The monthly publication on ICT and Education
digitalLEARNING INDIA
Volume V Issue 2 February 2009 ISSN 0973-4139
Rs 75
www.digitalLEARNING.in
Industry - Education Interface
Synergy for SUCCESS
Public-Private Partnerships Critical for Higher Education PAGE 9
Project Gyana Shakti: Knowledge for the Urban Poor PAGE 31
Functional Literacy in 40 Hours! Interview: Prof Kesav Vithal Nori PAGE 26
Growing Up With A Unique Model: Education, Research, And Industry Interaction Interview: Prof S Sadagopan PAGE 42
Preparing Quality Workforce page 35
Contents
Functional Literacy in 40 Hours!
Volume V Issue II, February 2009
Pro Kesav Vithal Nori
Growing Up With A Unique Model: Education, Research, And Industry Interaction Prof S Sadagopan
Research
Cover Story
6 University - Industry Interface
35
Esther Dhamayanthi John
Report Partnerships: Critical for Higher 9 Public-Private Education
Perspective
School Track
40 41
11 Global Competition Demands Education Transformation Joya Chatterjee
Commentary
16
Live @ Edu: Learn And Keep Connected Steve Haite
Corporate diary
28 31
Leader’s Speak: Bringing Marketable Innovation to Customers Amit Garg
Case Study: Project Gyana Shakti
Preparing Quality Workforce: Industry as a Partner Providing Innovative Leadership
Innovating Teaching With ICT Harminder Kaur Suri
Learning Curve
Regular Features
46
Mark Your Calander
5th
India's Largest ICT Event
News
18 22 33 44
India Asia Corporate World
All the articles are available online at www.digitalLearning.in
Editorial digital LEARNING INDIA Volume V, Issue 2 | February 2009
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, N. Samungou Singh Research Assistants Angela S Nath, Yukti Pahwa Marketing Siddharth Verma (+91-9811561645) email: siddharth@digitallearning.in Sales Executive Rudra Ghosh 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 digitalLearning G-4 Sector 39, NOIDA 201301, India Phone: +91 120 2502181-85 Fax: +91 120 2500060 Email: info@digitalLearning.in digitalLEARNING is published by Elets Technomedia Pvt. Ltd. in technical collaboration with Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies.
Industry-Education Interface: Synergy for Success The writing on the wall is clear. It is only through major strides of collaboration between the private sector and government agencies that we can even attempt at improving the abysmal figures of number of college going students, which stands at a mere 10 % of the total population, actually being able access higher education institutions. The tremendous infrastructure for higher education, that the Indian government has created over the decades, is proving inadequate for the millions of young men and women who could be in colleges and institutions. This is despite the fact that India has over 400 universities and more than 20,000 colleges with an enrollment of 14 million students. The added dimension that needs to be addressed simultaneously along with creating better and professional infrastructure is the need for increasing employability of graduates emerging out of the HEI’s. This is vital for sustainability as 80 % of graduates stepping out with degrees do not have any professional skills. Thus an industry-institution interface has to be evolved in tandem with resource and infrastructure generation. In this issue we touch on these issues and capture new ideas and research that look ahead to an inevitable era of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in education. The recent E&YFICCI report on various aspects of PPP in education highlights the resource gaps and possible solutions to them. It also talks about various partnership models possible with the private sector. An interview with Prof Kesav Nori, one of the pioneers of Tata’s computer based literacy programme, throws light on the literacy aspect in India and challenges associated with running the programme on a massive scale in a country like India with its diversities and uniqueness. In the urban slums of India, a silent revolution has been taking place in the form of private education. Project Gyana Shakti is one such initiative seeking to improve learning outcomes in the schoolgoing children in the slums of Hyderabad through various technological and pedagogical interventions. All this only enforces the belief that a collective effort on the part of industry and government is inevitable, if our country is to gain a foothold in the global knowledge workforce.
Ravi Gupta Editor-in-Chief Ravi.Gupta@csdms.in
Owner, Publisher, Printer, Ravi Gupta Printed at Vinayak Print Media D-320, Sector 10, Noida, U.P. and published from 710, Vasto Mahagun Manor, F-30,Learning Sector - 50, Noida, UP 11 November 2008 Digital | Vol 4 Issue Editor: Ravi Gupta
Cover Story
University - Industry H
igher education serves several important functions in the society, the most important being production of knowledgeable individuals who will contribute to the society. However, many of the Indian universities do not fulfill this purpose. The demands of skilled and specialised manpower from the industry are not being met as majority of graduates lack the necessary skill sets required by the industry. In recent years, a major concern of higher education planners and academics, the world over, has
been linking universities and other research institutions with industries. Universities can enhance the value of products in the form of knowledge; industry can augment the university’s value in the form of funds. In India, way back in 1986, the National Policy on Education (NPE) highlighted the need for universityindustry interaction. However, despite efforts on the part of the Centre and State governments, universityindustry interaction has not shown a significant improvement till date. It still remains marginal and largely confined to a few
An Overview institutions such as the IITs, IIMs, IIITs, NITs, etc.
Need for university-industry interaction Universities are an important storehouse of up-to-date and advanced levels of knowledge in different fields. In a knowledge society, industries are the main users and beneficiaries of such knowledge. According to NASSCOM, each year over 3 million graduates and postgraduates are added to the Indian workforce. However, of these only February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
training and final placements for students based on the respect earned from the relationship established with industry.
Each year over 3 million graduates and post-graduates are added to the Indian workforce. However, of these only 25% of technical graduates and 10-15% of other graduates are considered employable by the rapidly growing IT and ITES (IT enabled services) segments
25% of technical graduates and 1015% of other graduates are considered employable by the rapidly growing IT and ITES (IT enabled services) segments. Hence, what we have today is a growing skills gap reflecting the slim availability of high-quality college education in India and the galloping pace of the country’s service-driven economy, which is growing faster than most of the countries in the world. A university-industry interaction is mutually benefitting as it provides industry an opportunity to grow its business by using the results of academic research. At the same time, university is in need of a partner that can take its discoveries/research findings to the market place. The interaction can also earn additional resources of R&D, secure
The academic knowledge base can also help in reducing industrial cost, improving quality and competitive dimensions in products, reducing dependence on foreign know-how and expenditure on internal R&D. It can also assets the industry in upgrading the knowledge base of industry professionals through management development programmes.
Possible areas of interaction
How the interaction can be achieved?
For achieving a mutually beneficial relationship, there is a need for change in the approach of both the university and industry. To promote university-industry interaction, following steps can be undertaken: • Establishment of universityindustry partnership/interaction cell. • Organising workshops, conferences & symposia with joint participation • Participation of experts from industry in curriculum development. • Professional consultancy by the faculty to industries.
The university and industry can establish interface at varying levels with different degrees. This can range from simple consultations or visits to in-depth Following are some of the areas in which universityresearches. industry interface can take place: Factors which • Industry support to basic research hinder interaction • Industry participation in technology development involving some exploratory work In the backdrop • of the above facts, Collaborative R&D activities there are some fac• Industry experts/representatives involved in Academic tors which hinder Bodies • Academic intervention in solving specific industry university-industry interaction. From problems university’s side, • Laboratory utilisation by industry • Continuing education programme some of the inhibit• Student Placement ing factors are: lack of initiative amongst faculty towards applied research, lack of incentive to faculty, lack of experts and • Visits of industry executives to specialised technical infrastructure, the university and deliver lectures bureaucratic hurdles in utilising conon industrial practices, trends and sultancy funds, etc. experiences. • Joint research programmes Whereas from industry’s side, these • R&D laboratories sponsored by factors include: insensitivity to or lack industries at the university. of awareness of the resource potential • Scholarships/fellowships of the academia; a blind, herd-like instituted by industries for obsession with expensive, highstudents. profile professional consultants; easy • Practical training of students in availability of foreign know-how; bad industries. experience of earlier interactions with academia, etc. Further, absence of a Apart from industry associations, full time/exclusive university-industry the universities should also establish interaction cells in both the university linkages with government agencies and industry is also an important which are engaged in industrial inhibiting factor. development activities. << February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Report Owing to constrained investment, the education sector is unable to cope with growing market demand and global competition. Increased private investment is thus imperative to expand infrastructure and provide greater access to quality higher education in India. E&Y - FICCI report emphasises that PPPs could be an effective mechanism for attracting much needed private sector investment in the Indian Higher education system without diluting the regulatory oversight of the Government and other regulators
Higher Education ndia’s enrollment figures in higher education remain abysmally low at a mere 11 % compared to that of the US and Canada, where over 60 % of college-age students access higher education, highlighting that publicprivate partnerships are critical for wooing investment in India’s higher education system.
I
This shortfall in the number of young who are eligible for higher education and the existing infrastructure presents India’s unique challenge, in terms of the sheer scale of its population. India has over 400 universities and more than 20,000 colleges with an enrollment of 14 million students, yet it is grossly inadequate. A recently unveiled report by Ernst & Young and FICCI on various aspects Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
of PPP, highlights some pointers to possible solutions to challenges faced in by the nation’s education sector.
Moreover, there is an unequal outlay of resources for Higher Educational Institutions across the Indian states.
Gaping resource gap
Partnership models in education
The Government of India has allocated INR 850 billion for higher education in the 11th Five Year Plan. However, considering that the Planning Commission has identified a resource gap of INR 2.2 trillion, it is unlikely that the Government alone can address infrastructure needs in the higher education sector in the near future. While public expenditure on education has increased, the percentage share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) spent on higher education has come down from 0.77% in 1991 to 0.7% in 2008.
The report presents basic modes of partnerships that are possible between the government and the private sector. Partnerships are established for varied reasons including construction, financing, design and maintenance of public infrastructure. PPP in social sectors such as health and education are sometimes referred to as PublicSocial Private Partnership (PSPP). A number of PPP models can exist that range from simple management contracts to BOOT formats. These formats vary in the kind of benefits they yield. The report provides case studies of different types of PPP
Common misconceptions about PPPs • •
• •
• • •
Public private partnerships are the same as privatisation By entering into a public private partnership, public sector loses control over the provision of services Public private partnerships apply only to infrastructure projects The principal reason for government entering into public private partnerships is to avoid debt Public sector employee will lose under public private partnerships The cost of service will increase to pay for the private partner’s profit There are only two partners in a public private partnership
arrangements in education such as: • Public-private financing of higher education • Science/research parks • University-owned companies The report underscores certain challenges that can be expected while applying the PPP model to education. For instance, the high cost of such projects, relatively lower returns, and the current regulatory landscape makes it difficult to attract participants/ bidders for education projects. Another challenge is the lack of familiarity with the PPP procurement process. The report suggests measures that can be implemented to avoid these hurdles. The process of attracting bidders should be framed to minimise the bid costs with effective competition. Also, the university/college can be protected by way of monitoring the services offered by private players. Certain cases of successful PPP projects in the education sector from other countries have been cited as examples, such as: • Southbank Educational and Training Precinct Development involved the development of high standard facilities for the 10
•
Southbank Educational and Training Precinct Royal Northern College of Music in the UK which involved development of about 160 study rooms, staff and guest accommodation, car parking facility and a walkway.
Industry-academia collaboration may include companies and institutes conducting joint R&D, industry internships, and corporates training and certifying students of affiliated institutes. Lastly, foreign university collaborations can offer access to world class faculty and international students, curriculum based on global standards and sharing of culture. These may take the shape of exchange programmes, joint research projects or sharing of infrastructure facilities.
Regulatory framework for PPP
An Higher Education Institute in India can be set up as a Trust, Society or as a Company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 (though the last is not recognised by the HRD Ministry). Several regulatory bodies regulate the functioning of higher education in India. These comprise the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Medical Council of India, etc. The higher education system suffers from several challenges that act as a hurdle in the growth of the PPP concept in India. These include the conditions imposed for setting up the educational institute as a not-for-profit entity; excessive regulations in the functioning of the HEIs and for the entry of foreign educational institutions into India. Despite these challenges, the PPP concept in the education sector needs to be explored. Since there are regulations with
respect to being a not-for-profit entity, the infrastructure for educational institutions can be created through the PPP model. This could involve creation of a Trust by the Government/ HEIs to offer education services, which collaborates with a private player to avail infrastructure like buildings, hostels, laboratories, etc. This kind of a model would uphold the regulations imposed on educational institutions as well as leverage the partnership between the government and the private sector.
Findings
As a conclusion the report underscores the challenges that India’s higher education sector faces and calls for focused initiatives for remedial action, like targeted interventions for increasing enrollment rates. It is also clear that the expansion of the higher education system in India would not be possible without sufficient levels of private sector funding, states the report, while adding that a clear gap exists in the availability of this private sector funding. It emphasises that there is a need to look at partnerships to create progress on this front in the near term. <<
It recommends some specific action steps including: • PPP can be considered as a potential mechanism to attract private sector financing • Players with prior experience in developing successful PPP models can assist the Government execute PPP initiatives • The Government can contribute to such models by facilitating the acquisition of land and other necessary infrastructure • To ensure that there is no dilution in the quality of education delivered by such educational institutions, appropriate international accreditation standards may be prescribed by the Government • Private sector partnerships should also be explored to enhance the higher education infrastructure • The existing regulatory framework should look to accommodate such partnerships. February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Perspective
Global Competition Demands Education Transformation We need to get our ideas across to people with whom we do not have direct contact. We need to know why things work and not merely memorise information, to be creative and innovative. Knowledge is the principal commodity. We have an opportunity to create and cultivate knowledge and capability to advance social and economic well being, not of individuals but of nations
Joya Chatterjee Director, Emerging Markets Platform Group, Intel Corporation
Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
G
lobal competition demands transforming current education. With the global economic climate getting more competitive, the demand for a skilled workforce is increasing, and new technology tools play an increasing role in learning. In addition, there are increased requirements for technology and media literacy, effective communication collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving. We need to get our ideas across to people with whom we do not have direct contact. We need to know why things work and not merely 11
memorise information, to be creative and innovative. Knowledge is the principal commodity. We have an opportunity to create and cultivate knowledge and capability to advance social and economic well being, not of individuals but of nations. Technology gives teachers new resources for engaging and effective education. It sparks the joy of discovery, joins students with the wider world and builds skills that build the future. Technology can play an important role in enhancing the educational process, particularly when it is developed based on the needs of teachers and the local education systems. Governments need to develop a holistic solution to provide 21st century opportunities for their citizens
million teachers across India. Under this programme, Intel also provides free teaching tools and resources to K-12 teachers. Intel Learn Program has also reached out to approximately 57,000 underserved youth ranging from 8 to 16 years of age, to develop critical thinking and collaboration skills. The Intel Computer Clubhouse Network provides children in underserved areas access to cutting edge technology for learning. Currently, the network is comprised of two clubhouses in Delhi and Bangalore.
How do we attain an ideal learning environment using technology? Step 1: Invest in People and education systems First of all, it is most important to have
Providing equal opportunities, such as access to and use of technology, to lower income groups (disadvantaged socio-economic groups) through proactive public-private partnership is also very important
with a comprehensive approach that includes accessibility, connectivity, education, and digital content. For example, India has created the e-Governance initiative. The holistic National e-Governance Plan is now pivotal in realisation of this vision by focusing on providing accessibility of government services to citizens through the internet. In India, the Intel Teach Program has provided ICT training which has enabled over 900,000 pre-service, inservice teachers and educators across the country to integrate technology into their lesson plans and promote problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration skills. By the end of 2008, Intel hopes to have touched 1 12
the right people and system in place. Countries should continue to train teachers to effe ctively integrate ICT into classrooms. Intel’s Chairman Craig Barrett pointed out, ‘Computer aren’t magic, teachers are.’ Putting the right technology tools and teacher training in place is critical in today’s global knowledge economy. Via the Intel Teach Program, we have trained over 5 million teachers in over 40 countries to effectively integrate technology into the classroom. Countries should also focus on training government leaders, education decision makers, curriculum designers, evaluators and school principals so that they can build the right policy, standards and support systems.
Step two: Provide equal opportunity This needs to be done by providing affordable access to technology through government financing, interesting local content, outreach to rural areas and developing privatepublic partnerships. Providing equal opportunities, such as access to and use of technology, to lower income groups (disadvantaged socio-economic groups) through proactive publicprivate partnership is also very important. Step 3: Implement key policies In order to succeed, implementing holistic and integrated policies that foster universal equity and access to ICT is key. In many countries the telecom companies are subsidising the cost of ‘netbooks’ so that they are available to consumers at a very low or no cost at all. Some may charge only cost of Internet connectivity. Many countries have reduced or eliminated taxes for PCs used in schools. It is important to remember that even reducing VAT or even providing low or no-cost PCs reduces the digital divide.
All schools should have free access to the Internet Governments can support the cost of Internet access outside of schools with programmes such as universal service funds, telecom provider initiatives, competition-neutral direct public subsidies or aggregating demand of schools and other relevant institutes in a given community. Depending on the country and its particular situation, the sources for funding can include national budgets of governments, charges on interconnecting services, levies on subscribers (e.g. on access lines) and levies on operator revenues. Funding from international development agencies is also an option.
Competitive telecommunications markets are necessary to allow for affordable internet access Developing countries will not be able to integrate into the global knowledge economy unless their citizens, schools and businesses have affordable February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Learning never stops in my school My students now have an interactive global learning environment, that seamlessly blends a classroom with the outside world.
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Internet access. Evidence from across the world has shown that competition through the liberalisation and privatisation of telecommunication markets drives down prices. Flexible, technology-neutral radio spectrum policy can also spur competition by allowing new, breakthrough wireless technologies to enter the market. At the same time, these governments should seek to embrace innovative technologies such as broadband wireless and voice-over-IP. Many of these steps were followed by countries to provide access to their citizens: Malaysia is a good example. Malaysian teachers and students have shifted from learning about technology to teaching and learning with technology. How did this happen? The Malaysia Ministry of Education worked with Intel Malaysia to devise a plan to improve teaching and learning through technology. The plan included teacher training, one-to-one e-learning and the deployment of wireless networks throughout the nation. The programme yielded significant results including improved teaching methods, improved student analytic and communication skills, virtual teaching and learning. It also positioned Malaysia to be known as having one of the most progressive education policies in the region.
in 10 primary schools nationwide in 2007. This was in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, and Bahagian Teknologi Pendidikan
Whether you are introducing or expanding ICT in your schools, successful implementation takes several key components working together: • Access to Technology; • Connectivity; • Professional Development of Teachers; • Improved Learning Methods Among Students; • and Right Digital curriculum which involves digital content and right teachinglearning approach.
(BTP). 1:1 e-Learning initiatives offer both the teachers and students continuous access to the Internet and other digital learning resources. Solutions: The MoE equipped 10,000 schools with powerful notebook computers based on Intel Centrino mobile technology. Intel and the MoE provided 475 schools with 500 wireless access points under the Wireless Technology Pilot Programme and Intel also trained more 42,000 teachers through the Intel Teach Program.
Challenge: In the late 1990s, the Ministry of Education in Malaysia realised that traditional methods of teaching in Malaysia were inadequate in preparing students to face a future rapidly moving towards a knowledgebased economy. There was a great need for effective and innovative technology integration into teaching and learning activities, as well as a need for student-centered learning and outcome-driven educational approaches.
Benefits: Malaysia now has one of the most progressive education policies in the region. The 1:1 e-learning programme exceeds the government’s goal to reduce the ratio of students sharing computers from one in 40 to one in 20, increasing students’ access to ICT learning. In addition, teachers have effectively integrated computers into their classrooms to enhance students’ learning interest and achievement. Students access information from all over the world.
Strategy: In 2000, Intel worked with the Ministry of Education in Malaysia (MoE) to train teachers on integrating technology in the classroom. A 1:1 eLearning programme was also initiated
Teachers have a higher level of productivity because they are now able to share work and collaborate across the country. This allows them to get faster access to information resources,
14
and spend less time in creating higher quality learning material that can be accessed by students over the wireless LAN. Career satisfaction among
teachers has increased, while students analytical and communications skills have greatly improved. The Intel-powered classmate PC was designed with this in mind. The Intel-powered classmate PCs are small, rugged computers designed specifically for children to use in educational settings. Our ethnographers studied many schools throughout the world to understand how students learn and how they would like to use technology in the classroom. Along with the classmate PC, Intel supports a complete educational ecosystem, including access, localised content, connectivity, teacher training, and collaboration with local educators, governments, and service providers. Innovative learning tools are available now through the websites like www.skoool.com or through many education consortiums like the UNESCO’s teacher portal. They bring technology to the classroom, are designed to meet local needs, and available online. All children deserve the chance to dream, grow, and prosper. Let’s work together on connecting the next billion people to 21st century opportunities.<< February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Commentary
Learn And Keep
Connected
The needs of schools are as diverse as the students they teach. That is why we are working with educational institutions around the world to make these demands a reality for students, teachers and parents alike with Live@edu â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a suite of communications and Steve Haite, Director, Live@edu Information Worker, Microsoft Asia Pacific
A
dvancements in technology are increasingly filtering down to the classroom as more and more students grow up with deep and immersive Web-based experiences. This has in turn led to an evolving educational environment. As schools move from books to bytes, technologically savvy students demand more advanced tools to experience, share, and learn; teachers seek new ways to educate their students while streamlining administrative tasks; and parents crave a convenient way 16
collaboration applications, accessible on campus, from home and whilst on the move to actively participate in their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s educational progress.
The changing learning and teaching environment Students today are digital natives and e-mail, social networking, Instant Messaging (IM) and texting are all part of their daily digital life. Schools can embrace these changing e-Learning dynamics by providing rich, high-quality communications tools that support their learning styles and enable them to contribute
effectively to coursework and class activities. Teachers for their part are also looking to make learning and teaching more collaborative, timely and engaging for their students. They therefore stand to benefit from familiar, professional desktop applications to reduce the burden of paperwork and administration. Finally, decision makers within educational institutions face increased February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
pressures to reduce the cost and complexity associated with delivering these solutions.
Using IT to benefit students and educators The needs of schools are as diverse as the students they teach. That is why at Microsoft, we are working with educational institutions around the world to make these demands a reality for students, teachers and parents alike with Live@edu – a suite of communications and collaboration applications, accessible on campus, from home and whilst on the move. Live@edu helps students and faculty work together efficiently and effectively and create communities that last a lifetime.
Providing a richer and more connected learning experience Just as today’s information workers rely on Outlook to communicate and collaborate with one another, Live@ edu provides students with an e-mail account which they can use as their primary contact address. Access to innovative solutions like Office Live Workspace also enables users to work with other students and faculty on projects in real time, and Windows Live SkyDrive offers online storage which helps students manage their studies, share information and photos. In fact, the ability to manage large volumes of e-mail and exposure to tools like Windows SkyDrive was a key reason that led Kagoshima University in Japan to deploy Live@ edu for its 16,000 users. At Microsoft, we also realise the benefits of giving schools the ability to deepen student and alumni relationships through an enduring e-mail inbox – creating an on-going identity and access to the network of friends and colleagues that students and teachers build at school. UNINOVE, a school in Brazil, sought the ability to provide students with communication services customised with their school brand and identity, which is why they deployed Microsoft Live@edu. This has provided their 70,000 students Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
with the tools to develop a collaborative community with their own identity without having to worry about building and maintaining their own e-mail and IT infrastructure.
Familiar interfaces
Today’s students are also tomorrow’s information workers. That is why with Live@edu, we aim to expose students to industry-standard, professional software tools that will successfully enable them to get ahead before they graduate. We have kept the familiar and consistent Microsoft Office user interface with an integrated suite of applications that are familiar and easy to use. Additionally, Live@edu provides educational institutions with the ability to integrate their Live@ edu services into a Single Sign-On (SSO) environment so that students who log-in to their campus Web portal can automatically access the available Live@edu services without having to log-in a second time.
Powerful design tools for print, online, animation, video,... Microsoft’s professional design tools and innovative technologies give students and faculty the flexibility and freedom to bring their visions to reality – whether they are designing standards-based Websites and rich user experiences using software applications like Popfly and Silverlight, managing digital assets and content using Photosynth, or just writing a book report with inputs from a team of students. Teachers at Ngee Ann Secondary School in Singapore, for example, have set up video blogs using Live@ edu so they can better engage their students in and outside of the classroom. By uploading videos which explain physics concepts like atmospheric pressure, teachers can get students to comment on them online, and enrich and enhance the overall learning experience.
Reducing costs for school administrators Limited budgets and extended
deployment cycles can make it difficult for schools to deliver innovative communications tools. With Live@ edu, universities now have a no-cost, Web-based technology platform that allows administrators to better focus on academic programmes and studentteacher interactions. The integration of Live@edu with a school’s existing HR database also means that new students are automatically assigned a Live@ edu e-mail account and Windows Live ID, and that their basic data is updated in the school records system as and when they update their personal profile details. ‘Naresuan University, formerly part of Srinakharinwirot University in Thailand, is a good example of a school that has realised the benefits of Live@ edu. With 29,000 students and 3,200 faculty members, school administrators had to allocate considerable resources to maintain its 30,000 email accounts. With the aim of finding a better email solution that could be used across the institution, the University partnered with Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, Lannacom in Thailand, to join the Windows Live@edu programme which provides Naresuan with free hosted e-mail messaging from Windows Live Hotmail and a range of support features including anti-spam and virus protection, and instant communication tools. As a result, the University can now focus on its core business of delivering quality education to its students, while lowering its total cost of ownership, and effectively utilising its existing technology infrastructure.
The future of learning with Microsoft Since the launch of Live@edu in March 2005, thousands of universities, colleges and schools in 86 countries have enrolled in the programme. As the momentum behind Live@ edu continues to grow, I personally look forward to continuing to assist educational institutions to serve their students and meet their technology needs in this increasingly Webconnected world. << 17
News | India CCEA approves National Mission on Education Through ICT scheme
The new centrally sponsored National Mission on Education Through ICT has been approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs. The scheme, submitted by the Ministry of Human Resources Development, is expected to incur INR 4612 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan. There is a budget provision of INR 502 crore during the current financial year for the project.
by the digital revolution and have not been able to joint the mainstream of the knowledge economy. The scheme will focus on appropriate pedagogy for e-Learning, providing facility of performing experiments through virtual labs, on-line testing and certification, on-line availability of teachers to guide learners, utilisation of EduSAT and Direct to Home (DTH) platform, training and empowerment of teachers to effectively use new methods of teaching, etc.
N K Sinha, Jt Secretary, Department of Technical Education, Ministry of HRD, Government of India
The National Mission on Education through ICT has been envisaged to leverage the potential of ICT in providing high quality personalised and interactive knowledge modules over the Internet/intranet for students in Higher Education Institutions in ‘anytime anywhere’ mode. The interventions of the Mission are to be delivered through the one-stop education portal ‘SAKSHAT’, which was launched in 2006 by the Department of Higher Education. The scheme is expected to be a major intervention in enhancing the Gross Enrollment Ratio in higher education by 5 % during the 11th Plan period and in ensuring access and equity in higher education, as also recommended by the Oversight Committee and the National Knowledge Commission. The Mission has two major components viz., (a) content generation and (b) connectivity along with provision for access devices for institutions and learners. It seeks to bridge the digital divide among teachers/learners in higher education domain and empower those who have hitherto remained untouched
18
Mumbai schools to have Language Labs
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is to set up language laboratories in 49 schools across Mumbai. The initiative comes after additional importance was stressed on improvement of oral languages in schools specially from the disadvantaged sections of society. BMC has taken State Institute
of Educational Technology (SIET), Pune on board to work on improving four languages of English, Hindi, Marathi and Urdu.
On the one hand, the Mission would create high quality e-Content for the target groups and on the other, it would simultaneously extend computer infrastructure and connectivity to over 18000 colleges in the country including each of the departments of 419 universities/deemed universities and institutions of national importance on a single point rental basis through the Department of Telecommunications, in a manner that would permit their seamless interaction with a integrated National Knowledge Network The Mission shall work in close cooperation and collaboration with other Missions/ Schemes such as the National Translation Mission, Vocational Education Mission, National Knowledge Network, ICT@Schools, etc, to avoid any duplication and attain synergy. It would also have a three-tier committee system to monitor and guide its functioning. The MHRD and Department of Higher Education would enter into a MoU with State governments for proper monitoring of the scheme in States.
The labs proposed at the cost of INR 50 lakh is primarily aimed to cater to the learning needs of secondary schools. The first lab will come up in Gildertank school as a pilot project.
Automated examinations for Anna University
Anna University has streamlined its examination processes with deployment of integrated examination management solutions (IEMS). The new system will automate complete examination cycle and also act as a solution to fight malpractices such as leakage of papers. It will develop a database of questions submitted by the faculty and generate the question paper based on them. Under a five year agreement, the university will pay Mindlogicx INR 75 per student per examination, to be deducted from the examination fees. Each student will get a unique user ID and password to log on to the system. Mindlogicx has set up a Network Operating Centre (NOC) in the university campus and examination data center for other colleges in various districts under the university. The project is implemented in 110 February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
News | India AMU to set up countrywide campuses
colleges spread across eight districts of Tamil Nadu wherein the university and the colleges are networked through VPN.
Gujarat to spend INR 500 crore on computers for schools
The state will install ICT peripherals in 500 primary schools under BOT model. Educomp has struck the deal in the state for Computer Aided Education (CAE) programmes under the Gujarat Council of Primary Education (GCPE). The state has allocated INR 500 crore over five years to buy 1,50,000 computers, peripherals and LCDs to equip some 20,000 primary and upper primary schools in the state along with 3D multimedia educational content software, school management system and IT training to teachers across the state. The state will also get funds from the Centre to upgrade IT infrastructure in secondary schools.
IGNOU to set up a Centre on corporate training
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is poised to set up five countrywide campuses, which will take it beyond its birthplace. This, sources said, signalled that AMU was trying to reconcile its overzealous concerns about its minority status to the equally important need for growth. Last year, AMU had opened four admission test centres outside Aligarh, in spite of stiff resistance from a strong internal lobby about its minority character being diluted. All sections of AMU management - the AMU court, executive council and academic council - have for the first time unanimously agreed on the proposal to open new centres.
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In 2006, the commission had exempted M.Phil degree holders from NET for appointment as faculty for undergraduate teaching. Later the B L Mungerkar Committee, constituted to review the decision, recommended that NET be restored as mandatory as the exemption was leading to deterioration in the quality of teaching.
Delhi plans INR 196 crore for inclusive education
The Education minister has announced the updgradation of 200 selected government schools for infrastructure facilities and 63
‘It’s a historic initiative,’ vice-chancellor P K Abdul Azis said. Reader Arshi Khan, an elected member of the Academic Council, said, ‘The university feels that it should seize the UPA government’s allocations for minority institutions.’ However, faculty members like Khan still feel that the expanding university should exercise ‘precautions’ to protect its character
NET made mandatory for teaching in higher education
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has made National Eligibility Test (NET) mandatory for teaching jobs in higher education, in a reversal of a decision it took three years ago. Those holding a Ph.D degree, however,
Corporate training is now an essential component of most of the companies under the Human Resource Management work domain. The regular problem of attrition and new recruits in companies has created a need for regular training sessions and knowledge of corporate management. Keeping these needs in mind, IGNOU has launched its new initiative under the Centre for Corporate Education, Training and Consultancy’ to develop programmes on corporate education consistent with the requirements of the corporate sector and industry. The Centre will educate human resources, boost their capacity and train them onthe-job in an industry set-up. It will also develop insights into corporate management, governance practices, strategy formulation and related law, besides their delivery mechanism among others.
completing M.Phil degree after this date.
continue to be exempted. The UGC has told universities that those already registered for M.Phil and completing the same before June 2009, shall be exempted from NET. However, NET will be compulsory for the candidates
government schools to the secondary level. The state with an average per school allocation of INR 60-70 lakh aims to improve drinking water, toilet, electricity and having green boards in all classrooms. The Directorate of Education has engaged the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) and the Public Works Department (PWD) for this upgradation, under which additional rooms will also be constructed. The effort aims to build schools that are inclusive and bring down the out-of-school ratio of students. The Department of Education informs that 24 government schools in Delhi will be turned into ‘model schools’ implementing policies regarding the mainstreaming of children with special needs on the Building As a Learning Aid (Bala) model. The schools will be equipped with labs for the hearing-impaired, braille books etc with trained teachers from the Rehabilitation Council of India. << February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
News | Asia Celik said his government was looking to increase scholarship opportunities by 300 % in 2009. ‘Initially, Turkey provided scholarships for graduate and postgraduate studies to five recipients, but this will increase to 20,’ he said. Celik added Turkey would also send its students to study in three top Indonesian tertiary institutions.
Philippines’ DepEd urges educators to optimise existing ICT programmes
Philippines Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus has called for optimum use of Information and Communication Technology to deliver quality education and enhance institutional efficiency worthy of 21st century. Lapus made the call during the National Educators’ Congress in Baguio City, where he also cited the department’s effort to provide ICT-enriched learning materials, Internet connectivity and computer laboratories to public schools through the assistance of the private sector. The DepEd Chief stressed that “it is about time that we effectively use ICT in teaching and learning as well as in managing the delivery of services.” Ayala Foundation, Intel, USAID, SMART, Oracle and Microsoft are just some of the institutions that support DepEd in its goal to bring digital literacy to students in the Philippines and make them more competitive with the country’s progressive neighbours.
Indonesia inks education agreement with Turkey
Indonesian Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo has signed a MoU with his Turkish counterpart, Husyin Celik, to solidify education links between the two countries. The agreement, inked at Jakarta, allows for formal exchange programmes between students, teachers and researchers from both countries. ‘The agreement also allows for equivalency in education qualifications and scholastic degrees between the two,’ Sudibyo said.
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Malaysian minister visits SEAMEO Voctech
President of the SEAMEO Council and Malaysia’s Minister of Education Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein made a visit to SEAMEO VOCTECH, where he officiated the Instructional Design Laboratory (ID Lab) that will cater to the needs of Brunei’s teaching community. The ID Lab is a key milestone in the e-Learning project, which in turn is one of the e-Education programme’s five pillars, as set by Brunei’s Ministry of Education. Th e p r o j e c t wa s formally signed on January 26 last year with several key milestones already achieved. The eLearning project aims to change the learning and teaching deliveries in relation to ‘A’ Levels, DTE, ITB and UBD. The ID Lab has been designed to support and sustain the e-Learning initiative. The lab boasts the latest technologies, in terms of both hardware and software for multimedia development, state-ofthe-art machines for multimedia recording and editing, as well as video and audio recording and editing equipments.
Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) with the partnership of Aparajeyo Bangladesh, a local non-government organisation, launched a project for providing education to street children as well as young people from marginal background for upholding and establishing their rights in the society. Sanjay Prakash, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank, said the bank would provide Tk 52.5 lakh to Aparjeyo Bangladesh under its global project ‘Future First’ with a duration of three years. Under the project the HSBC has taken 5-year programme (2007-2012) globally for helping street children, children in care and orphans in countries where such children exist.
Sri Lanka declares 2009 as the year of English and ICT
In Srilanka, the year 2009 has been declared the year of English and ICT education in order to improve and enhance the educational standards and skills. Education Minister Susil Premajayantha said that the declaration will highlight ICT areas that need to be improved and enhanced in the country. He said that in order to achieve these goals, the ministry has initiated and updated various ICT programmes around the island to offer access to even those in rural areas. He cited the example of Penideniya College which has enhanced the English skills of teachers in the Kandy area. The fully-equipped college can accommodate up to 400 teachers. It has computer laboratories, libraries and a selfaccess centre. <<
Education programme for Bangladesh street children
As part of its corporate social responsibility the Hong Kong and February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
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4 Tracks 40 Countries 100 Thematic Sessions 200 Companies 5000 Delegates eINDIA 2009 is a unique platform for knowledge sharing in various domains of ICT for development and facilitates multi-stakeholder partnerships and networking among governments, industry, academia and civil society organisations of different countries, including India. The objective is to bring together ICT experts, practitioners, business leaders and stakeholders of the region onto one platform, through keynote addresses, paper presentations, thematic workshops and exhibitions.
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Corporate diary | Leader’s Speak
in 40 Hours! Prof Kesav Vithal Nori, Executive Director, Business Systems and Cybernetics Centre, TCS presents his views here on the challenges and impact of the Computer Based Functional Literacy project... Nearly 350 million Indians are illiterate. How does the Computer Based Functional Literacy initiative by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) seek to address this challenge? Adult illiterates make up 15% to 20% of the population. The National Literacy Mission was set up by the Government to redress this situation. Government agencies have the resources to reach all adult illiterates, but the productivity of their teachers is low. The teachers are poorly paid and drop out rates are high among students. At this rate of progress, it could take anything between 15-20 years for the government to eradicate illiteracy. We need a large army of teachers to address this challenge. This was the reason for TCS to embark on developing CBFL software. Experiments on the ground with CBFL showed that our slogan ‘40 hours to literacy’ was reasonable. This was borne out through experiments in eight Indian languages. Teachers found that they could handle large numbers of students and more batches 26
of learners. Even senior school children could become instructors as the teaching expertise was embedded in the software. The software itself demanded no computer literacy, except some ability to use the ‘mouse’. We had great hopes!
The CBFL prides itself with the potential of making 90% of India functionally literate in three to five years? How has the journey been so far and are you on course towards this historic goal? We made big plans. However, things seldom go according to plan! The motivation levels in the field are poor, as are the rewards. Our core competence is in developing software, not in running such a programme. Apart from irregular students and discontented teachers, we had to deal with government officers who would get transferred periodically. Wherever we had some constancy, the results were more than heartening. We were hardly qualified to sift between NGOs who wanted to help. Everyone promised us used
computers, but only a scant few helped out. The logistics in getting computers, refurbishing, and transporting them to remote places was another underestimated problem. Getting necessary government clearance for discarded computers, imported by the software industry into export promotion zones for business purposes, was another logistic nightmare. TCS donated a large number of computers, but that cannot fill the needs of a national programme. Our performance has been abysmal in eradicating illiteracy. Around 200,000 adult illiterates have benefited through the CBFL. That’s neither here nor there with respect to the size of the problem.
What makes the CBFL programme effective? Technology is only a means to address important ends. As technical people, we can envision and fashion technologies that address important social needs. February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
This was our principal motivation. Technology is effective when its internal complexity does not get in the way of its absorption. A case in point is the telephone. Its usage is simple and intuitive. CBFL had this characteristic. The simplicity of CBFL helped in making it readily and easily usable by untrained people. The computer was a big attraction in rural areas. Technology is not worth it if it is not a productivity multiplier, and democratic with respect to minimum quality for all. What is both humbling and chastening however is that even good technology is not good enough. We need to have a collective will to address immense social problems.
What kind of partnerships or engagement has the programme managed to forge with different stakeholders? The National Knowledge Commission reviewed CBFL and advised NLM to adopt as many technologies and techniques available to spread literacy. TCS has joined hands with NASSCOM, CII, and MSSRF to spread the use of this technology. The technology is being used in jails in several cities to provide inmates with literacy instruction. TCS volunteers also do their bit in spreading its reach. For Urdu, we have a partnership with Siasat Daily in a programme that is flourishing. Tata Steel has been a big experimenter, having done without computers in Jharkhand, and helping create CBFL for Oriya. IIIT Hyderabad and IIT Bombay are interested in using this as a base for technologies for supporting education. Discussions are also on with State governments of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Karnataka for spreading literacy.
Please share with us details of its international outreach. On a visit to India, the then First Lady of South Africa, Madame Zanele Mbeki, visited one of our field sites. Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
She was keen to see if CBFL could be used to address the needs of tribal languages in South Africa and invited TCS to visit them. Their problem was complex for they had no scripts for their tribal languages. A TCS team visited South Africa to standardise their coding in Roman alphabet. This provided a basis for them to effectively implement their own CBFL. We are also working towards completing the development of CBFL for Arabic and will be given to UNESCO Egypt and Moroccan government, as a start.
How has the government and its concerned bureaucracy responded to the programme? On the whole it would be fair to say that our government is not dogmatic about any approach to address adult illiteracy. However, they have not been proactive in extending ICT to address such societal causes. The State Resource Centre in Andhra Pradesh has developed new primers and supporting computer software; but these are at variance with the principles and methodology provided by the older versions. We would be happy to transfer our technologies to NLM as it is based on their collateral and principles and will be easiest for them to absorb.
Would you like to share with our readers the impact of this programme, giving specific instances? Literacy is more like a fundamental civil right. It empowers us to participate in the mainstream of society, giving us an uplifting independence. We found many heart warming instances of this point of view, mostly from women. One young lady found greater acceptance at home as she was able to participate in her children’s studies. Another found joy
On the whole it would be fair to say that our government is not dogmatic about any approach to address adult illiteracy. However, they have not been proactive in extending ICT to address such societal causes
in her new found independence of not having to seek directions for her destination. A bunch of school children on the outskirts of Bhopal were very excited about CBFL. The Madhya Pradesh government had put adult illiterates under each senior school student and gave these kids ‘guru dakshina’ for successfully turning these adults literate. These children felt CBFL could help create greater interest in their elderly charges! These experiences reassured us that not combining literacy instruction with livelihood earning skills was inessential. <<
Prof Nori is one of the pioneers of the Tata Consultancy Services’ computer-based adult literacy programme. He was earlier with the Tata Research Development and Design Centre, the R&D wing of TCS. He also went to Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh, US, as a visiting faculty. 27
Corporate diary | Leader’s Speak
Innovation To Customers Please share with our readers the idea behind setting up of Upside Learning and the journey so far. Upside Learning Solutions was set up in April 2004 to provide effective e-Learning solutions. Prior to this, me and my partner Amit Gautam worked for another e-Learning company for around four years. Having gathered a rich experience of the e-Learning industry in India and abroad, we had an innate desire to start out on our own.
Amit Garg, Founder & Director of Upside Learning Solutions, shares with readers the journey so far and his views on the e-Learning industry in India.
The journey so far has been very enjoyable, rewarding and satisfying. With clients in nine countries we have grown considerably in the last five years and are now one of the major players in India. Upside Learning was declared a winner in the Red Herring 100 Asia 2008. We were also listed 16th on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 India 2008 and 125th on Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific 2008 – which makes us the fastest growing e-Learning company in the country over last three years. These have been a testimony to the kind of work that we have been doing and motivate us to keep moving. We are blessed to have a great team.
What has been the focal change in the company’s approach this year as compared to previous years? The focus of the company has changed 28
on multiple fronts. Our focus has now shifted towards products as we see 50% of our revenues coming from products in three years time. This would involve launching of new products as well and new versions of existing products. Innovation will be the key in our solutions in future. We have set up an exclusive team to do ‘marketable innovation’ which helps our customers get the best of the technological and instructional advancements in this field. We are also focusing on social media, from both the learning and marketing perspectives. A relatively short-term focus would be on rapid e-Learning too – primarily driven by the current economic situation around the world.
What has been your client mix? Has there been a change in their approach, with the corporate market maturing towards adopting technology solutions? We have business linkages both with the overseas and domestic markets – US, UK, Australia being the prominent ones. We currently work with prominent local partners in those markets, to serve several Fortune 500 clients. In terms of client mix, bulk of them are in telecom, banking & February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Discover a range of technologically advanced products that break all conventional thinking
out, and is cost effective. On content front, the prices have gone up for quality solutions as the clients have come to appreciate the true value of good. We expect India to grow at more than 75% while the world markets would grow at 20-30%. This should result in good growth for India based e-Learning providers in 2009 and beyond. Upside Learning is targeting 100% growth for the next couple of years. Our focus on providing great solutions at great prices has helped us so far and we believe that would be the key to our continued success in future.
finance, construction, health & safety, and manufacturing domains. Thanks to magazines in this domain and other expos and events around the world, customers do seem to be more knowledgeable and rational now. And thankfully their focus is gradually shifting from the ‘cost’ to the ‘learning value’ that a solution delivers.
Has the market slowdown had any effect on the e-Learning industry? How prepared is Upside Learning to weather the storm? Despite the global slowdown, growth rates for Upside Learning have been strong in the last year. Amongst different markets UK seems to be worst affected, but we are hopeful it would bounce back in the second quarter of 2009. India is growing faster and would speed up on e-Learning adoption this year. Quite a few clients have taken a ‘waitand-watch’ stand last quarter, but we see signs of that easing up now. We remain optimistic that e-Learning stands to ‘gain’ from the economic downturn by inviting more companies to adopt e-Learning or to broaden their existing initiatives.
What has been your experience over the years in the e-Learning sector and what is your prediction for its growth in the coming years? In our experience the markets worldwide have matured to some 30
We expect India to grow at more than 75% while the world markets would grow at 20-30%. This should result in goaod growth for India based e-Learning providers in 2009 and beyond
extent while the growth has been strong. Increasing bandwidths have been a big support as diverse audience can now access audio and video based e-Learning with relative ease. The LMS market has seen consolidation at the top-end while the medium and low end is still fragmented. The SME customer market is more inclined towards Hosted LMS which delivers all required features, is quick to roll
There is a wave of collaborations in the IT education applications. What is your view on this? Please tell us about the tie-ups of your company? As an industry grows, tie-ups are bound to happen. While some are purely for synergies, others are only for financial reasons. Both are good and welcome, if they help the customers with better products and services. Upside Learning is a full service provider of e-Learning solutions for the corporate market. Upside LMS - provided as hosted and behind-the-firewall options – is currently used by more than 150,000 learners worldwide. Our Custom Content Development service has won awards and helped our long term clients in achieving business success year after year. We would be tying up with a catalogue content provider of repute soon, to offer pre-packaged content bundled with our LMS to help clients start off their initiatives almost instantly. <<
Amit Garg brings with him eight years of professional experience in e-Learning. Prior to co-founding Upside Learning, he was ‘Head - Custom Courseware Development’ at one of India’s leading e-Learning companies. Prior to that, he had worked with General Motors and Maruti Udyog for almost five years. He has also served as a judge for the prestigious Brandon Hall Awards for three consecutive years from 2004. February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Case Study | Project Gyana shakti
Unleashing the Power of Knowledge for Urban Poor
T
he challenge of development for the urban poor is enormously huge. It is estimated that by 2025, half of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population would be living in urban slums. In this scenario, education poses its own set of challenges. Most of these slums are highly underserved in terms of quality schools. Insecurity in terms of livelihood and tenancy add to the problem, resulting in the urban poor moving frequently from one location to another. This leads to children dropping out from schools. Owing to such complex situation, large number of children in urban slums are out of school. Communities in urban slums lack the space or forums to articulate their education needs, and to engage in an organised manner with the government on fulfilling these needs. With much of the resources and attention going to rural India over the last several decades, the issue of urban poverty, including education of children living in urban slums, has clearly taken a back seat. On the sidelines of these extremities, a silent revolution in the form of private education has been taking place on the education front in Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
The goal of this project is to evaluate the educational interventions provided to six chosen schools in Hyderabad, with the ultimate wider goal being to develop a sustainable and scalable model for capacity building and school improvement in private unaided schools serving poor urban children 31
The INR 4.78 crore project, to be piloted using a blend of technology and pedadogy, will be implemented for a period of three and half years
urban slums. According to research findings by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, 50-70% of children living in slums in the metros of Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad attended private schools. Despite the mushrooming of these private, mostly unrecognised schools, the research found that the educational outcomes in this fragmented population were poor. There was also an absence of any educational improvement initiatives targeting this very large number of children. The research threw up a crucial challenge in the form of a long term change in the teaching process and improving the learning outcomes in poor urban children. Subsequently, the Foundation tied up with leading education company Educomp Solutions Ltd to launch Project Gyana Shakti recently. The pilot project will assess the effectiveness of innovative teaching methodologies developed by Educomp for use in private schools which serve low-income students. Under this project, Educomp will select six unaided private schools that serve lower income families in Hyderabad to evaluate its innovations, with a clear focus on measurable and significant improvement in 32
learning outcomes of students in classes 1-5 in all subjects. The goal of this project will be to evaluate the educational interventions provided to the six chosen schools, with the ultimate wider goal being to develop a sustainable and scalable model for improvement in private unaided schools. Dwelving upon the project, Aslesha Thakur, Director, Education Empowerment, Educomp, said, ‘With the belief that quality education is the right of every child, Project Gyana Shakti aims at unleashing the power of knowledge for the urban poor, who are otherwise vulnerable to exploitation. This pioneering programme proposes to impact quality of education in private budget schools in Hyderabad. We hope to transform these schools by implementing systemic measures that include capacity building of teachers, working with school leaders, parent orientation programmes, classroom transactions and usage of technology.’ A preliminary study of the situation on the ground in Bangalore and Hyderabad revealed that teaching and learning is characterised by rote memorisation in most schools. 88 % of teachers used the chalk and talk method and 78 % lacked knowledge of appropriate pedagogical strategies. None of the schools used technology aided learning. Infrastructure was inadequate with dimly lit rooms and 45 to 50 students sitting on benches, 89 % schools lacked laboratories and a library. Space for sports facilities was minimal. Based on the above scenario, the Foundation retained Educomp to design Project Gyana Shakti with the goal of transforming private schools that cater to urban poor children. The INR 4.78 crore-project will be implemented for a period of three and a half years. Educational interventions to be piloted at the selected six schools will blend the use of technology and pedagogy.
Four of the selected six schools will be provided with technology education using Educomp’s Smart Class technology. Two of the technology enabled schools will also have the Smart Assessment System. Classrooms in these schools will bring together rich multimedia content along with formative assessment. SAS technology will be used for immediate assessment of learning. A baseline survey to understand the competency level of students will be conducted by the non-governmental Education Quality Foundation of India (EQFI). A learning outcomes assessment will be done on the basis of grade-based competencies, testing students’ understanding of concepts. This detailed, student-wise and schoolwise feedback will be used to shape school improvement plans. A whole school analysis to understand the present requirements will be conducted in these schools before the intervention. Based on the analysis, a school improvement plan will be formulated for each school based on its specific needs. Teachers will be given a customised in-service training to improve the teaching and learning process in their schools. The school managements will also undergo leadership programmes to develop the school vision and improve its governance. Student performance enhancement being the key focus of the programme, intervention for students will be done through activity based learning and attractive worksheets. For the weak students, a remediation plan would be drawn up based on need gap analysis. Armed with the data, information and other learnings from Project Gyana Shakti, the Foundation seeks to expand the knowledge base of ‘what works’ to improve educational outcomes for the large population of poor urban children attending private schools in India. << February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
News | Corporate Edexcel plans expansion in India
Edexcel is planning an expansion in India after spending 12 years in the education and training sector. The expansion includes regional presence with new offices in Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai and diversification into products offering skill based modules. The estimated cost of the expansion is INR 10 crore. Edexcel has already made in-roads into Indian academic space by representing vocational streams. It has partnered with Aptech and IGNOU for offering diploma programmes and is currently in talks with Educomp Solutions, Everonn Systems and Reliance Retail to bring in curriculum and teacher-student material for quality control. Currently, almost 25,000 students have registered themselves for various Edexcel programmes. Future plans includes entering the soft skills space by offering 60 small modules on communication, interviewing skills and behaviour.
PPP model for medical education
To meet the shortage of medical professionals in India, the Government is considering to allow private sector investments under Public Private Partnership model in medical education. A proposal submitted to the Medical Council of India aims to attract private players to invest in medical education under relaxed norm of paying tax to the government on profits made. Earlier, only governments, universities, trusts or charitable societies could set up medical colleges and private players had only a notfor-profit state. With the changed norms in place, private players are likely to face lesser Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
entry barriers while making big investments in the medical education sector. The new guidelines seek to relax other rigid regulations such as land area restrictions and the teacherto-student ratio.
Infra firms to set up in-house training institutes
Lack of trained staff is now becoming a major hurdle in roll-out of expansion plans for many infrastructure firms. Infra firms are now investing in setting up of engineering education and training colleges to internalise manpower requirements by providing education and training in the skills set as required by the industry. Such efforts have already taken off in Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) which plans for in-house engineering institutes to cater specifically to the needs of the power sector. Infrastructure player Larsen & Toubro (L&T) also plans to start an institute of project management, with the aim of developing managers with specialised skills spanning the engineering, procurement, construction and manufacturing sectors.
Mahendra ties with HP for digital archiving
In a drive to make Mahendra Engineering College (MEC) accessible to its students anytime anywhere, the company has inked
solution from HP. The repository could also house digitized course ware (such as NPTEL), project reports, e-books, workshop content, lab manuals, whitepapers and video lectures. All of these elements could potentially be enabled through web access, which basically means that a student can access this content from a remote location through the Internet.
BECTA urges schools to use technology
Schools have been urged to use technology both in their everyday operations and in the education process by the British schools IT agency (BECTA). The agency unveiled its Next Generation Learning Charter, which focuses on ‘giving pupils an enriched and enhanced learning experience through the use of technology.’ Schools will be encouraged to sign up to the charter to improve their educational processes. By signing the charter, they will have to meet certain expectations over the next three years including developing a shared vision for the use of technology and the greater integration of ICT and technology into the curriculum to enhance learning and support. The charter’s mission is that through the use of technology students will improve learning and progress in the education process.
Leading industrialists launch School of Inspired Leadership
a deal with Hewlett-Packard (HP) for help in implementing its DSpace Solution and ProCurve University initiative. DSpace software platform serves a variety of digital archiving needs for research and educational institutions worldwide including e-thesis, electronic record management, publishing, etc. The college has recently opted for a digital repository
Leading industry captains including Max India chairman Analjit Singh, former director Eicher and founder Eicher Consultancy Services Anil Sachdev, former Chairman of Crompton Greaves K K Nohria, have announced the launch of School of Inspired Leadership (SOIL) in Gurgaon. The institute, positioned as a leadership and management school, will focus on building sustainable organisations. Others involved in the project include Nucleus Software founder Yogesh Andlay, former chairman of Eicher Group Vikram Lal, former director IIM Ahmedabad, Pradip Khandwalla, and member GMR Holding Board K Balasubramaniam.
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News | Corporate electronic learning system, dubbed Adobe eLearning Suite, which includes the latest version of Adobe Captivate. TCS is Adobe’s package for authoring, managing and publishing technical information, and comprises an extended version of Acrobat Pro 9, together with Captivate 4, Framemaker 9, Photoshop CS4 and RoboHelp 8. SOIL has two inaugural programmes- HR leadership and business leadership, with enrollment capacity of 60 students in each of the two programmes. Both are one-year programmes and are targeted at graduates and experienced managers respectively. The first batch of students are expected to be enrolled in July ‘09.
The eLearning Suite includes Captivate 4, Flash CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended, Acrobat Pro, Presenter 7, Soundbooth CS4, Adobe Bridge CS4, and eLearning extensions to Flash and Dreamweaver. A major improvement in both new packages is the workflow between the individual point package upgrades.
CoCubes.com tie-up with unversities, companies for online placement
New venture, school projects pull NIIT net down 60%
Gurgaon-based Via Human Resource Solution has said that its online venture CoCubes.com, which aims to connect companies and colleges for campus recruitments, has so far signed deals with over 50 universities and colleges to connect them with more than 20 corporate bodies for campus recruitments. CoCubes has till now conducted recruitments for large companies in over 100 campuses, thus providing employment to about 250 candidates. CoCubes.com plans to reach around 500 institutions in 2009. CoCubes.com ties up with colleges and lists profiles of their students including video and text resumes. However, no individual job seeker can search for openings or post the CV. Companies can get in touch with CoCubes and list their openings.
Adobe launches new eLearning Suite
Adobe has launched version 2 of its Technical Communication Suite (TCS), and a new
BPO giants tie-up with IGNOU for training
BPO giants Accenture and Genpact have entered into an alliance with IGNOU and NIIT for providing training to those interested in taking up BPO jobs as a career. The move
NIIT Ltd has reported a 60 % drop in its net profit for the quarter ended December 2008, to INR 5.5 crore on the back of new business launch, higher depreciation due to new projects and forex losses incurred by an associate firm. For the third quarter (October-December), the profit stood at INR 5.5 crore as compared to INR 13.9 crore in the year-ago period.
‘The launch of new venture NIIT Uniqua and increased depreciation due to new school projects impacted the profit for the quarter. NIIT has expanded its presence to over 7,800 schools, an increase of 3,000 schools compared to the same quarter last year. The profit after tax also took a hit as NIIT Technologies, an associate of NIIT Ltd had reported a forex loss.
IIT Study Circle announces partnership with Vidya Mandir Classes and 100 Percentile New Horizons India Limited (NHIL) has announced a strategic learning partnership between its business division IIT Study Circle (IITSC) and Vidya Mandir Classes, along with a technology partnership with 100 Percentile. The IITs across India offer
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a total of 6992 seats for which approximately 3.9 lakh students are expected to compete in the year 2010. An additional 4 lakh students are expected to compete for other engineering entrance exams. With this partnership IIT Study Circle will be able to reach out to discerning IIT aspirants across the country with the state of art programmes offered as classroom courses in Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. It will also offer correspondence courses to meet the wide demand for quality IIT coaching in the country.
comes following a change in the mindset of youngsters who have started taking this industry as a first option rather than a stopgap career opportunity. The tie-up with IGNOU offers students a sixmonth diploma through a Central university. Either 12th graders or college graduates can avail this option. The programme is expected to be especially popular in Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities. This programme will be available in approximately 44 centres spread over 27 cities with 90 faculty members especially trained to roll out the programme. The first batch is scheduled to start in February 2009. The idea is to make these young people readily employable at BPOs. The course will use classroom learning, self learning and eLearning tools, paying attention to both process and industry specialisation. << February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Research Preparing Quality Workforce
Industry as a Partner Providing Innovative Leadership resh graduates find it difficult to make a smooth transition from college to work environment. In India there is a great shortage of skilled manpower. According to industry estimates, only a quarter of all graduates are employable and about 80% of job seekers in employment exchange are without any professional skills. With half of its 1.2 billion population aged under 25, how can India possibly be short of manpower? The problem lies in quality and not quantity of manpower (Duggal, 2005).
F Esther Dhamayanthi John
(estherdhyamanthi@everonn.com), Faculty, Everonn Systems India Ltd., Chennai
This article examines the efforts of Everonn Systems India Ltd., an industry dealing with education, collaborating with educational institutions to train the younger generation to adapt to the complex demands of a work environment effortlessly. It believes, quality workforce will increase profitability and enhance the corporate image of the industry. Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
The major reason for the above trend is that the students are not specifically prepared by educational institutions for the demands of a work environment. Several studies indicate that enhancing the skills of the workforce is primarily achieved through education and training (Borghans, Green & Mayhew, 2001). Lee Harvey stated that the primary purpose of higher education is to transform students by enhancing their knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities while simultaneously empowering them as lifelong critical, reflective learners (Lee Harvey, 1999). Thus universities are responsible for providing graduates with fundamental workplace skills, contributing to their achievement as a young adult. In the light of the above introduction, it was thought meaningful to explore 1. The importance of different skills as per the employer’s viewpoint 2. Identify the employability skills that the graduates are lacking from
3. 4.
an employer’s perspective Identify the skills of the graduates which could be improved after receiving proper training Suggest recommendations for future action with a focus on skills required for the present workforce.
Review of Literature
According to research conducted by the Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, “more than half of our young people leave school without the knowledge or foundation required to find and hold a good job” (SCANS 1991, p. xv). A review of the literature indicated that employers’ dissatisfaction is not primarily with the technical skills of the young graduates however they are dissatisfied with their non-technical skills or employability skills. According to Buck and Barrick (1987), “employability skills are the attributes of employees, other than technical competence, that make them an asset to the employer”. Sir Brian Corby (1992) says that through a systematic analysis of all the types of jobs undertaken by graduates and other trainees in their first two years of employment, the following key attributes have been identified: oral/written communication skills, listening skills, job motivation skills, attention to detail, decision making, management of time and work, job commitment and teamwork. According to Mary Ann McLaughlin (1992), 35
According to industry estimates, only a quarter of all graduates are employable and about 80% of job seekers in employment exchange are without any professional skills
employers (industry) to conceive and implement a programme which would provide the students the necessary employability skills to aid them in their career aspirations.
Reading from the figure, we can conclude that the employers feel that all the skills have almost equal weightage ranging from important to very important.
Hypothesis
Developing integrity: 76% of the employers had rated this ability as the most important skill and 24% had rated it as an important skill to have.
2.
Interpersonal skills: 71% employers agreed that ability to build rapport with team members was very important; 76% felt that ability to cooperate and work with others was very important and 62% felt willingness to listen to others was very important.
1.
3.
Education does not provide the students with the necessary skills to help them make a smooth transition from college to work. Training improves the employability skills of the candidates. Industry and education collaboration promotes quality workforce.
Sample and Method of Study the employers that were surveyed identified the need for employees to have positive attitudes and behaviour, strong communication skills and the ability to work well with others in a team environment. According to Donald Super (1957), there are five stages in the Theory of Vocational Development. The stage which is of interest to us is the Exploration Stage, which is between 15 to 24 years, where the individual begins to develop an awareness of occupations. The theoretical framework for the present study is Chickering and Reisser’s (1993) Theory of Identity Deve-lopment. Chickering and Reisser’s model focuses on the developmental tasks a student undergoes during the transition from an adolescent to a young adult and the development task he/she needs to determine before a career option can be made. India produces 400,000 technically trained graduates a year, but many are deficient in areas of specific technical skills, teamwork, and language (Duggal, 2005). As the level of preparedness of young graduates’ employability skills could affect their professional development, it is the responsibility of the educational institutions to collaborate with the 36
Following an extensive review of the literature, two questionnaires were developed. The questionnaires used a four-point Likert-type scale that focused on the objectives of the research: determine the importance of different skills as per the employer’s viewpoint; and identify the skills that the employers found lacking in the graduates. The respondents for this study were (a) graduate employees (in the age group of 24 to 27 years) and (b) employers of different sectors (education, hotel industry, pharmaceuticals, marketing). The questionnaires were e mailed to 50 employees and 50 employers. Employers numbered 21 and 30 graduate employees responded to the questionnaires. 60% of the employees were Arts graduates and 40% were Science graduates. 24% of the employers were heads of a department 48% were in the managerial position; and 28% were in the director position. All the questionnaires were found useful for the analysis.
Findings •
The first objective was to determine the level of importance of different employability skills as per the employer’s perspective.
The rating of the skills is as follows: 4 = very important/ 3 = important/ 2 = less important/ 1 = not at all important.
Analytical skills: 67% agreed that ability to think coherently in handling daily tasks was very important; 52% felt that ability to identify problems and offer suitable solutions were very important and 57% felt that ability to prioritize the problems in order to offer a solution was just important rather than very important. Intrapersonal skills: 62% employers had rated ability to behave well in a social setup as very important; 57% had rated ability to persevere and not give up as very important; 52% are of the opinion that ability to work well in a stressful environment was very important and 57% felt that possessing good sense of dressing and personal hygiene was very important; however 57% rated ability to respond positively to constructive criticism as just important. Developing purpose: 57% felt that ability to know one’s strengths and weakness was very important and 52% felt that ability to set goals and priorities in work was very important. The knowledge of existing career opportunities and improvement of self by seeking new challenges was given equal ratings of important and very important. •
The second objective was to identify the employability skills February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
lacking in the graduates – from an employer’s perspective:
Identifying the employability skills lacking in graduates – Employer’s perspective
From the figure, we can prove that before getting trained the skills were between the “requires improvement” to “satisfactory” scores. Oral Communication Skills: 71% of the employers felt that the graduates lacked the ability to make effective presentations. Written Communication Skills: 71% felt that the graduates’ ability to use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation was satisfactory. Analytical Skills: 42% felt that the graduates’ ability to prioritize the problems in order to offer a solution was in the satisfactory level and 48% felt that this ability was in the “requires improvement” level. Leadership Skills: 57% felt that the graduates’ abilities to allocate time efficiently and set priorities were at the satisfactory level and 38% felt that these abilities were at the “requires improvement” level. 57% deemed that abilities pertaining to working well in a social setup; using internet to browse for data; willingness
to listen to others, developing integrity and possessing good sense of dressing and personal hygiene were only at the satisfactory level. • The third objective was to identify the skills of the graduates which could be improved after receiving proper training: The comparison, of skills after training and the requirements of the employer, was done using paired sample T Test. Since the significance value for the T Test are not significantly different, it means that after training the skills met the requirements of the employer.
Employers’ rating of the employability skills on the level of importance 3.
3.
Interpersonal skills: 52% and 48% of the employers agreed that the level of teamwork could be raised to “good” and “very good” levels after training. Oral Communication Skills: 62% and 14% felt that abilities related to this skill could be improved and reach the “good” to “very good” levels. Written communication skills: 71% felt that ability to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation could reach the “good” level; and 76% felt that ability to prepare good reports, documents and letters could reach the “good” level with proper training. Developing purpose – 86% felt that the graduates’ ability to know one’s strengths and weakness could reach the “good” level after proper training.
Summary •
Summary of Findings Related to Hypothesis One: Education does not provide the students with the necessary skills to help them make a smooth transition to work.
We can see that the employability skills of a graduate fresh out of college are between the “satisfactory” to “good” scores. The graduates, fresh out of college, have rated the following skills as not Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
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up to the standard of the employer’s expectations: Numerical ability skills – 36% of the graduates felt that their ability to comprehend data was only in the satisfactory level when they first joined a work spot; and 17% felt that this skill was not sufficient for them to do well their job. Analytical skills – 46% perceived that their ability to think coherently in handling daily tasks and to identify problems and offer suitable solutions was at the satisfactory level and 40% felt that they required training to really improve themselves. Developing purpose – 46% felt that they needed to be trained to know their own strengths and weaknesses and 30% felt that they had only satisfactory knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses.
In the face of this challenge, Everonn Systems has taken the leadership role in conceiving a programme incorporating the different skills that are essential for a young graduate to make a smooth entry into professional life
Communication Skills – 40% felt that their ability to convey information one to one was in the satisfactory level. 43% felt that the ability to make effective presentations was only in the satisfactory level. 30% felt that their 38
ability to prepare reports, documents and letters were only in the satisfactory level. •
Findings Related to Hypothesis Two - Training improves the skills of the candidates.
The graduates’ competency in the employability skills before getting trained with regard to the importance of the skills from an employer’s perspective has been graphically presented in Figure 4. The graph has been represented as quadrants with a midpoint of 2.5 on the 4-point response scale. We can see from the figure that only listening skill is in the ‘important skill and high competence’ quadrant. Candidates, fresh out of college, show very low competence in the following important skills: oral and written communication skills; computer skills; numeric and analytical competency; interpersonal, leadership and intrapersonal skills; and developing purpose and integrity. Therefore, these skills require training to meet the specifications of the employer. Figure indicates that after training the competence level in all the skills has greatly improved. Therefore, it proves that a training program if introduced at college would greatly improve the graduate’s chances of doing well in a work environment. And as the candidates will be well equipped to fit into the corporate world, the employers need not unnecessarily waste their time in imparting training to them. •
Findings Related to Hypothesis Three - Industry and education collaboration promotes quality workforce.
The results of the study described above confirm that candidates who complement their academic skills with employability skills stand a better chance of meeting the requirements of their employers. As stated in the Theory of Identity Development, the students in the age group of 17 to 24 years have to be well trained in their developmental
tasks to facilitate the smooth transition from college to vocation. Therefore a training programme which incorporates employment skills at college level has to be created to enhance a student’s success in his/her career. In the face of this challenge, Everonn Systems has taken the leadership role in conceiving a programme incorporating the different skills that are essential for a young graduate to make a smooth entry into professional life. This innovative leadership initiative will go a long way to help and guide the young adults in their career growth especially in the twenty first century. According to Chickering and Reisser (1993) the developmental tasks in the lives of college students, between initial entry in their late teens and graduation in their early twenties, follow a chart. In the first and second year, the most important developmental tasks are developing competence, managing emotions, moving from dependence through autonomy toward interdependence, and developing mature interpersonal relationships. By the last year, the dominating developmental task is establishing identity. In the years following graduation, the dominating developmental tasks are developing purpose and integrity (MacKeracher. D., 1996). The chart depicted in Table 3 is the foundation for Everonn’s training program which is divided into three modules comprising the following components: • In the first year, the module will focus on the first four developmental tasks and will have the components of basic communication skills - grammar/ listening / speaking/ reading/ writing skills; basic aptitude development - quantitative ability/ verbal ability/ logical thinking/ data interpretation; interpersonal skills – leadership /team work/ time management. The first module will help the students to enhance their interpersonal skills and develop their communication skills. February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
Graduates’ rating of the employability skills before joining a work environment
and industry professionals, workshops, videos, audios, case studies, assignments and assessments.
The result
Within the limitations of the study, the following conclusion was drawn: Education alone does not equip the students with the necessary skills to make a smooth transition to work; however, in collaboration with industry, education can train the students to gain the necessary skills to meet the requirements of the job market.
•
•
In the second year, the module will focus on establishing identify and will have the components of advanced communication skills paper presentation/ body language/ group discussion/ personal interview; basic computer skills, reporting and proposal writing; and personal assessment – to examine how likely the candidate would fit into the role which will be used as a tool for self development. By the end of the second year, the students will have very good oral, written and problem solving skills and will also be able to clearly assess their strengths and weaknesses. In the third year, the module will take care of the last two developmental tasks – developing purpose and developing integrity. The module will focus on
Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
interviews, group discussions, career guidance and counselling. This will help the students to have a broad understanding of the career options and the steps they have to take to make the right choice. Transcending time and space, Everonn provides an interactive virtual classroom effectively enabled by satellite technology. An instructor delivers the class from the studio end to the students spread across geographic locations. Satellite system facilitates the dissemination of knowledge to the rural and even the remote population. At the client end, the students can see, listen and participate in the sessions through the computer and the LCD connected to the VSAT receiver. The modules are supplemented by a blend of lectures and sessions conducted by expert faculty
Everonn believes that the modules described above will help the college students to be well equipped for a professional life through their education. The programme takes into consideration all the skills that have been found lacking in candidates, especially from the rural segment, who are seeking employment. The first two modules are through the VSAT platform and the third module is in the form of workshops wherein the students are given handson training on how to prepare for the interviewing process and to participate effectively in group discussions; and rigorous training is imparted to obtain high scores in the aptitude tests within the stipulated time. Suggestions for Further Research This study has laid the foundation for creating a training programme which would incorporate the skills needed to help the students make a successful transition from college to work. Further research needs to be undertaken to determine whether the programme has really contributed in helping students make a successful transition into the employment field. <<
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School Track
Innovating Teaching With ICT Please tell us about the curriculum and learning methodology followed in the school.
The Vidyalaya is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education and follows the syllabus prescribed by the NCERT. We follow a methodology of project based learning where students are also made to work on online collaborative basis through an educational website.
What initiatives have been taken up by KV Ambala for integrating ICT in its teaching-learning process?
Harminder Kaur Suri, primary teacher at Kendriya Vidyalaya No 1, Ambala Cantt, shares her school’s vision and how ICT has been integrated to further it.
What is your vision for quality education in Kendriya Vidayala, Ambala?
Our mission is to promote equal education irrespective of all differences and strive for all round development of each and every child in our school. Our Vidyalaya is committed to skill enhancement of students and helping them realise their dreams. Our immediate aim is to simplify the teaching–learning process in our school through technology and help the country in bridging the digital divide. We are also working towards making our school an e-KV. 40
In recent years, we have worked towards transforming our school into an ICT rich environment. The existing school infrastructure has been reoriented and revitalised using ICT. Official records like Transfer Certificate, official letters, student enrollment, payroll, etc are now managed online. The school website is also regularly updated and maintained. Project based learning is implemented as part of the curriculum in all the classes from 3 to 12. We regularly conduct training for teachers of our school as well as in the region in various aspects of ICT like Web designing, use of interactive multimedia for classroom teaching, etc. Students of our school are encouraged to participate in various ICT based online and offline contests. Our teachers and students also prepare
powerpoint presentations for their classroom interactions. We also hold online examination for students of XI and XII for Financial Marketing Scheme.
What major challenges were encountered in integrating ICT in your school?
Poor net connectivity as well as irregular power supply at times is a great hindrance. Students and most of the teachers do not have Internet enabled systems at their respective places. So, we have to visit cyber cafes on holidays or after school hours if there is some work.
How do you built teachers’ capacity in rendering technology mediated education?
The Vidyalaya provides training to all its teachers to make them techno savvy. In-house professional courses are also held for teachers to refresh their skills periodically. The school also invites agencies like Oracle, Microsoft, Intel, etc, for teacher training.
How do you plan to further integrate ICT in your school? Some of our future initiatives include to have a Wi Fi in the school, to establish a virtual collaboration with schools in various countries through an educational website, and to upload free study material on our school website. <<
Harminder Kaur Suri, has actively been involved in spreading computer literacy among KVS teachers in Chandigarh region as part of Project Think.com by Oracle. She is the national winner of the 4th Microsoft Innovative Teachers Leadership Award 2007 and one of the three winners at Regional Asia Pacific meet at Hanoi in April 2008. She also represented India at the Worldwide Innovative Teachers Forum at Hong Kong in November 2008. February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
School Track | Learning Curve NASSCOM for cyber safe schools in Pune School students in most of the metros are registered to social networking sites and indulge in chatting and other related activities that do not fit the school functionalities. Educational institutes in Pune in collaboration with NASSCOM are now in the process of setting up a cyber security support group in each school in the city. The group aims at reducing misuse of computers, especially the Internet, at educational institutes. Each school will have at least one such group, which will monitor the usage of computers by the students. It will also keep an eye on the usage of social networking sites, so that misuse of these sites can be avoided. The group aims to institute the cyber security systems in upto 25 schools till the end of February 2009.
Chhattisgarh Education department recommends banning of corporal punishment
Courtesy: tofunotes.blogspot.com
Chhattisgarh School Education department has decided to recommend enactment of a law banning corporal punishment in schools. ‘We have decided to recommend to the state government to bring a law banning corporal punishment. This is being done keeping in view the increasing number of incidents of
Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
physical torture of school kids in the state,’ Secretary, School Education Nand Kumar said. The Education Secretary said a two-day workshop was organis ed to deliberate on the issue at the State Council for Education Research and Training (SCERT) where a majority of the experts held the view that a law should be there to check corporal punishment. Section 88 and 89 of IPC gives protection to teachers and parents on corporal punishment and these provisions are now being misused, he said.
that more than 50 % of India’s citizens will live in the country’s largest cities. Th i s y e a r ’s challenge centered on Indian Railway’s plans to refurbish the country’s aging railway stations into world-class facilities. Student teams submitted conceptual designs for the rehabilitation of the New Delhi railway station, the first of 22 stations on the redevelopment schedule.
Top Delhi school faces de-recognition from MCD
Manava Bharati India International School, Panchsheel Wins 2008-2009 Future Cities India 2020 Student Design Competition The project designed by students of Manava Bharati India International School, Panchsheel won top honours in the 2008-2009 Future Cities India 2020 competition. Launched by the Ministry of Science & Technology and Bentley in 2006, the programme is a partnership among government, universities, and the business community to promote and inspire young students to consider careers in the infrastructure design and engineering professions. It encourages students to use their design s k i l l s, a l o n g w i t h Bentley’s software, to help prepare India’s cities for the year 2020, when it is estimated
According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Sriram School, Delhi has increased its quarterly fees by nearly 30% in a bid to collect money for clearing their teachers’ arrears. Sriram school has sent notices to parents asking them to submit around INR 23,000 in three installments towards clearing ‘arrears’ of teachers. The installments are due in January, March and May. With teachers dues mounting post the Sixth Pay Commission report, and delay in the final recommendations of the Bansal Committee report, schools are turning to parents. In case Shriram goes ahead with this fee hike, it could face de-recognition of status by the Municipal Corporation of India. The junior wing of the school, situated in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar area comes under the purview of the MCD. <<
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Higher Education Growing Up With An Unique Model
Education, Research, And Industry Interaction Prof S Sadagopan, Director, International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Bangalore, shares his insight on the unique model of industry - academia interaction at IIIT and how such an interaction can help confront some of the issues challenging higher education in our country.
Please tell us about the vision behind setting up of IIIT Bangalore. How far has the institute succeeded in achieving this vision? The IIIT-B was established in 1999 with a vision to contribute to the IT world by focusing on education and research, entrepreneurship and innovation. With its unique model of education, research, and industry interaction, IIIT-B has grown to become an institution of considerable repute in academic as well as corporate circles. Within a span of nine years, the institute has established a name for itself. This is demonstrated by the fact that IIIT-B has been conferred the status of a Deemed University by the University Grants Commission. It has been recognised as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) by the Government of India and is also the Principal Agency executing the INR 3 crore project on Telematics Demonstration as part of CAR (Core Committee on Automotive Research). The institute bagged Karnatakaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best IT Export Award 2007 for its innovative employment programme for uplift of socio-economic weaker sections.
What are the challenges confronting Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s higher education system today? How can Information and Communication Technologies help overcome these challenges? Our higher education system faces the problem of both quantity and quality. On one hand, we have high quality institutes like IITs, IIITs, NIT, etc, producing very large number of students and on the other hand many institutions of varying quality producing considerable number of students. Premier institutes need to 42
February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
increase quantity; run-of-the-mill institutes should improve quality. We need both if we are to keep our higher education system on the global map. The role of ICT becomes important in such a scenario. Successful integration of ICTs leads to improved delivery, processes and quality control so that teachers can become more effective.
What initiatives have been taken by your institute for integrating ICT in its framework? Connectivity in the campus is established at two levels. First, the local intranet implements a ‘virtual classroom’, where all the visual material, such as presentation slides used by professors in class, are made available electronically to students. All assignments and projects are announced and submitted online. The intranet also enables knowledge sharing among students. At the second level, 24x7 Internet access is available throughout campus, in both wired and wireless modes. IIIT-B was one of the first institutions in India to have an active wireless LAN. All the classrooms are ‘smart’, with high-speed data networks and large projection systems for audio and video. Video conferencing capabilities are built in using state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment. They include electronic smart boards, locationsensing microphones, and multiple LCD projectors, thus enabling an enriching learning experience. All students have a Wi-Fi enabled laptop for their exclusive use and we also have a Digital Library.
Do you think a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model will help in effective integration of technology in higher education? For effective integration of technology in higher education, all models whether Private, Public or PPP - will work. What we need is the vision to execute it. Thanks to the uniqueness of IIIT-B vis-a-vis its location at the Electronics Digital Learning | Vol 5 Issue 2 February 2009
have also endowed scholarships to support students.
Our higher education system faces the problem of both quantity and quality. Premier institutes need to increase quantity; runof-the-mill institutes should improve quality. We need both if we are to keep our higher education system on the global map
City, involvement of Indian IT industry and the PPP model of IIIT-B, the Institute has a large set of linkages with industry in general and the IT industry in particular. The linkages come in the form of Chair Professorships like the ones by Daimler Chrysler in Automotive IT, ICICI, HP, and Canara Bank. Labs have also been funded by Industry over the years at the institute, for example, Siemens Vision Lab, Honeywell Automation Lab, Intel Planet and Community PC Lab, and HP IMS Lab. Texas Instruments has named IIIT-B as one of the elite institutes enlisted in their University Program. Companies like GE, HP, Huawei Technologies, Bank of India, Infosys, Siemens, Intel, Motorola, etc,
What do you think of the current employability quotient among graduates? In what ways can it be enhanced? The current employment quotient among graduates is low. As a measure to enhance it, we simply need to enhance the quality of teachers and provide them with better remuneration, to scale their level of commitment and engagement. While there is much talk about the challenge of employability, what is lacking is a structured institutional initiative. Our institute has tied up with Radix Learning, for a professional certification programme ‘Yogyata’ aiming to enhance employability for the IT sector. Yogyata is offered as a blended-learning programme including classroom lectures, web-based, multimedia-enabled, self-learning courseware, Actionable Learning modules, synchronous and asynchronous online mentoring and collaborative learning. The curriculum is based on inputs from leading IT companies.
Do you think India’s higher education system can be compared to the best in the world, especially the UK and US? If not, what are the reasons responsible for it? Every child knows our system is far inferior compared to the US or UK; premier Institutes happen in spite of (not because) of nurturing. Institutions must be nurtured. Universities, particularly State universities, have too much political intervention. Often caste/groups play havoc; merit is pushed to the backside. Governance of Universities must improve; educationists and not politicians must control education. <<
Prof Sadagopan is a doctorate from Purdue University, USA. He taught at IIT Kanpur from 1979 to 1995 and at IIM Bangalore from 1995 to 1999. He had also taught for a term at Rutgers University, New Jersey, IIT Madras and AIT Bangkok. He is a member of Karnataka IT Vision Group, Karnataka Knowledge Commission, National Vocation Mission and also serves on the board of several PSUs. 43
News | World Core Projects acquire Princeton Review K-12 division
CORE Projects, an education management s y s t e m s company in the US, has acquired the K-12 division of Princeton Review for US$ 20 million. The acquisition is expected to be funded out of debt being raised by CECS and will add approximately US$ 24 million to CORE global revenues. The acquisition will be completed through its wholly owned subsidiary CORE Education & Consulting Solutions Inc, USA (CECS). The Princeton Review, a leading provider of test preparation and educational support services announced in November that it planned to divest the K-12 services business because it is not directly aligned with its college and graduate school admissions test preparations and supplemental education opportunities. Shares of Core Projects and Technologies were up 5% after it announced the acquisition.
UNESCO-King Hamad ICT Awards ceremony in Paris
Under His Majesty’s p a t r o n a g e, t h e UNESCO-King Hamad Award for the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in education, were presented at a glittering ceremony at the world body’s headquarters in Paris on January 14, 2009. Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi attended the ceremony on behalf of the King. UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura praised the Royal initiative and hailed Bahrain’s efforts to upgrade education in line with the Millennium Development Goals. The Shanghai TV University won the first place for building a digital lifelong learning system in Shanghai. Dr Hoda Baraka, of the Egyptian Communications and IT Ministry, received the award for her leadership in the implementation of several educational projects. Honourable mentions were given to the Schools Online Curriculum Services of Western Australia’s department of education
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and training and the ‘one laptop per child programme’ of the Education Ministry of Peru.
Czechs look to private sector to fund education
Current EU presidency holder the Czech Republic wants to establish a ‘strategic framework’ for European cooperation on education and training issues to help boost the Union’s competitiveness, sustainable growth and employment strategies, according to the country’s Education minister, Ondrej Liska. Keeping in mind the recession and stretching of ‘national resources’ by the ongoing hardship, Liska said ‘the presidency will need to seek new and diversified funding sources,’ particularly by looking to the private sector. Further cooperation on education will be achieved by promoting partnerships between educational institutions and business, the minister said. He stressed that his government wants to improve both the quality of and access to universities, particularly in the context of the Bologna process to establish a European Area of Higher Education by 2010. Greek Socialist Katerina Batzeli, who chairs the European Parliament’s culture committee, said the economic crisis had highlighted the need for ‘good education systems’.
New Mexico State UniversityCarlsbad offers new courses
New Mexico State University-Carlsbad is set to launch three new associate degree programmes in science, technology, engineering and math. The degrees are designed for an easier transition into New Mexico four-year universities and into local employment, said Rhonda Austin, director of the Title V programme at NMSUC. ‘With these degrees, people will be able to seamlessly move to a four year degree school so they can finish their bachelors,’ Austin said. The new degree programmes are made available by a two-year US$1.6 million grant awarded in October 2008 to help develop STEM programmes. The launch ceremony
will also include a preview of Project Lead the Way, a programme designed to allow high school students to dual-enroll in college pre-engineering courses.
Rwanda releases draft ICT policy on education
Rawanda’s Ministry of Education has released the first draft of the Information and Communication Technology policy that will govern the use of ICT in the country’s education sector. The draft was developed with assistance from the Jordanian Education Initiative (JEI) and was funded by the Global Education Alliance (GEA). ‘The major aim for this draft is to guide ICT implementation in the education sector which will be promoted in schools from primary level up to institutions of higher learning,’ said Claver Yisa, the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education. The draft whose design was launched last November outlines the ministry’s ICT strategy from 2008-2020.
HMIE out with report on Scottish education
A major review of education in Scotland has praised the quality of early years provision while highlighting a number of areas for improvement. The report, published by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education, is an analysis of education in Scotland over the past three years, across all the sectors the HMIE covers. The pre-school sector won praise from the report’s authors for delivering a consistently good and enjoyable curriculum and for providing welcoming and inclusive learning environments. They say there is an improved emphasis on the use of ICT to support learning. However, the report says that the quality of provision in the partnership private and voluntary centres is generally worse than that by the local authority sector. Although leadership in the pre-school sector had improved overall since 2005, it says more needs to be done to ensure that all centres have well qualified leaders who provide highquality guidance. << February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
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Announcement 5th
India's Largest ICT Event
Mark Your Calendar February 2009 Third Annual Educational Technology Research Symposium 3 February 2009 Austin, Texas, United States www.tcea.org/convention/Symposium/Pages/default.aspx
ICT in Education Victoria 2009 Conference 30 March 2009 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia http://www.gkpnet.org/events/calendaritem/publicView. do?calendaritemid=40710
National Conference for Academic Disciplines 16 - 19 February 2009 Orlando, Florida, United States
First International Conference on e-Learning and Distance Learning 16 - 18 March 2009 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
www.internationaljournal.org/orlandoconference.html
http://www.eli.elc.edu.sa/en/index.php
The International Society for the Social Studies Annual Conference 26 - 27 February 2009 Orlando, FL, United States
2009 International Conference on Future Computer and Communication (ICFCC 2009) 3 - 5 April 2009 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
www.theisss.org/
http://www.icfcc.org/
Faculty Development in Blended/Online Learning 2 - 4 March 2009 Denver, Colorado, United States
2009 International Conference on Information Management and Engineering (ICIME 2009) 3 - 5 April 2009 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
https://www.academicimpressions.com/conferences/0309faculty-development.php
http://www.icime.org/index.htm
SITE 2009 - Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education International Conference 2 - 6 March 2009 Charleston, South Carolina, United States http://site.aace.org/conf/
Global Education Forum 10 - 12 March 2009 Dubai, United Arab Emirates www.gulfeducation.info/gef/global_education_forum.html
The 5th eLSE (eLearning and Software for Education) 2009 9 - 10 April 2009 Bucharest, Romania http://adl.unap.ro/else2009/
2009 International Conference on Education Technology and Computer (ICETC 2009) 17 - 20 April 2009 Jurong East, Singapore http://www.icetc.org/
eConcordia Summit 2009 12 March 2009 Montreal, QC, Canada
Interactive Mobile and Computer Aided Learning, IMCL2009 22 - 24 April 2009 Amman, Jordan
http://www.econcordia.com/summit2009/index.html
http://www.imcl-conference.org/
August, New Delhi, India Fifth annual eIndia 2009, the largest event in India on Information and Communication Technologies, will be held on 4-6th August at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida. This threeday international conference and exhibition is a unique platform for knowledge sharing in different domains of ICT for development and facilitates multi-stakeholder partnerships and networking among governments, industry, academia and civil society organisations of various countries, including India. The objective is to bring together ICT experts, practitioners, business leaders and stakeholders of the region onto one platform, through keynote addresses, paper presentations, thematic workshops and exhibitions. eINDIA 2009, through its four seminal conferences, will focus on four emerging application domains of ICT for Development: e-Governance, Education, Rural Development, and Health services. The four tracks of eINDIA are: • eGov India • Digital Learning India • eHealth India • Indian Telecentre Forum
Call For Papers eINDIA 2009 seeks abstracts/ proposal(s) for speakers who illustrate innovation in using information and communication technologies for development, by 15 April 2009. Abstract Submission: 15th April 2009 Notification of Acceptance of Abstract: 15th May 2009 Full Paper Submission: 30th June 2009 Submit your abstracts/proposals at papers@ eINDIA.net.in
Exhibition eINDIA 2009 will also host an exhibition featuring the best in cutting edge technology across India and beyond. The list of exhibitors will be made available online and will be updated regularly in the run up to the event in August. For more details on the event, log on to www.eINDIA.net.in
Enlist Your Event Here. Write to info@digitalLEARNING.in 46
February 2009 | www.digitalLearning.in
RNI No. UPENG/2008/25311 UP/GBD - 70/2009 - 20011