashtra, an announcement by Global Indian Foundation (GIF), which operates the largest pan-Asian educational institution chain, said. GIIS Nagpur will be the first school in the city to offer a choice of both International Baccalaureate (IB) and CBSE courses for students. Set up in 2002 with 48 students in Singapore, GIIS schools today have become source of quality education 28
reaching over 17000 students through its 17 campuses spread all over the Asia Pacific region.
Vietnam bags a silver award at APICTA 08
Vietnam’s ‘Using VSAT IP Solution to Bring Broadband Internet to the Countryside’ solution won a silver medal at the Asia Pacific Information and Communications Technology Awards 2008. APICTA is the annual awards initiated by the Multimedia Development Corporation of Malaysia to increase ICT awareness in the community and assist in bridging the digital divide in the Asia-Pacific. This year, APICTA was organised in Jakarta, Indonesia from November 11-15, with the participation of 11 countries and territories (Vietnam, Singapore, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, Macau, Malaysia, Australia and Brunei). Among 144 products and solutions brought to the contest, Vietnam had only two. One of the solution, ‘Using VSAT IP Technology to Bring Broadband Internet to the Countryside’ won the silver award.
Singapore high school to introduce India Studies programme
India’s economic growth has spurred one of Singapore’s leading high schools to introduce an India studies programme to give its students a better understanding of the history, culture and politics of Asia’s awakening giant. The Victoria Junior College (VJC), a much sought-after high school in Singapore, will offer the course as a subject for the A-level examinations in 2009, school officials said. The India studies programme would give students a broad foundation on the history, culture and political system in India, familiarising them with one of the world’s top economies, said Chan Poh Meng, principal, VJC. Apart from India’s economic rise, what has got the students and teachers of the school excited about learning more about the country is the growing engagement between India and Singapore.
New e-Learning center in Quezon City, Philippines
CSE Festival 2008 held at Bangladesh University
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET) organised the National Collegiate Programming Contest (NCPC) under the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) as a part of its annual CSE Festival 2008. The festival serves as a platform for building relationships among BUET, other universities, and the IT industry. Through the festival every year, BUET tries to showcase its talent pool among the best in the industry and also create a national awareness in the field. A total of 47 teams from different private and public universities participated in the contest. While BUET received the first position, Dhaka University secured the second position, and North South University grabbed the third.
The Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) has opened its seventh e-Learning center in Loyola Heights under its eSkwela project. The CICT, through its Human Capital Development Group (CICT HCDG), launched eSkwela in 2005 to provide disadvantaged youth with educational opportunities to help reduce the digital divide and enhance their capacity to be successful participants in a global and knowledge-based economy. The Loyola Heights center received an enrollment of 55 learners, mostly aged below 20. The eSkwela project hopes to provide opportunity for Filipino out-of-school youths and adults (OSYAs) to go back to school. December 2008 | www.digitalLearninG.in
ch r a e Res
Teaching and Learning Using Learning Object Approach
Sonal Chawla (sonal_chawla@yahoo.com), and Prof. R.K.Singla (rksingla@pu.ac.in), Dept of Computer Science and Applications, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India
Introduction to Learning objects (LOs)
A Learning Object Repository (LOR) refers to storing content/assets/resources as well as their metadata record. These Learning Objects can be used to: • introduce a new concept or idea • give students practice with something they are learning • give students a new experience of a familiar idea • pose problems for students to solve • provide a backup resource • give students practice at something they are having difficulty with • provide students with a variety of experiences in a learning sequence • assess student knowledge / understanding The Learning Object are usually in the form of a PDF or Word file that contains some information which can be used by different audiences for different purposes. It can be updated,
A Learning Object Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
One of the challenging aspects of teaching a programming course is how to provide the right information in the right context at the right time to the right person. Through this paper, we have tried to describe a new approach to a content creation and delivery mechanism for a programming course. This approach is based on the concept of creating a large repository of learning objects, each of which consists of the core material, code examples, supplementary notes, and review questions reworded and used for different literacy levels. The use of such learning object is determined by the learning experience it is designed for.
Categories of tools for the Learning Object lifecycle
In India, teacher communities have shown remarkable interest in using these
learning objects in teaching-learning activities. This has led to the creation of numerous tools to manage the different identifiable phases of LO lifecycle. According to the report on Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for Open Educational Resources, the tools available to manage the elaboration of LOs can be divided into: authoring tools, tools to implement learning technology standards, learning object repositories, learning management systems and collaborative environments for sharing LOs. These tools are used respectively in the phases of production, description in conformity to standards, searching, fruition and sharing of LOs. It is important to note that generally each category of tools covers only one aspect of the LO lifecycle. For example, authoring tools are closely related to the production phase. There are several types of media that can be produced (e.g. text, audio, video, animations, and so on), and typically each tool handles only a few types and produces digital objects in a proprietary format. It should be noted that most of the tools belonging to 29
this category are not specifically designed to develop LOs. In the past, they could support the production of generic multimedia content, while now, they have been modified by adding some functionalities to transform multimedia contents to SCORM compliant contents. Tools for supporting the management of learning technology standards are developed with the aim of facilitating the enhancement of the descriptions of LOs. So, they comply with the main standards adopted in the field of education. Generally, these tools are used only by experts having appropriate technical background to manage standards correctly. Specifically, these tools are used for the operations of improving LO descriptions by means of metadata (for example using IEEE LOM) or supplying the necessary information for packaging and delivering A Learning Object repository LOs. Both operations are very important, because the former permits a better description of the two approaches used by LORs for resources and a more refined search, finding stored Los. In the first, the while the latter makes the resources organisation of the content in categories usable by the numerous SCORM is linked to a taxonomy of the topics; compliant learning environments and in the second, free searching is thus, guarantees the interoperability at allowed by means of the keywords LMS level. present in the content (when the format allows this) or in the metadata LORs aim to facilitate the retrieval of associated to the content. LOs, overcoming the limitations of a generic search engine which often Learning Management Systems play provides inaccurate results. LORs can a key role in the delivery phase of generally be divided into two categories: LOs, as they provide student access to repositories that store LOs and their e-learning courses. At present, most of metadata descriptions, and repositories them support e-learning standards such that store only the archives of meta-data as SCORM in order to provide teachers associated to LOs and the references for with the tools for the traceability retrieving the LOs. Besides, repositories of student activities during on-line belonging to the first category are learning. Collaborative environments further divided into those that follow for sharing LOs are more of a recent a centralised model in which LOs are development and provide teachers with stored in a single location, and those specific tools to support resource sharing that follow a distributed model in which and collaborative work information is distributed Types of learning objects among different connected locations. As far as the search mechanisms are According to Wiley, there are different concerned, there are normally types of learning objects. Wiley created 30
a taxonomy for use in instructional design, that differentiates these types of LOs. What separates each type is ‘the manner in which the object to be classified exhibits certain characteristics’. These characteristics are the same across environments, no matter where the learning objects reside.
Proposed model for creating a tool for Learning Objects
The two main functions of the authoring tool are to enable tutors to: create new objects based on pedagogical patterns, and easily and quickly adapt existing learning objects. In order to achieve the above objectives, a three tier structure is proposed, comprising Authoring tool – XML file – Player application. The authoring tool provides an interface to create or modify learning objects tuned to the outlook and needs of tutors. The output is captured in an XML file. The ‘player’ then reads December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
this file and presents the learning objects to users. A significant advantage of this approach is that the XML file can be read back into the authoring tool, changes can be made and then, exported as a new adapted learning object instance. This conceptual structure does not affect the users of the LO. To them, the learning object seems like one executable entity. The authoring tool acts at the most basic level like an electronic storyboard that realises the pedagogical pattern. There are two further important aspects of the tool structure. The first aspect is that this pattern is unfolded hierarchically and mapped onto the ‘storyboard’. The learning object is not mapped directly onto the surface structure of the storyboard. It is generated from consideration of deeper, more basic aspects of the pattern, through to detailed choices on particular screens. In future developments of the prototype, each choice point in the unfolding of the structure will have associated options with commentary to explain the pedagogical function and the solutions offered by these options. The tutor will then be free to decide which option to choose. The tutor can thus, choose structural variants of the pattern as well as tailor content to create a learning object. The tool has two modes of operation: adaptation of an existing object or creation of a new object. Modification of an existing object is made as simple as possible. The object is loaded into the ‘storyboard’; each component in the pedagogical design is then directly accessible. Text based changes can be made directly in the storyboard in a WYSIWYG manner. Larger changes such as, replacing an animation can be made by loading (a simple menu choice) the new animation into the storyboard ‘container’ space. This approach supports principled modification with the modified object being captured as a new XML file. For example, a new language version of a learning object can be generated by the translator, changing only the relevant text based components of the object. In the case of the LOs Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Structure supporting LO authoring
for programming, where the same constructs are common across a range of computing languages, adaptation of the ‘same’ learning object for a different computing language (say C++ instead of Java) is made as easy and rapid as possible.
References 1.
2.
Conclusion
Historically, the production and maintenance of educational contents has required great investment and employment of multidisciplinary groups of experts. But technological evolutions (i.e. from CD-ROM to Internet technologies) or migrations to different e-learning platforms can make that content obsolete without any possibilities of reuse. In addition, these contents are usually designed as indivisible blocks and this affects reusability between different authors, projects or target audiences. The LO model also deals with such reusability and adaptability problems as it is based on defining reusable pieces of content called LO that can then be assembled to form complete courses. This model permits the reassembly and adaptation of LO to suit the needs of different learner profiles. However, the success of this model depends on the proposal of standard specifications that define the process of creating, cataloguing and documenting the generated content. The model proposed is still at the stage of prototype development. One vision is to produce a tool that explicitly expresses its options and operations in pedagogical terms to enable the tutors to think in terms of executable pedagogical designs.
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Wiley (David A). Connecting learning objects to instructional theory: A definition, a metaphor, andtaxonomy. http:// reusability.org/read/chapters/wiley.doc What are learning objects? http://www.wisconline.com/Info/FIPSE %20%20What%20is%20a%20Learning %20Object.htm Conceicao (Simon) and Lehman (Rosemary M). Creating Learning Objects to Enhance the Educational experiences of American Sign Language Learners: An Instructional Development Report. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, Vol. 28(3) Fall/ Automne,2002. http://www.cjlt.ca/content/vol28.3/ c_g.html Elearningpost – features http:// www.elearningpost.com/features/ archives/001022.asp All about learning objects, http:// www.eduworks.com/LOTT/tutorial/ learningobjects.html Which safety equipment do u need? http://ltag.education.tas.gov.au/ planning/learnseq/ict/workshop/pdf/ safety_equipment.pdf Safety on Derwent http://ltag.education. tas.gov.au/planning/learnseq/ict/ workshop/pdf/index_pdf.htm Learning Technology Standards Committee. The learning object metadata standard. http://ieeeltsc.org/wg12LOM/ lomDescription Verhaart, M. (2004). Learning Object Repositories: How useful are they?. Proceedings of the 17th Annual Conference of the National Advisory Committee on Computing Qualifications Conference, 6-9, July, 2004, Christchurch, New Zealand, 465-469.
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Size:21.5 x 28 cm
digitalLEARNING
ent m lop da e v De gen a
TALEEM Research Foundation
Empowerment Through Multimedia Dr Binod C Agrawal is Vice Chancellor, Himgiri Nabh Vishwavidyalaya, Dehradun, and Director, TALEEM Research Foundation, Ahmedabad. He has been deeply involved in communication research. Earlier he was Advisor (Social Applications) in satellite communications at Space Applications Centre, ISRO, and has worked over two decades in ISRO. He pioneered use of qualitative methods for communications research during the world famous Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) while leading SITE social research and evaluation team of over hundred inter-disciplinary team of social scientists. The research findings and experiences are documented in the book SITE Social Evaluation. Dr Agrawal is the Founder Director of Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA) where India’s first professional teaching programme in business communication and advertising was started in 1994. He has also represented India in several international communication research fora and has over a dozen publications on television, computer technology, and anthropological studies. Digital Learning has Dr Agrawal talking about his current and past engagements and his experiences in the use of multimedia in education.
Please tell us about the vision and mission of TALEEM Foundation. Registered in 1996, TALEEM, meaning education and training, is an acronym for Transnational Alternate Learning for Emancipation and Empowerment through Multimedia. It is an initiative from the Essel Group of Industries to channelise part of its resources to address issues of national concern like over-population, environment preservation and equitable distribution of resources such as education, health services and income generating skills. The organisation aims to provide access and opportunities for quality education through distance and open learning, which will lead to employability and income generation; promote quality social science and communication research; and also utilise information technology for the development of the less privileged. Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
What are its ongoing initiatives and focus area in education? One of the major endeavours of the Foundation was setting up of Himgiri Nabh Vishwavidyalaya (University in the Sky) for the vocationalisation of education. Set up in 2005, the University provides regular professional courses and distance learning via satellite television and information technology. Another initiative is the Basic Education Support Television (BEST) Project, now operational . The primary aim of the project was to impart basic education at primary school level through television. The project is syllabus based and intended as class room viewing for primary school children of classes 1-5. BEST was targeted at children in rural and semi-rural areas covering around 10,000 primary schools in nine Hindi speaking states in a phased manner over
five years. Initially the project could not succeed due to lack of cooperation from various state governments and support from the industrial houses across the country. How has been your experience with the use of multimedia in the field of education, since your parent organisation is synonymous with cable TV revolution in India. Since 1973, I have been involved in the use of satellite and information technology for boosting education and development. Efforts were made in the understanding and experimenting with means and methods of using technology to improve the quality of life and education. In 1975-76 we worked on the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment, popularly known as SITE. SITE was considered a unique experiment in the use of satellite television direct broadcasting in rural 33
India to improve agriculture, primary education and rural health. SITE proved beyond doubt that gap between urban and rural India can be neutralised through satellite television. The social evaluation of SITE was carried out in 2400 villages by my team to understand the effects of world’s largest technosocial experiment. The SITE opened up the path for satellite broadcast in India. My next encounter with digital technology started in 1984 when I was evaluating Computer Literacy And School Studies (CLASS) project in 250 higher secondary schools spread across the country. CLASS evaluation indicated that school children regardless of their socio-economic background were keen to learn computer. The major finding was that the school children had great deal of determination and initiative
Digital Equalizer Programme
centres in under-served schools across the five cities of Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Kolkata. It aimed to evaluate this programme’s effectiveness and also how far the ‘digital divide’ was being bridged. Once again evaluation indicated clearly that socio-economic background was not a hindrance to acquire computer skills and use by young students in various parts of the India.
CLASS evaluation indicated that school children regardless of their socio-economic background were keen to learn computer to use the computer very intelligently whereas the teachers were not ready to accept the computer beyond school hours. Another involvement was related to major Indo-Canadian reaserach project entitled ‘Application and Social Impact of Computer Technology in Higher Education’. The study was carried out both in India and Canada which provided a model for computerising Universities. The results of the study were published in three volume books (1993). Even today no such comprehensive comparative study has been carried out. Please tell us about the ‘Bridging the Digital Divide’ project. At the turn of the century, on the request of America India Foundation Bangalore, I studied ‘Spanning the Digital Divide – An Assessment Study’. The study was an interface between technology and education. Under its ‘Digital Equalizer’ programme, the American India Foundation set up ‘Digital Equalizer’ 34
Can you elaborate on the idea and functioning of Himgiri Nabh Vishwavidyalaya. What kind of multimedia and ICT tools are used to disseminate education by the university? Nabh Vishwa Vidyalaya, or ‘ University in the Sky’ was established at Dehradun for the vocationalisation of education, bringing accessible and affordable education to the learners’ doorstep. The University has departments in Education, Architecture, Design and Planning, Computer & Information Technology. The University is also offering four short term courses on Diploma in TV Anchoring and Production, Diploma in Radio Jockeying and Production, Diploma in Fashion Photography and Journalism and BPO Training. All these courses are aimed at helping the rural students gain employment or be self employed. The University follows a dual mode of teaching. It provides courses in conventional mode as well as open and distance learning. In the open mode the
University is trying to develop courses through internet, satellite television, radio and print media. How does ‘PRAGATI’ contribute towards rural and tribal development? PRAGATI or Programme for Rural Advancement, Guidance and Training Initiatives focus on rural and tribal development. It strives to create grassroot level awareness and contribute towards the empowerment of the disadvantaged through education and training. Among the main activities of PRAGATI are: • Lending communication support to development programmes of both government and non-government organisations, • Capacity building and training programmes to strengthen the workforce engaged in development activities, and • Initiating need-based participatory action programmes for community development After the devastating earthquake in Gujarat on the Republic Day of 2001, village Samakhiali was adopted by Zee Telefilms Ltd. for relief and reconstruction and rehabilitation works. Initially, satellite based free communication links were provided for the villagers, since all other means of communications were destroyed. This was followed by supply of medicines, tents, installation of Sintex water tanks at various locations in the village for supply of drinking water and removal of debris. In consultation with village people and leaders, reconstruction and rehabilitation works started, which included a number of public buildings, village water tank, panchayat building and a number of houses for the poorest of the poor. December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Technology and the School Leader S chool Leaders have an important role to play in every aspect of the institution’s image, ambience and overall appeal. Leadership can be sometimes defined as just ‘influence’. The concept of emotional intelligence then gets linked up with the leader’s ability to influence. The ability to understand and build relationships, the understanding of the dynamics of change, capacity building and catering to stakeholder demands are all part of leadership today.
In order to ensure the preparedness for the 21st century as workers and citizens, school leaders need to advocate for the infusion of the critical skills into education and provide the tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change. It is in this context that technology plays a very crucial part in education today and every leader needs to recognise this. Wiring schools, providing technology hardware and software and ensuring abundant classroom use will definitely help teachers and students to change existing patterns of teaching and learning but this is not enough. Technology integration must be planned. It is a well accepted fact that any change is not easily accepted and therefore must be accompanied with social change that reduces resistance. Innovation of any type can only take place within a social system. ‘Fundamental changes would need to be made in how schools are organised, how time is allocated, and how teachers are prepared’ – Rogers, 1995. If we were to look at an organisation that is, a school, it is very often made up of virtual communities, students, parents, teachers, senior leaders, policy makers, Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
content specialists, technology mentors (a recent happening) and administrators. In order to let technology ‘happen’ we need to study the involvement of all these players. Their acceptance is crucial to the success of any technology integration model. Professional development for teachers has taken place in large numbers, and it may be ascertained that technology has empowered the teacher as a user but the change in classroom transactions has not been as evident as it should have been. School leaders must recognise the power behind technology plans for the organisation and must involve the teacher as a learner, an adapter, a colearner and a reflector. Let us see what the implications of such a model are. This model is based on the tested model ‘Technology Innovation Challenge’ (Sherry, 1998).
Teacher as a Learner
This would mean access to technology, in-service sessions at regular intervals, peer exchange, working towards aligning technology with the curriculum.
Teacher as an Adapter
In this stage, teachers experiment with technology, try it out in the classroom, share success and failure with their peers. Leaders need to help by mentoring such new users by technology savvy personnel.
Teacher as a Co-learner
This is often the neglected stage as most teachers after the initial training wait for directions to integrate it with the curriculum rather than attempt to do it oneself. In this stage the teacher should focus on curriculum integration, working in groups, using assessment
ideas, even getting the students involved as informal technical assistants would go a long way in this important step. It would also mean involving policy makers so that larger plans could be drawn up for implementation.
Teacher as an Affirmer or Rejector
If the teacher is given administrative support and other incentives like recognition and praise, then it is almost certain that the teacher would begin to create new ways of integrating technology in a more sustainable manner. This would mean, observing and assessing the impact on the student learning outcomes, and also disseminating exemplary student work.
Teacher as a Leader
In a technology integration plan, this becomes a very important stage. Experienced teachers if supported by the school leaders and administration could be used to conduct workshops, peer coach, network in house discussions, collect data, share improvements and teach new members. In this process, technology integration gets validated and above all the skills also become portable to other institutions. They begin to take a systemic view of education technology and see it as a part of the organisation. If leaders need to ensure sustainability of technology integration, we need to find out what is necessary to be in place in the organisation. Some of the things that come to the forefront are – a) Convergence of resources – This implies the level at which the professional development has taken place and its diffusion. If it is at the 35
highest level and the standards are very good, it is likely to move down to the lower levels, provided these teachers are supported administratively by the leaders. If it is not supported then it will remain as pockets of excellence within the institution and will not really have an impact on the general learning outcomes. a) Mutuality If the school administration recognises an exemplary teacher by giving him or her time off for further professional training then he or she in turn would try to ensure that the student learning output has been raised by technology. In this case ‘best practices’ are seen as successful and are therefore diffused through the system.. b) Extensiveness Any educational innovation if confined to only a small area of a school will not impact the whole system. While these pockets of innovation are very important, to have an impact on the systems of the institution, it must be supported so that the key factors in this case, the integration of technology permeate the whole system. This is also necessary to counteract the effect of a
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very good teacher leaving the school and taking the learning of the innovation – thus, leaving the organisation with no support. c) Sustaining Momentum In order to sustain this whole movement it is necessary to ensure that all the teachers in all the classrooms are involved, all the administrators support and are aware of the change and all the stakeholders support the movement. e-Learning is definitely already shaping learning in the classroom of today. It has its impact on both pre-service and inservice education. It has and will always have its impact on all student outcomes as schools prepare students for the 21st century. ‘Educators now more than ever can take an active role in co-producing knowledge, shaping the structure of their own learning experiences, and
influencing producers of e-learning to develop programs, products and services that are responsive to the needs of educators and their students’ – (NSDC/NICI – 2001). While teachers will always be the key deliverers in any technology related programme, the ultimate recognition to this whole process of technology integration will depend to a large extent on the school leader. His or her recognition of the potential of technology in education will shape the young to better face the 21st century with the right skills. References: The Path to Teacher Leadership in Educational Technology – Lorraine Sherry – RMC Research Corporation David Gibson – Vermont Institute for Science, Math and Technology CITT – Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education
Meera Balachandran, chairperson of Fusion Club, Delhi, has been closely associated with Intel Teach Program in effectively integrating technology to enhance classroom learning, for the member schools of the Educators’ Network. She has also been associated with the NPSC in the past as its chairperson. She was also the founder principal of Ramjas School, R K Puram, New Delhi, wehre led many successful education transformation initiatives.
December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Overcoming Barriers Through Technology Techshare India 2008 Mumbai In today’s fast paced world, a person with disability is confronted with the barriers of mindset, infrastructure, education, and technology. The Techshare conference was conceived by the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) with the objective of breaking these barriers and including people with disabilities into the mainstream. The first Techshare India conference was organised in New Delhi in February this year to explore the entire gamut of assistive technology and also build bridges betweeen the government, private sector, and ngos on one hand and the disabled 60 million Indians on the other. In an effort to scale up the level of the conference, a Techshare roadshow was organised in Banglaore in August and in Mumbai on November 4. Held on the premises of Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, the day-long conference-cumroadshow in Mumbai emphasised on the need to integrate persons with disabilities into the mainstream using assistive technologies while also implementing accessibility standards and laws. It also highlighted the role of Ngos, private sector and educational institutions in making education and infrastructure accessible for PwDs to make them global citizens.
Creating An Inclusive Environment
Inaugurating the conference, Supriya Sule, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, said, ‘Every citizen of India is a global citizen and has every right to education and basic accessible infrastructure. We have to spread awareness and be sensitive to the needs of differently abled people and create an all-inclusive environment.’ ‘It is imperative that assistive and accessible technologies are made available to PwDs in order to create an inclusive environment for them,’ urged Shilpi Kapoor, Managing Director, BarrierBreak Technologies, which hosted the event along with RNIB, UK. She emphasised on the commercial opportunity that the growing market of assistive technology represents and highlighted the need for business houses and the government to play a larger role in it. With the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in place, it is important for India to look at the implementation of these laws to create an inclusive society, Kapoor added. Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Inaugural session
As part of the inaugural programme, a ‘My Story’ session was held where people narrated their experiences of leading a norml life. Visually impaired Dharmarajan Iyer, works with the Forward Market Commission as a Deputy Director, and uses assistive technologies like the screen reader to perform his day-to-day tasks. Mobility impaired Jasmina Khanna is a software tester with Rheal Software Pvt Ltd. Suffering from cerebral palsy, she uses rack ball and Windows accessibility tools and settings such as Sticky Keys etc. Both believe that technology, if used efficiently, can make a huge difference in the lives of people with disabilities and make them a part of the mainstream society. After the inaugural keynote, the sessions were divided into three parallel tracks, namely The Road Ahead – Envision the AccessibilityRoad Map, Making a Difference, and Bridging the Digital Divide. Among others who gave presentations included prominant people like Shilpi Kapoor, Elizabeth Kurian (Sight Savers International), Nina Screwvalla (Tata Consultancy Services), Sachin Verma (AccessAbility), Vickram Cishna (Radiophony), Dipendra Manocha (DAISY Forum of India) and Ketna mehta (Nina Foundation).
Experiential Lab
The main highlight of the event was the experiential lab that provided an opportunity to experience how people with disabilities lead an independent life. Some of the products exhibited at the lab included ergonomic keyboard and mice, Supernova - a powerful screen reader-cum-screen magnifier, Compact + - portable magnifier that helps people with low vision, Accessible Flash Games, and tools for children with learning disabilities. 37
Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Shilpi Kapoor, who heads BarrierBreak Technologies, a subsidiary of Net Systems Informatics (India) Pvt Ltd, spoke about the space occupied by assistive technology in the ICT segment and its role. BarrierBreak Technologies works in the area of assistive technology by providing accessibility training, testing and consulting services. It also specialises in Section 508 standards and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0. A recipient of the Shell Helen Keller Award 2008, Shilpi has been working for the last 15 years in the area of transforming lives of the differentlyabled through her innovative ideas and initiatives.
What is the current scenario on the sensitivity quotient in the IT sector for persons with disabilities? Assistive technology occupies a very small space in the wide world of Information and Communication Technology. A perspective on the needs of PwDs is non-existent in India today. For example, can a visually impaired person use the keyboard? You will find a lot of Ngos working towards generating awareness and sensitisation, but the corporate sensitivity to the differently-abled does not exist. People are generally unaware of the myriad technological options available in the international market for PwDs. So a lot needs to be done in this sector. There is a needs to analyse the government policies and programmes to bring PwDs into mainstream employment.
presence of multiple technology vendors showcasing various products for different kinds of disabilities. In India, the landscape is non-existent. I don’t think we are indigenously marketing a single assistive technology product here. The Indian platform is full of international products. There is a huge R&D gap and this is accentuated by the absence of sensitivity and awareness amongst the IT companies to acknowledge PwDs as a segment of population that would be using their products. For example, in the interntional market, mobile phones for the elderly come with large screen, keys and text. But in India we do find such models being sold. I would say the gap has just started narrowing with some companies coming up with such R&D initiatives.
Education as an agenda is actually an area that needs to be re-thought with focus on PwDs by the government, private and public sector and the Ngos What is the current market for assistive technology in India? Assistive technology is merely any technology that aids you to perform an activity competently. For a person who has difficulty using hands to operate the keyboard or mouse, a foot-mouse can be an assistive technology. The international market is wide with the 38
The common concern that emerged from the Techshare sessions was the need to focus on employability of PwDs, with the IT sector emerging as a key factor. What are your views on this? Education of PwDs needs a holistic approach and we cannot tackle employability problems and skills
in isolation of the overall education experience. The training needs to be more vigorous and job-oriented, at the same time educationists need to also provide tools of assistive technology so that the child, from a young age, is accustomed to using these and becomes skilled. You cannot expect the corporate to necessarily sit and train each and every PwD. So, as disability organisations, we need to worry about whether we are giving them right education, that too from the basic level. Mere training in MS Office will not guarantee PwDs with employment. Education as an agenda is actually an area that needs to be re-thought with focus on PwDs by the government, private and public sector and the Ngos. We need to look at how the training programmes of PwDs are conducted and how we can improve the skills for higher employability. Today, we are not integrating assistive technology into the curriculum. Most of the assistive technologies are taught to children at separate institutes. We need to train the teachers for this. We also need to train counsellors and rehabilitation specialists on providing guidance to PwDs on gaining employment. Also, awareness needs to be built on various government schemes. Measures should also be taken to increase collaboration between the government and private sector. December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Intel Asia Academic Forum 2008
Empowering 21st Century Workforce Kowledge is the currency of today’s global economy and to thrive, today’s students must do more than acquire facts and data – they must use information to become innovators of knowledge. With growing international competition and outsourcing more commonplace, this, coupled with the current US economic crisis, is providing developing economies in Asia with the opportunity to become more competitive and even outpace the rest of the world. Ironically however one of the key problems being faced in addressing this is not just related to the shortage of skilled staff but ensuring that students are trained in areas and topics which align well with industry requirements. A case in point is for example India – Nasscom, which represents India’s software companies, has estimated that there could be a shortfall of 500,000 IT professionals by 2010. While Indian engineering schools award around 200,000 diplomas each year, and produce around 250,000 graduates, only half are employable by the IT industry. Employees have learnt to switch jobs for better pay, and salaries are going up by 10-15% a year. Furthermore, with competitors in other parts of the world starting to emerge, India increasingly needs to keep abreast of technological changes and trends. The question thus is : how will India and other countries in the region ensure that its workforce is equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in today’s global economy? To develop global workforce and to improve employability and entrepreneurship in students, effective partnership among the community, industry, governments and academia is essential. Communities and industries Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 12 December 2008
Some of the 150 delegates from the eight countries across Asia attending the fifth annual Asia Academic Forum.
should provide needs and requisite technical skills. Governments should help provide relevant regulatory and implementation frameworks and the academia to help bridge this divide and ensure the necessary change. This is the bed rock to developing an effective talent ecosystem. Above all effective collaboration and regular communication among these stakeholders will help ensure these practices become a reality and a pipeline of competitive workforce can be nurtured. Intel corporation, a top IT industry partner to over 36 key universities and governments in Asia Pacific region, has been regularly working with policy makers and professors focusing on faculty development, research and curriculum in order to hone the quality of local talent. The annual Intel Asia Academic Forum is one such platform to help facilitate collaboration between industry and academia on advancement of technology and innovation. The 5th Intel Asia Academic Forum took place in Taiwan in Oct 2008. With a theme of ‘Powering the Future: Technology Innovation for a Better World’ the forum brought together over 150 delegates from universities from eight countries in Asia. At the Forum, Intel shared details
of its technology roadmap, business and research developments at three tracks: ‘Technology & Manufacturing’, ‘Systems and Architecture’ and ‘Software for Multi-core’. The executive Vice President of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) from Taiwan government, Dr. ChihKung Lee, delivered a keynote on The Next Social Paradigm Based on A Proposed Coexistence of Virtual and Reality. Nine Intel Fellows and selected professors shared their insights and discussed trends in technology and manufacturing, software, architecture and IT systems. The forum also held a multi-core in-depth training workshop which equipped faculties with latest technologies and content for them to develop related curriculum in the region. Additionally this year saw the institution of an ‘Outstanding Research Award’ which was a recognition by peers given to faculty with some of the best research projects. With its Higher Education Program, Intel has been striving to work with other industries and agencies to make a difference for developing the global workforce. By working with local universities in countries, Intel helps support research curriculum development as well as closer industryacademia linkages. Ashutosh Chadha, Director, Strategic Education Initiatives (Asia Pacific), Intel
39
Revolutionising Education in the 21st Century
Rita Kaul, Principal, Millennium School Noida, is a special educator and psychologist with 23 years of experience. She specialises in setting up innovative schools. She has been a recipient of many national awards for excellence in education,
notable ones being Arch of Excellence (Education) Award 2001, Shiksha Shiromani Puruskar, and Spardhashree Award. Rita is a member of International Standards of Technical Education (ISTE, USA) for Delhi chapter.
Power School Please tell us about the vision behind the Millennium School. Millennium School is borne out of a revolutionising thought, which is to take leadership in the 21st century education. We have taken the best of Indian education and integrated it with the latest technology, for making 150 model schools catering to 21st century needs. We follow the Millennium Learning System – a child-centric philosophy developed after 14 years of research. Can you elaborate on the Millennium Learning System, which is the guiding factor of the school? Millennium Learning System is a philosophy which emerged after 42
identifying the stresses in our education system and the solutions therein. When we went to the core of these stresses, we found that the curriculum wasn’t child-centric. The teaching was drab, making the child least interested in attending classes. Moreover, children were stressed out due to exams. The Millennium Learning System is a philosophy which has come up with its own curriculum planning; we have our own books which are concept-driven, globally mapped, and conforming to the CBSE pattern. After all, there is something good about the CBSE system, because of which our students are leading
School Track
She has been the founder principal of The Heritage School , New Delhi and Senior School in-charge, Apeejay School, Faridabad. She has done extensive research in Value Education. Her two very significant publications include ‘Handbook of Value Education’ CBSE, 1998 and ‘School Ambience & Value Inculcation Through Curriculum’ - a handbook for teachers published in 2002 through the CBSE. Rita sheds some light on the Millennium System and its education delivery. everywhere, be it IITs or Harvard! We also have our own teacher training programmes, which is roughly 160 hours, since delivery of this child-centric concept has to be done in an innovative way. Moreover, our R&D department prepares the content as well as lesson plans in advance. Another feature of this system is the assessment. Our teachers are made to understand clearly the difference between examinations and assessment. Examination is a burden but assessment is a diagnostic remedial feedback to lead the child from one level to another. There is no unhealthy comparison in the classes, no marks or percentages. Is this applicable for all the classes? Yes, it is applicable for all the classes. December 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Educomp’s R & D team, comprising around 1000 staff, is there to support us. Teacher training is very important, more so because teachers are a product of schooling in the 80s and 90s. Our teachers have to undergo 16 training modules comprising concept based lessons. They are taught how to plan lessons and teach various concepts. We train them in carrying out 12 different learning strategies in the classroom. Computer training is also given to teachers where they are taught how to work on excel sheets, how to store or download information, etc.
But we also need to look at the developmental stage of a child. You cannot have the same recipe for all levels. So we call the nursery/KG, which is the preparatory classes, ‘Roots to Wings’. At Roots to Wings, we take a holistic view. For example, a child doesn’t look at the tree and understand that it is green because it has chlorophyll. He/she will look at it in a holistic manner, count the tree leaves, maybe pluck some flowers or leaves. ‘Roots to Wings’ follows a different kind of curriculum, and classes 1-5 follow Millennium System I, classes 6-8 follow Millennium System II and eventually class 9th onwards we are affiliated to various boards like CBSE, IB, etc. Our children do so much of activity-based learning in the first two stages that by the time they are through with class 8, we expect them to be comfortable with the board pattern. We have to be part of the system, can not stay isolated. So the challenge for us is to believe in the CBSE and yet see how we can come out with 15 years of happiness. After all, a happy child is always a happy adult! Many parents have told us during interactions that their children want to come to school even on a Sunday! Today if a child tells me that he wants to be a pizza man, I will ask him to go ahead and make better pizzas than even Dominos. Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issu 12 December 2008
Please tell us about the ongoing ICT initiatives in the school. Technology in our school is integrated at different levels, one ofcourse is computer education which has become a must for all the schools. The second thing which is very imperative in our school is the Smart Class. Each and every classroom have interactive boards, cameras etc. There is a software module (5-7 mins) of whatever content is taught as we feel children learn in three different ways: visual, auditory stimulation, and kinesthetics, ie, touch and feel. So our lesson plans cater to all the three stimuli, so that 100% learning takes place. Then from class three onwards, our children use the INTEL laptops. The lessons and assignments are transferred to each laptop through the router. Even the students send their feedback through it. We also do lot of project work right though class 1, which requires lot of Internet activity. We are also building our own e-library. Our children also dont have to undergo extra coaching for Maths as we have the Maths Guru solution, which is an Educomp initiative. We also have a tie-up with IIT Chennai for one hour of interactive session on science and maths for class 9 onwards. Is technology also used for carrying out capacity building?
Earlier, you spoke about assessment of students. What about assessment for teachers? We do periodic observation of teachers, atleast thrice in a year. The idea is not to pinpoint the weaknesses, but discuss with them various strategies to take them from one level to another, as is the case with students. So we have workshops for confidence building, feedbacks, discussions, etc going on continously. We don’t believe in labeling either a student or teacher. What do you think of the publicprivate partnership in education? Honestly put, it is businessmen or industrialists who are into building hospitals and schools. But then the corporate is not there for money making alone. It is also an investment of thought or idea. Whenever a group of thinkers get together, they bring out creativity and innovation.It is not driven by one man’s vision, but a synergy amongst various departments. What is the role of ICT in education? Integration of IT in education has given us positive results. But at the same time, we need to be cautious and refrain from overuse. It should be used as a teaching aid and not replace a teacher or the book. As far as my children are concerned, IT just facilitates comprehension or gives them easy access to research or a project. 43
Educomp bags Karnataka order for computer-aided education
Education solutions provider Educomp Solutions has been awarded a work order from the Karnataka government for implementation of computeraided Education in 708 PU colleges in the state. The order is valued at INR 50.27 crore to be executed over five years. Educomp has also bagged an order for 347 government hostels from Chattisgarh government for implementation of computer-aided education programme. With the above orders , the total number of schools in the Educomp portfolio has gone upto to 9970 and the total number of students served by Educomp will be now 6 million + in India itself.
The system allows the librarians to access and run the software with the help of an ordinary low cost PC having a web browser and they can carry out online all the transactions like acquisition, cataloguing, circulation, periodicals management (PMS), article indexing, report management, etc. In this new model, the user is saved from the hassles of buying licensed copies of software like OS, R/DBMS, Application Software, Anti virus etc. They are also not required to buy costly hardware like servers, PCs, networking components etc.
Cisco partners with Jordan for national broadband network
Cisco has entered into an agreement with Jordan’s Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MoICT) for the implementation of a national broadband network. The threeyear project to build the Cisco IP NextGeneration Network will be coordinated in conjunction with Cisco’s certified resale and system integrator partners in the region.
CR2Technologies Ltd launches The government of Jordan is acting on Library Management Software its long term vision to provide Jordanian in India citizens with access to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and strongly believes that Cisco will play an important role in helping it make this happen. Jordan’s schools, universities and colleges need to be connected via networks at a level and speed that can support the rapid growth of network traffic demand over the long term.
Becta launches learning website Asia’s first revolutionary Library Management Software System based on SaaS (Software as a Service) model has been launched by CR2 Technologies Ltd. CYBRARIAN – is a next generation web based, seamless and fully integrated Library Management software System hosted on a remote server. This is based on SaaS (Software as a Service) concept where users have to pay–as-you-use basis. 40
Education technology agency Becta has launched its Next Generation Learning campaign website, in an effort to ensure that parents, learners and schools are getting the most out of technology when used in education. The website enables users to find out innovative ways in which technology is already being used in schools, to improve motivation and results. An example of this is John Cabot Academy in Bristol, where students are using PlayStation Portables (PSPs) in
PE lessons to see how their long jump techniques compare to professionals. Stephen Crowne, chief executive of Becta said, ‘We know that technology significantly improves results, yet despite this, only one in five of schools and colleges are making the most of its potential. A new feature included in the website is a postcode search facility, which enables parents to find schools in their area that have achieved an ICT Mark for using technology effectively.
Educomp-Intel collaboration for Learning System for schools
Education providers Educomp Solutions Ltd has launched Educomp O3 Learning System, its new age learning system for One On One learning in schools in collaboration with IT major Intel. Educomp O3 Learning System has been developed by Educomp after years of intensive research and provides teachers with a host of tools, strategies and applications to facilitate learning in a one on one computing environment. Under the Educomp O3 programme, every child in class will be equipped with an Intel powered Classmate PC, fully loaded with applications and features designed for one on one learning in schools. Educomp and Intel ran pilot projects for the O3 programme across eight schools in India.
Microsoft unveils DreamSpark for students in India
In order to provide students access to technical software, Microsoft unveiled ‘DreamSpark,’ a software giveaway for over 10 million qualified students in the country. DreamSpark will give students access to the latest Microsoft developer and designer tools at no charge to ‘unlock’ their creative potential. November 2008 | www.digitalLearning.in
Launching the project at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates said, ‘We want to do everything we can to equip the new generation of technology leaders with the knowledge and tools they need to harness the magic of software to improve lives, solve problems and catalyse economic growth.’ ‘Microsoft DreamSpark provides professional level tools that we hope will inspire students like you to explore the power of software and encourage you to forge the next wave of software-driven breakthroughs,’ he added.
Nokia announces education service for rural India
Nokia announced the latest Nokia Life Tools application, targeted at rural phone end-users consumers. The service will be piloted in India before the year ends and then to other parts of Asia and Africa by early next year. Life Tools is specially designed for the local markets and will offer education services along with agricultural information. Knowing that Internet coverage in rural parts remains a problem for most emerging markets, access to Life Tools will be the in the form of SMS or texting. The education service of Nokia Life Tools entails to give students a decisive advantage by boosting their English language and local, national and international general knowledge.
HCL tie-up with Ramakrishna Mission to open CDC HCL Infosystems Limited has joined hands with the Ramakrishna Mission
Digital Learning | Vol 4 Issue 11 November 2008
to open a branch of HCL Career Development Centre (HCL CDC) at Ramakrishna Marg, New Delhi. Under this initiative, students will gain from deep domain expertise of HCL CDC apart from getting affordable IT training programme offered by the Ramakrishna Mission. Under this initiative, HCL CDC will provide students with course material, practical classes, hands on training, communications skills and guest lectures facilities. It will also provide affordable training courses to students from low income groups, who have passed Senior Secondary Examination. The company already has 70 fully operational HCL CDCs across the country and plans to expand to meet the growing demand of skilled ICT professionals.
Intel launches Skoool.com.eg in Egypt As part of the Egyptian Education Initiative, Intel has launched its digital education content platform ‘skoool. com.eg’ in collaboration with Edu Systems International (ESI), in Egypt. The award-winning skoool technology for digital online learning is the flagship website of the multimedia, multi-device learning solutions produced by the Intel Innovation Centre and is set to be rolled out across schools in Egypt
students and schools in the country by providing excellent teaching standards.’
International Children’s Digital Library on Apple iPhone
The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL), which is the world’s largest collection of children’s literature available freely on the Internet, announced the release of the ICDL for iPhone application. The ICDL for iPhone application allows users to take advantage of the advanced capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch user interface to read a selection of books from the ICDL’s master collection of thousands of children’s stories from 60 countries. The ICDL for iPhone application features ICDL’s ClearText technology which was designed to make it possible for users to read story text clearly in the context of highly illustrated beautiful children’s picture books -- even on the small mobile screen.
Samsung scholarship for Indian students
Commenting on the launch, Salah Elewa, Director of Technology Development Center, said, ‘Providing local e-content to students at a young age underpins the need for students to have access to the right tools at their fingertips at an early age. The skoool. com.eg platform offers math and science modules tailored to the Egyptian curriculum, and can greatly benefit all
South Korean consumer giant Samsung has announced its ‘Global Scholarship Program’ for Indian students pursuing management and masters studies in Korean universities. The scholarship will also provide an opportunity to work with the company in the country. ‘Based on our confidence in Indian talent, we have made the Samsung GSP programme for India the largest amongst all Samsung subsidiaries where it is being made available,’ Samsung South-West Asia President and CEO H B Lee said. 41
News world New Action Plan for US schools
on investments as of March to deepen significantly. ‘The universities’ revenues are declining, so naturally they are turning to investing money to boost revenue,’ said Daisuke Okuyama, a bond strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. ‘Unless a sound asset management system is constructed, it is possible to see more of these cases,’ he added.
US districts building longitudinal data to track students’ progress The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) has issued new guidelines for reforming the US’s schools with the help of technology. SETDA’s ‘Class of 2020: Action Plan for Education’ has urged policy makers and school leaders ‘to take bold steps ... to improve education for America’s 21st-century leaders.’ The Action Plan notes that every child entering kindergarten this year deserves a high-quality, 21st-century education. The plan includes several white papers, a Student Bill of Rights, and a set of 10 recommendations to improve teaching and learning using technology.
Japan’s schools latest victims of financial rout
Japan’s top universities are falling victim to the global financial crisis that has caused US$ 964.6 billion in write downs and losses at financial institutions. Keio University said it has 22.5 billion yen (US$233 million) in unrealised losses on investments ranging from hedge funds to real estate investment trusts. Waseda University said it expects a 500 million yen loss 44
States are making progress in building longitudinal data systems to track students’ academic growth over time, and now they must use the information available to them through these systems to raise student achievement, a new report says. Six states report having all 10 elements of a comprehensive data system that can track student progress from preschool through college, and 48 states have at least half these elements in place, according to the third annual report from the Data Quality Campaign (DQC), a national partnership to improve the quality, accessibility, and use of data in education.
Bothell. The request comes ahead of a state revenue forecast, due today, that is expected to show significantly worse numbers than previous forecasts.
Jobs reward to be given to colleges in England
Colleges in England might be given funding according to the long-term jobs they help people into rather than the qualifications people achieve. Skills Secretary John Denham sees the idea - which came from some colleges - as a useful response to the recession. The suggestion is in the government’s annual grant letter to the Learning and Skills Council, raising its budget for next year by UK£500m to UK£12.1bn. The letter says the government is ‘very interested in exploring with colleges and providers ways in which their budgets can be used flexibly within key priorities where the learning programme delivers sustainable employment outcomes.’
Ghanaian Education ministry urges students to embrace ICT
Washington’s higher education prepares for US$ 600M cut or more
Washington’s Office of Financial Management has asked universities and community colleges across the state to prepare for a possible budget cut of some US$600 million over the next two years — requiring them to consider slashing courses, laying off staff, reducing student numbers and raising tuition. Such a cut — 20 % of the state’s total higher-education budget — would have massive and far-reaching impacts that some say would reverberate for decades. Community colleges would need to shed at least 6,000 students and end a long tradition of opening the doors to everyone, leaders say. And the University of Washington would need to abandon its plans to double the number of students at its branch campuses in Tacoma and
Ghanaian Education Ministry has urged the students to take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT to enhance their knowledge and use it for the development of the nation. Sofia Awotwi, Director, Science Resource Centre, Education Ministry, said, ‘ICT had become more important because of the information it provided people. Hence the Education Ministry is emphasising on ICT training in schools as part of the current education reforms in the school curriculum.’ Awotwi was speaking at a forum organised by Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS) to examine the involvement and contributions of the government to ICT training in schools. December 2008 | www.digitalLearninG.in
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33 In the Christian tradition 3 comes to mean wholeness Egyptions see 3 as the number of the cosmos To the Mayan, 3 is the sacred number of woman According to the Chinese, 3 is a perfect number
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3rd Anniversary Special Issue January 2009 Contact: Siddharth Verma (+ 91-9811561645), siddharth@csdms.in For Editorial Enquiry contact, Manjushree Reddy (+91-9999662910), manjushree@csdms.in