Celebrating Spirit of ICT and Learning : September 2009 Issue

the Monthly publication on ict and education

digitalLEARNING INDIA

Volume 5 issue 9

issn 0973-4139

Rs. 75

Celebrating Spirit of ICT and Learning

september 2009

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Contents

34 14 38

POLICY MATTERS

8 Smt. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State, Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, gOVERNMENT OF iNDIA

corporate diary

Leaders speak

Manish Sharma, Vice President, Asia Pacific, NComputing

Tarun Jain, Country Head, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pvt Ltd., Singapore

Dinesh Mehta, Founder - Chairman, Top Chalks, India

Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Hyderabad Region

Jaemes Shanley, Director of Sales Asia Pacific, Latin America, New York, Mimio

The Motivational Speakers

eindia 2009 awards

Atul Kulshrestha, Chairman Extramarks.com Education Private Limited

Muralidhar K S, LearnSmart India Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad

case study

Answering the Learning Needs of New Age Education

The Reality That is India

Bringing Classroom Sessions Alive

HCL Ties-Up with Delhi University for providing ICT Training to Students

Learning Made Easy Through Virtual Instructors

Mark Your Calendar

10 Subhash C Khuntia, Joint Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

SCHOOL TRACK

14 V Nageswararao, Deputy

24 Nominations for ict Enabled School of the Year

26 Nominations for Ict Enabled University of the Year

29 Nominations for Government Policy/ Initiative of the Year

32 Nominations for Civil Society/Development Agency initiative of the year

www.digitalLEARNING.in

editorial

Celebrating the Change!

Celebrating the Spirit of ICT and Learning

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Change is the only constant.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Advisory Board Prof. Asha Kanwar, Vice President, Commonwealth of Learning Dr. Jyrki Pulkkinen, CEO, Global eSchools and and Communities Initiative (GeSCI) Shri Subhash C Khuntia, Joint Secretary, Department School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India Prof. V N Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice Chancellor, Indira GandhiI National Open University (IGNOU)

President Dr. M P Narayanan Editor-in-Chief Dr. Ravi Gupta Associate Editor Manjushree Reddy Research Analyst Dr. Rajeshree Dutta Kumar Research Associate Sheena Joseph Research Assistant Yukti Pahwa Dy. General Manager - Marketing Siddharth Verma +91-9811561645 siddharth@digitallearning.in

Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher

Change is not only something we must accept, but it is actually something to celebrate. eINDIA 2009, has for the fifth time come together to celebrate and typify the valuable and poignant role of Information, Communication and Technology in education. Education has for long remained the single point agenda for policy and decision makers to deliberate and discuss upon, the primary objective being to improve the standard and value of education for the student community, the populous who will form the future citizenry of India. Gender parity, arresting the drop-out rates, dealing with teacher absenteeism and bridging the digital divide are a few of the concerns which have been given due priority. Dear Readers! You would agree today that Research and Education are at the centre of economic and social development and are prerequisites to technological development. In return, the mastery of ICTs could contribute to the improvement of the quality of education. From that moment, integrating ICTs to education becomes a privileged means likely to encourage the emergence of a high level technological socio-economic sector. Keeping the issues in view, the Digital Learning track at eINDIA 2009 seeks to bring to you some of the key speakers in the conference, who have been able to highlight issues such as equipment, software and connectivity, while they underlie the low-level of techno- pedagogic skills of teachers, the absence of an appropriate introductory strategy of ICTs in educational institutions, as well as the absence or paradoxical nature of policies. The chosen leaders represent the best minds in their field knowledge and their contribution would provide for an invigorating and learning experience for all. The cross-country sharing of experiences and regional specificities has always ensured that new and possible collaborations are discussed and forged. With the eINDIA 2009 Award nomination coverage, every reader will find, according to their interest, information that is likely to generate after thoughts, inspire actions, bring into focus the policy and the management provisions. As the patrons, we at Digital Learning, take this privilege to recognise and honour the good practices and initiatives of excellence and present those before you! At eINDIA 2009 we celebrate CHANGE, the change brought about in the community, schools, colleges and grassroots, through the application of ICTs; the change that will fuel the process further and usher in an era of digitally integrated and inclusive society for all. Come join in the euphoria!

Sr. Executive - Business Development Rudra Ghosh +91-9810603696 rudra@digitallearning.in Sales Executives Ankur Agarwal +91-9313998750 ankur@digitallearning.in Subscription & Circulation Lipika Dutta +91-9871481708

Dr. Ravi Gupta Editor-in-Chief Ravi.Gupta@digitalLEARNING.in

Manoj Kumar +91-9971404484 Sr Graphic Designer Bishwajeet Kumar Singh Graphic Designer Om Prakash Thakur 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 (CSDMS). 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, Sector - 50, Noida, UP Editor: Ravi Gupta

digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

Join Us at Asia's Premier ICT Event 2 - 4 December 2009 Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka

Organisers

Host Organisation

knowledge for change

www.e-asia.org

policy matters

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dialogue and Deliberations Aid Government Decisionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; www.education.nic.in

Smt. D. Purandeswari Minister of State, Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, gOVERNMENT OF iNDIA

Smt. D Purandeswari, Minister of State, Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, believes that reforms in the education sector, being an ongoing process, should respond to the needs and requirements of any country. She shares with digitalLEARNING her experience of serving a second term in the Department of Higher Education, her mission, and policy objectives.

www.digitalLEARNING.in

The major challenge that we have is the low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education. As compared to the developed countries, our GER restricted to only 11% to12%.Whereas in the developed countries it is 16%, with International average standard of 23%. Even if we plan to increase our GER to 20%, we know we can not achieve it overnight. Therefore, we have set a target goal of 15% GER, which we plan to achieve by the end of the XIth Five Year Plan in 2012.

Please share with our readers your immediate reaction of coming to the same Department in a repeat term? It is definitely a wonderful feeling to come back to the same Department again. I have been with this Department for the last two and half years. I am well versed with the issues and challenges of the education sector and the continuity would only enhance my domain knowledge of the same. After I was inducted, I met Shrimati Sonia Gandhi and she opined that I should retain the education portfolio because of my long standing association and engagement with issues relating to education. This is one ministry where the reforms/ programmes that are implemented require continuity and stability. Is there any mission unaccomplished from your earlier tenure or do you have a fresh agenda to start with? Reforms in the education sector is an ongoing process. We come up with answers, as the challenges and issues arise. We want to bring reforms in our education system in such a way that it responds to the needs and requirements of our nation. What are the major challenges of Higher education system in our country? Our education system must be responsive to the needs of our nation. The major challenge that we have is the low Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher Education. As compared to the developed countries, our GER restricted to only 11% to12%.Whereas in the developed countries it is 16%, with International average standard of 23%. Even if we plan to increase our GER to 20%, we know we can not achieve it overnight. Therefore, we have set a target goal of 15% GER, which we plan to achieve by the end of the XIth Five Year Plan in 2012. Our strategy is to address the following questions: a) How do we intergrate the productive utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education; b) How do we move forward with

adult education; c) How do we improve the literacy rate of women; d) How do we bring more girls into our education system; e) How do we address the issues of SC, STs, minorities and tribals? Our department has been seriously mulling over the strategies to work on these crucial issues.

different regulatory bodies and rope in more coordination, we felt the need to have the Higher Education Council. As we progress today, and Shri Kapil Sibal (Minister, HRD) also feels that, we need a Higher Education Council where all of the regulatory bodies could be brought under one umbrella.

What according to you is the role of ICTs in enhancing and scaling up the education system? What are the e-education strategies that your ministry proposes? ICT is one of the major components to improve the GER and reduce marginalisation of education and students. We are looking at connecting 20,000 institutions through ICTs. We are also looking at inter-connectivity between 10,000 departments. Edusat has already been working in this field and the current need is to strengthen Edusat.

What are the plans of your Ministry for bridging the gender disparity and encouraging women as far as Higher Education is concerned? There are many programmes and schemes proposed by the Government to address this specific sphere of concern. There are various facilitating programmes introduced and initiated by UGC and AICTE to support women’s education. For a single girl child, there is a fee waiver at higher education. There are special scholarships for girl children. AICTE has relaxed the norms for establishing engineering colleges for women. In order to set up an engineering college, one requires five acres of land, but for a girls engineering institution, the norm is only 2.5 acres of land. At the same time, UGC is providing for exclusive Girls hostel to encourage girls from rural areas to pursue higher studies. Thanks to this, the literacy rate of women, which was meager earlier, is now 54%.

What are the possible reasons for having a Higher Education Council in place? There is an urgent need to have a Higher Education Council where all the regulatory bodies can be brought under one umbrella. The AICTE was constituted with this intention. However the overlapping responsibilities of AICTE with other regulatory bodies like Medical Council of India (MCI) and UGC had resulted in duplication and unnecessary hurdles. To usher in synergies between

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) should not encourage ‘profiteering’; rather it should promote accessible and quality education for all.

How do you see the engagement of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the education sector? We all know very well and acknowledge that Private sectors have supplemented the efforts of the government in education; otherwise there would not have been such a proliferation of the technical education institutions. We appeal to them that ‘Profiteering’ can not be the motive of PPP. The motive is to give quality education and making education accessible to all. The National Policy on Education and the all the Supreme Court judgments have clearly stated that education is not for profiteering and one cannot come with business motive. \\ digital LEARNING

september 2009

policy matters

Universalising Education Through ICT: Plan, Practices and Policy www.education.nic.in

Subhash C Khuntia Joint Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

Shri Subhash C Khuntia, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, shares with digital Learning, in an exclusive interview, his vision on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) practices in school education, the role of innovation in schools and his departmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to present a policy framework on ICT in school education.

www.digitalLEARNING.in

The Eleventh Five Year Plan has raised allocation to the education sector in a very big way. This sector now constitutes almost one fifth of the Plan size with an allocation of Rs 6000 crore for the use of ICT in schools.

This year, in 2009, it would be 25 years post initiation of computers in Indian schools. This is an occasion that we should celebrate. How do you assess CLASS - as a success or a failure! Is it contributing to the present day demands in terms of new ICT initiatives, vision, etc? CLASS was one of the earliest attempts in the country to use ICT for education and was limited in its scope and scale. Every new attempt takes time to sink into the collective psyche and prepares the population for bigger things. Considering these aspects, I would not call it either a failure or a grand success. It was project that has ushered in the concept that ICT can be used to improve the quality of education. How do you support the adoption of the principles like enhanced learning, engaging all stakeholders, making effective use of resources through policies? Do you see a continued emphasis on school planning in lines of the above issues? The Internet and the availability of massive amount of information on various topics has resulted in participative learning, collaborative development of learning resources and anytime-anywhere learning. Thus there is a paradigm change occurring in the concept of teaching and learning. From deliverers of education, teachers are transforming to facilitators in learning by students. Use of ICT will further focus on concepts like enhanced and continuous learning through optimal use of resources. Future schools need to be planned to take advantage of this through adoption of appropriate and sound policies. What has been the trend of investment in school education? What are the special efforts made in judicious utilisation of the budget in different ICT programmes and initiatives? The public investment in education in India has been of the order of 3.5 to 4.0 per cent of GDP in the last several years. This is not considered adequate, and our

aim is to raise it to 6.0 per cent in the next few years. The school education will then absorb 4.5 to 5.0 per cent of GDP, which would enable giving a boost to the aspects of expansion, excellence and inclusion. The Eleventh Five Year Plan has raised allocation to the education sector in a very big way. This sector now constitutes almost one fifth of the Plan size, whereas the proportion was less than one tenth in the Tenth Plan. This is timely as the world over, there is an acute need for skilled manpower, and the demographic advantage that our country enjoys can be harnessed if human capital is developed through education. During the Eleventh Plan, there is an allocation of Rs 6000 crore for use of ICT in schools whereas the outlay during the Tenth Plan was only Rs 800 crore. During this plan, the utilisation of budget provision has been almost total and sanctions have so far been given for coverage of more than 50,000 schools. We plan to cover almost all Government and Government aided secondary and higher secondary schools in the country during the Eleventh Plan. The twin objectives are computer education and computer-aided education, i.e., to provide computer education to all high school students and to make all high school teachers to teach their respective subjects using ICT. A policy on ICT in school education is long overdue. With the new government speeding up the reform process, and also under your able leadership (that has helped initiating the policy dialogue in the recent past) are we expecting to see the policy framework/document in place? The new Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal has already announced preparation of a draft National Policy of ICT in School Education as one of the action points for the first 100 days of Government. The draft has already been prepared through a collaborative process and is already available on the Ministryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. The draft will be further improved through consultation with various stakeholders and thereafter finalised.

Do you have any advice for the states that would want to blueprint new architecture of school education with innovation? The States need to transform the architecture of school education to make use of the tremendous power of ICT in improving the standard of education and in enhancing access and equity. The States also need to be flexible in their approach in the face of rapid technological change that is taking place. Therefore, innovation has to be the buzz word in educational reform.

The new Minister of Human Resource Development, Shri Kapil Sibal has already announced preparation of a draft National Policy of ICT in School Education as one of the action points for the first 100 days of Government.

What do you hope to accomplish in your current role in the Ministry for school education? The overriding concern is not only to universalise elementary education, but to push the vision further to be in a position to universalise education up to secondary level (class 10, age 16) by 2017, i.e. end of the Twelfth Five Year Plan. This would involve not only access, but quality with equity. Improvement of quality is quite important as that will reduce drop out rate and prepare many more for higher education or for work place where skill is essential. Only then can we build a more just and equitable society, where the citizens can take advantage of their knowledge and skill so that the country can reduce poverty, improve the standard of living and take its rightful place in the comity of nations. \\ digital LEARNING

september 2009

school track

ICT Integration at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas www.navodayahyd.gov.in

Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are residential schools intended to provide modern quality education to the rural children in the country. V Nageswararao, Deputy Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), discusses the trends and future prospects of JNV schools in the field of technology integration.

V Nageswara rao Deputy Commissioner, Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Hyderabad Region

What is your vision for the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) in the digital age? JNVs aim to break the digital divide between the rural and the urban India by providing high quality learning environment using technology as a tool. JNVs envision providing opportunity for the parents to access the performance of the children on NET. We wish to see that JNVs extend helping hand to the local school systems in the vicinity of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas as pace setting Institutions. What is the strategy devised for successful deployment of ICTs in JNVs? What are the specific technologies used in your region? Turnkey model introduced in 1991 gave us the freedom to implement the ICT in an effective manner at the first instance. In the phase, we have adopted number of initiatives including intensive training for the principals who are the main implementors of the programmes in schools; procurement of VSAT connectivity; connecting all the JNVs through Broadband or dialup connections; many of our schools are being covered under Esusat programmes; all JNVs have 14

www.digitalLEARNING.in

been provided with 2 laptops to facilitate the teachers to carry interactions in the class; ever JNV has atleast one DLP projector; every JNV has atleast one Smart Class with one big TV connected to the computer and the Internet; correspondences with JNVs are done on email; web enabled radio is also being implemented in JNVs; and every JNV has a defined curriculum and textual material for ICT introduction prepared by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Samitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a well qualified teacher and regular programmes. What are the initiatives undertaken by NVS, Hyderabad for capacity building? All the principals and the teachers have been trained in ICT utilities. Many teachers have been trained in ICT application in association with Intel, Microsoft, Oracle and IIIT Hyderabad. These training programmes range from ICT introduction to preparation of digital content. More tan 100 teachers have been able to create their own digital content. What are the partnership areas where NVS has taken support from the industry players? As stated earlier, NVS has associated with Intel and Microsoft since 1997. With the help of Edcil, NVS also had brief association with NIIT, ICS, CMC (Erstwhile), Vintech, Aban and many other educational software solution companies. Besides, NVS is in constant partnership with Ernet India, Oracle, Microsoft and Intel in training the teachers and updating their skills in ICT adaptation. Many of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas have received national awards introduced by Ministry of IT

since 2004. Most of our Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas are conducting training for the teachers of neighbourhood schools and also the government officials. What are the key areas of concern in the process of ICT integration and how have you overcome those? The key areas of concern comprise of training provisions for the teachers and the principals with regards to extensive use of ICT in classrooms; and non availability of software, which we are now addressing by linking with big corporates like Microsoft and using freely available softwares. How are ICT facilities in schools being shared for community benefits? The facilities available in JNVs are being extended to other government residential school institutions such as Social Welfare and Tribal Welfare schools. There is sharing of information through subject-wise blogs developed by JNVs. Furthermore, students of teacher training colleges and teachers of the neighbouring schools keep visiting JNVs and get exposed to the facilities and practices. What are your plans for going to the next stage? We plan to involve the teachers for collaborating with the best institutes in the world through projects; develop multimedia tools, prepared by the teachers, that are customised; link all the classroom interactions through eLearning modules; and to train all the teachers and principals to adopt technology as a way of life. \\

www.eINDIA.net.in

AWARDS

JURY

M P Narayanan President CSDMS

Dr Ashok Kumar DDG & Director Central Bureau of Health Intelligence Ministry of Health & FW, Government of India

Ashish Sanyal Senior Director Dept. of IT, Ministry of Communications and IT Government of India

Ashish Garg Asia Regional Coordinator GeSCI (Global e-Schools Initiative)

Dr Basheer Ahmad Shadrach Senior Programme Officer Telecentre.org International Development Research Centre

Dr Gopi Ghosh Assistant FAO Representative India

Madhuri Parti HeadLearn India

Prakash Kumar Director Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG) Cisco Systems India

Ravi Gupta Executive Director CSDMS

Rajen Varada Resource Person & Moderator ICTD communityUN Solution Exchange

Shashank Ojha Senior e-Government Specialist e-Government Practice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ISG Global ICT Department, The World Bank

S N Goswami MD and CEO Media Lab Asia

Dr V Balaji Global Leader Knowledge Management & Sharing ICRISAT, Patancheru, Hyderabad

Prof V N Rajasekharan Pillai Vice Chancellor Indira Gandhi National Open University

Sajan Venniyoor Country Representative (India) Deutsche Welle

speakers

The Motivational

Speakers

Smt D Purundeshwari

Minister of State for Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India

..providing the impetus and drive to launch ICT campaigns, new initiatives, successful mergers, and leadership programmes...

Abraham Tharakan General Manager K-12 Business Unit, NIIT

Prof A K Bakhshi

Director Institute of Life Long Learning University of Delhi

Dr duk-hoon kwak

CEO, S Chand & Company

Charles clarke

Member of Parliament, Norwich South

President Korea Education and Research Information Service

g narendra kumar

Dr John Collick

Dr k c reddy

Senior International Education Manager, Promethean

Amit Gupta

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Secretary Department of Higher and Technical Education, Government of Delhi

Chairman Council of Higher Education, Government of Andhra Pradesh

Capt K J S Brar

L Balasubramanian

Madhuri Parti

manish bhardwaj

Manish sharma

Meena Ganesh

CEO Designmate

Head, Learn India

Vice President Asia Pacific, NComputing

Satish Jha

Director Census Operations, Gujarat.

CEO Edurite Technologies

President and CEO One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), India

Dr. Shailaja

Shakila Shamsu

Shambhu Singh

Joint Advisor (Education), Planning Commission Government of India

Senior Consultant Information Technology Consulting Division, NIIT, Delhi

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Head Schools Division, Everonn

Secretary and Commissioner Government of Manipur

sharada prasad Director General Employment and Training

Stephen Jury

Vice Chairman â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Education Strategy Promethean

suresh chanda

Secretary Department of School Education Government of Andhra Pradesh

Terry wason Area Manager - CEE Russia & India SMART Technologies

Vikram Desai

Group Head, DECU Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Srikanth B. Iyer

Co-founder and COO Edurite Technologies (founded in 2000).

Subhash C Khuntia

Joint Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India

Dr. Tapan K Panda

Pesident Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Everonn

Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai

Vice-Chancellor Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi India

Will Glennon

President Global Classroom Connection

Your Say

ICT for Development

awards ...honouring excellence, reflecting the tremendous success, and expanding the mission of ICts towards development...

I would like to wish â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;digital Learningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a leading magazine on ICT and education a great future. I am also happy to know that the publishers of digital LEARNING magazine are organising the eINDIA 2009 on 25-27 August 2009, HICC, Hyderabad, India. I congratulate the organisers on this endeavour. I am pleased to know that my Ministry is actively participating and supporting this pathbreaking event. I wish this event a great success. We have always encouraged a dialogue and Education is not a sector where unilateral decision is taken. Any decision taken will affect millions of children. Constant dialogue, deliberation, consultation and exchange of opinions in seminars and conferences like this highlight the crucial issues and also give direction to the Government to address the issues.

Smt. D Purandeswari Minister of State, Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India

Conferences like eINDIA2009 have the potential to create awareness about the stupendous possibilities that e-governance harbours within itself for overall improvement to the life of the people in all walks of life and especially in the context of governmental activities. These are fora for dissemination of new ideas, display of new products, and interaction with idea generators and implementers. These conferences are also great examples of public private partnerships. I expect this event to be a trail blazer as have been its earlier versions. Subhash C. Khuntia Joint Secretary Ministry of Human Resource Development Government of India

digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

eINDIA 2009 awardS

Nominations for ict Enabled School of the Year The use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) in schools have helped establish an enabling learning environment through the enrichment of existing curriculum and pedagogy which is better matched to the needs and interests of individual learners in the modern world. eINDIA 2009 welcomes and presents nominations of various schools, vouched for effective and efficient utilisation of ICTs in the field of education. iSchool Programme

•

The iSchool project has been adopted by several schools for virtual education. The iSchool programme has made the conventional mode of education more interesting by making it interactive, lively and joyful. It has armed the teachers with the power to help students grasp complex and hard concepts with absolute ease and thereby increasing their higher order thinking skills. iSchool has offered digitised, curriculum based content supported with animations for better understanding of the subjects as it is completely mapped to the syllabus. Most importantly, there has been zero maintenance cost as Everonn offers free maintenance of infrastructure, full technical support, and special interactive sessions addressed through VSAT platform and complete teacher’s training program on the usage of technology.

• • •

Implementing Schools • Chavara Vidhya Bhavan, Madhya Pradesh • Ramakrishna Vidyamandir, Madhya Pradesh • Innovative Public School, Madhya Pradesh • Indu IT School, Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra ICT@School Project Under the Maharashtra ICT@School project, separate Computer labs have been furnished in schools, equipped with Computers (High End), Projectors, Dot Matrix Printers, Multi 24

www.digitalLEARNING.in

• • • • Functioning Devices(Copy, Scan, Print, FAX), and Online 3KVA UPS. Quality training to the faculty, in computer technology, has been provided by NIIT Limited. Courseware for Class VII-Class XII has also been provided by NIIT in Marathi/English Languages. Implementing Schools • Zilla Parishad High School, Nanded, Maharashtra • Sarjudevi B Bharuka Arya Kanya Vidyalaya, Maharashtra • Shri Grishaneshwar Vidhyalaya, Maharashtra • Siddheshwar Vidyalaya, Maharashtra • ZP High School, Osmanabad, Maharashtra • Sade High School, Maharashtra • Torna Vidhyalay, Maharashtra • Khodala Vibhag High School, Maharashtra • Shri Shivaji Veer Baji Pasalkar High School, Maharashtra • V. K. Lakhani High School (Madhyamik Vidyalaya), Maharashtra • Jeevan Vikas Prashala, Maharashtra • ZP High School, Paranda, Maharashtra • Vivekananad High School, Maharashtra

• •

Maharashtra Secondary & Higher Secondary School, Maharashtra Shri Navnath Vidyalaya, Maharashtra ZP High School (Kanya), Maharashtra Dattajirao Mohite Patil Secondary School, Maharashtra ZP High School (Boys), Maharashtra Jath High School & Junior College of Arts, Maharashtra ZP High School, Nanded, Maharashtra Raje Vijaysingh Daphale High School & Junior College, Maharashtra Nandadevi Vidyalaya, Maharashtra Shri Shivaji Vidyalaya, Maharashtra

NIIT @ Schools Project Many schools in Andhra Pradesh have implemented the NIIT@Schools Project under which several computer systems have been installed in the respective computer labs. NIIT has provided printers and other accessories for the lab including CD kits, floppies, network CDs, and antivirus softwares. The schools have promoted computer literacy through regular Computer Science lessons and instructions. MS Word, Powerpoint and Paint are a few of the lessons that are being taught .The Internet is used as an additional source of information by the teachers to make lesson plans more relevant to the student needs. Implementing Schools • Zilla Parishad High School, Chilakalapalli, Andhra Pradesh • N T R M H School, Andhra Pradesh • Zilla Parishad High School, Chintada, Andhra Pradesh

More innovative endeavours APR School, Andhra Pradesh The school ICT infrastructure consists of a computer lab with 16 systems in place. Professionally qualified computer instructors provide Computer Science training to the students. APR Thatipudi, Andhra Pradesh The ICT project has been implemented in the school since 2002 under the 1000 school project. The students and faculty have been trained in Powerpoint presentations and Paint. Infrastructurally, there is a computer lab with 16 computers where quality computer education is provided to the students. Merit Certificates have been awarded to the teachers by 1000 schools computer Education. JNV East, Sikkim Every teacher in the school has been using ICT in the teaching and learning processes. The school has adopted Project Based Learning (PBL) methods. Students prepare projects on varied themes and send them for international contests. The school has also received several awards from ISRO, ORACLE and INTEL for best integration of technology in the school system. BVB Public School, Andhra Pradesh The school has taken up a project titled ‘For green scene, stay green’ and the following activities were identified: (i) Waste Management (ii) Energy Conservation (iii) Recycling (iv) Eliminating Plastic & (v) Increasing green cover. The school project has extensively used ICTs for the project. Through the use of e-mails, chat, video-conferencing, media, websites and telephones, the school has become an active learning partner with other schools. APR Girls School, Andhra Pradesh The project, launched in 2003, has helped

equip the school with computer lab facilities. Students eagerly await their Computer Science classes and are already familiar with a number of computer programmes. The staff of the school participated in the ItLA programme and have also been awarded Merit Certificates in computer education. Podar Group of Schools, Maharashtra The school has adopted several innovative concepts to integrate technology into the school system. These include: Paperless classrooms through the use of laptops; Usage of electronic slates and interactive whiteboards in the classrooms; Student Response System, also known as interactive voting system; ‘Between Us’ Portal for parents; Soundbeam – An invisible music instrument in space. GKD Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Tamil Nadu In order to assist the teachers in delivering the best to the students, the school has adopted technology initiatives like Smart Class- Technology Enabled Teaching Tool and a Technology Curriculum named Chrysalis. The school has won the state level Computer Literacy Excellence Award for the year 2004 instituted by the Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India. Zila Parishad High School, Metpally, Andhra Pradesh The ICT programme at the school is innovative. The students are now well acquainted with Powerpoint and MS Word and make classroom presentations through the use of Powerpoint. ZPHS Boys School, Karim Nagar, Andhra Pradesh Computer education in the school was started in 2002. The students have participated in various ICT events and are well aware of basic computer skills. Teachers are well equipped with relevant computer skills.

APSWRS, Andhra Pradesh The students of the school have been trained in Computer Science and the use of various computer programmes. St. Joseph’s Convent Higher Secondary School, West Bengal The ICT initiative adopted by the school is in the form of Edurite’s iClassroom program. The programme has provided the teachers with tremendous technological exposure. For the students, this program has been a source of generating interest inside the classroom and has broken the monotony of lecture teaching methods. The Scindia School, Madhya Pradesh The Scindia School has been using unique ICT tools. The Math Lab is used to provide an understanding of difficult concepts in mathematics. Online testing tools are used to evaluate understanding of a student. Game based learning is used for fun Teaming and Collaborative activities. Unique mix of multimedia and threshold technologies ensures creation of 24x7 learning environment. Cost effective labs have been created using Ncomputing Solution which helps accommodate students with varying learning styles and differences. D.A.V. Public School, Tamil Nadu Under the ICT project of the school, almost all classrooms have been converted into audio visual rooms. Each of them has an LCD projector, a touch screen board and MIMIO equipment. Every teacher handling the class is given a laptop to facilitate teaching of concepts through technology. Each class also has the facility for video conferencing thereby enabling the students to learn through interaction. The school is using various tools like the Whiteboard, video conferencing system, web based resources, electronic and digital libraries and many more which supports learning and teaching methods.

digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

Nominations for Ict Enabled University of the Year Applications of ICTs are particularly powerful in the higher education sector and the research domain is where they have proved highly useful. The steady increase in bandwidth and computing power have made it possible to conduct complex calculations on large data sets. The combination of communications and digital libraries is equalising access to academic resources, greatly enriching research possibilities for smaller institutions and those outside the big cities. The ICT Enabled University of the Year Award seeks to acknowledge and highlight the achievements of the institute in bringing new and innovative endeavours for the benefit of the Higher Education community. The nominations for the awards have been listed below. PROJECT: Gujarat Common Entrance Test, (GCET) 2009 Gujarat Technological University L.D College of Engineering Campus, Navarangpura, Ahmedabad City, Gujarat www.gtu.ac.in

GCET 2009 is the Entrance Test conducted by Gujarat Technological University (GTU) for admissions to Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and Masters of Computer Application (MCA) courses in all affiliated Institutions throughout Gujarat. This project serves the needs of the University in automating the examination delivery process and ensuring quicker turn around time for creating content, publishing question papers, evaluating candidate responses, and announcing results. This project also provides a fully technology based solution for student counseling through online allocation of college seats. This was the first time in India that any State-level (Government) Entrance Examination was conducted online. The examinations were conducted from 1st July 2009 to 5th July 2009, at 37 Online Test Centers across 21 Institutions in 11 cities across Gujarat. The entire project used cutting-edge technology and offered innovative solutions to address the requirements with regard to Online Application Processing, Online Exam Delivery and Online Counseling for all professional courses in the state.

The entire project used cutting-edge technology and offered innovative solutions to address the requirements with regard to Online Application Processing, Online Exam Delivery and Online Counseling for all professional courses in the state.

www.digitalLEARNING.in

HIGHLIGHTS GCET has benefited the students by providing them: • An application system where students could apply online; • Easily downloadable “Admit Cards” which ensures that they do not have to wait for the normal post to reach them;. • On the spot submission of Score Cards containing test results; • Online counseling for seat allocation which has proved to be very transparent & system driven. Benefits for GTU • A system where daily reports of Application form status has been made available; • A system which ensures complete security of the question papers; • A system where candidates impersonation checks can be carried out well; • A system which provides End of the Day analysis of scores.

PROJECT: EduNxt initiative Sikkim Manipal University- Directorate of Distance Education Manipal, Karnataka www.smude.edu.in

EduNxt initiative was launched by Sikkim Manipal University’s Directorate of Distance Education (SMU – DDE) in 2009 with the objective of providing the students with a plethora of resources. EduNxt is a new technology with infused learning system that has transformed learning across India. EduNxt functions on the principle of 3As + 4Cs. The 3 As of Affordability, Accessibility and Appropriateness are the guidelines for scaling up EduNxt across distributed learning. Meanwhile, the 4Cs of Content, Collaboration, Communication and Computing are the basis of developing EduNxt into a means of disseminating education among the not-so-privileged or the infrastructure – challenged. SMU has armed its DE students with industry knowledge and skills necessary to be industry-ready. EduNxt attempts to provide a powerful interactive learning experience to the students, improving their quality of learning leading to better employability.

EduNxt attempts to provide a powerful interactive learning experience to the students, improving their quality of learning leading to better employability. Unlike conventional programs that use technology to disperse content, EduNxt focuses on personalised learning and mentoring at a very large scale.

HIGHLIGHTS • The EduNxt environment is being used today by over 55,000 students and will be made available to over 130,000 students from August 2009; • The total cost of ownership of the EduNxt environment is very low, and therefore, it has been used to help less privileged students achieve scholastic parity with others; • It has succeeded in bringing together students and faculty members by enabling more interaction in the learning process; • The soft skills training along with the placement and internship assistance through EduNxt has help in the overall upliftment of the DE students through better employment opportunities.

PROJECT: Web Share Chitkara Institute of Engineering and Technology Chandigarh Patiala National Highway, Tehsil Rajpura, Dist. Patiala, Punjab www.chitkarauniversity.edu.in

HIGHLIGHTS • Webshare supports the Quality Conscious policy of the institute as it has made all the course material transparent and under the regular supervision of Head of Departments and Director Academics; • It is currently serving more than 2000 users in the campus; • It has provided a central pool for downloading free utility softwares at a much faster rate; • Question banks provided by the faculty through this site has helped students prepare for internal as well as external examinations; • The intranet site has reduced the consumption of paper to nearly one fourth of the original in nearly three years of its incorporation in routine work.

Web Share, the in house developed intranet website using open source technology, is a two way interaction facility between faculty and students for dissemination of knowledge. This intranet helps in distributing the course-ware and other useful study material centrally to the students. Currently nearly 2000 students in the campus and over 200 faculty members are availing following services through Web Share: 1) Lecture notes and study material uploaded by the faculty from time to time. 2) Problem Based Learning Assignments, which are given to the students on this intranet site. 3) Online Time Table and Digital Notice Board provide important information to the students and teachers. 4) User friendly content search through which students can download free and open source softwares. 5) Online Test software 6) Online feedback system helps students to give their feedback about the courses, which is of great help for further improving the teaching

Problem Based Learning Assignments, which are given to the students, are based on guidelines provided on the intranet site. The students work in a team in the labs to solve these problems and simultaneously can access the help provided to them by concerned faculty through intranet.

digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

PROJECT: Student Centered E-Learning Environment (SCELE) University of Indonesia Faculty of Computer Science, University of Indonesia, Kampus Baru UI Depok Depok - Jawa Barat, Indonesia www.ui.edu

Student Centered E-Learning Environment (SCELE) is a Learning Management System (LMS), which was developed by the elearning team at Fasilkom, University of Indonesia (UI). Open source LMS, Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (MOODLE), which is motored by Martin Dougiamas, PhD, is used as core of SCELE. MOODLE has been developed by using PHP (PHP-Hypertext Preprocessor) as scripting language and MySQL as database. MOODLE’s main features support SCELE, such as communication tools synchronous (chatting) and asynchronous (news and discussion forum), user management, assessment, and also course management.

A model of student-centered learning paradigm has been introduced through SCELE as an attempt to change old learning paradigm. The focus is more on the student and by using this approach, the student can meet new learning experiences and can exercise active and collaborative learning. Here, the teacher’s role is changing from actor into facilitator or mediator in order to guide learning process.

HIGHLIGHTS •

•

SCELE project, in 2007, won the second prize in E-Learning Award from the Center of Information and Communication Technology for Education (Pusat Teknologi Informasi dan Komunikasi Pendidikan) Ministry of Education, Republic of Indonesia in Best Online Learning Category; In 2008, Mr Harry B. Santoso, lecturer from the Faculty of Computer Science won the second prize in Acer Intel ELearning Competition 2008. In his proposal, he combined SCELE learning management system and social network application (blog) to enrich instructional design for ComputerAssisted Instruction course; SCELE Project has a light weight version which is suitable for developing countries with low Internet bandwidth.

Your Say We hope that this eINDIA 2009 will have mixed delegates of policy makers to educationalists to teachers. We can only try and reach them in reaffirming our faith in concept learning and self assessment. We also hope to use this platform to draw the focus of the policy making bodies the importance of self based and self paced assessment. The Government has lot of other basic issues unanswered such as infrastructure, power, etc. In this situation, the Government should take a positive direction and together we should look at brining in change as little as 2% in the entire student’s community.

Muralidhar K S LearnSmart India Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad

Our primary aim, from a conference like eINDIA2009, is to communicate our vision and efforts to a larger audience in India. Being active in the field, we understand what works and what the challenges are in realising a truly universal education system in our country. We actively seek like-minded partners to share that knowledge with and to collaborate with us in our ongoing efforts. Further, we hope that an event like this brings not only stakeholders from the field of education but also from across various sectors together since education is a critical requirement for every industry to flourish. We hope a meeting of minds from various domains will give the education industry the impetus that it greatly needs. Dinesh Mehta Founder - Chairman, Top Chalks, India

As a first time exhibitor at eINDIA in 2008, we were greatly impressed by the breadth of education market sectors represented by attendees at the event and even more impressed by the interest and awareness of classroom technology. This should not have been surprising, given India’s ascendant position as a global technology leader but it was impressive. Forums like eINDIA are invaluable to a US company like Mimio to gain insight first hand into a global (vs US centric) future for education technology.

Jaemes Shanley Director of Sales - Asia Pacific, Latim America, New York, Mimio

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Nominations for Government Policy/Initiative of the Year With Internet and e-commerce becoming buzzwords in the modern world, interest in ICT use by the Government had revived in the late 1990’s in India and other parts of the developing world. Governments of various countries have sought to implement policies and programmes that would assist in the application of ICTs for development. Most developing countries are using ICTs to modernise and increase internal efficiency as well as to improve service delivery. As a part of tracking various Government initiatives of different countries in ICT, digital Learning Magazine presents to you the nominations for the Best Government Policy/Initiative of the Year award.

PROJECT: Implementation of shared computing technology benefiting 1.8 million students in 5,000 government schools in Andhra Pradesh in 4 months www.ncomputing.com

The Andhra Pradesh Government had envisaged an ambitious plan to bring computer access into 5000 government schools to benefit more than 1.8 million underprivileged children. The purpose of the project was to enable under privileged school children with computer skills in order to bridge the digital divide. To equip each of these schools with a computer lab of 10 seats, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, after serious evaluation chose to implement the NComputing solution to utilize the PC capacity by sharing the resources/PC power of 2 complete PC’s with 8 additional computing stations, without compromising on the their performance. The uniqueness in the project has been its very fast implementation in a record time of 4 months. Government of Andhra Pradesh was receptive to the idea of shared computing technology after they conducted extensive evaluation and testing experiments. The decision to implement the NComputing solution resulted in not only a quick and problem free deployment but also saving a great deal of money.

To equip each of these schools with a computer lab of 10 seats, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, after serious evaluation chose to implement the NComputing solution to utilise the PC capacity by sharing the resources/PC power of 2 complete PC’s with 8 additional computing stations, without compromising on the their performance.

HIGHLIGHTS •

•

• •

5000 Government schools in Andhra Pradesh today are equipped with an up-to-date computer lab with the latest computer hardware, Microsoft and e-learning softwares, trained instructors, and reliable electricity support. The overall cost of the project was over 300 crores plus for 5 years; with about 20% savings due to installation and deployment of the NComputing solution, allowing more schools to be equipped with PCs in the initial phase of the project. Over 1.8 million students now have access to computer labs and regular computer classes. The computing labs are being used to teach computer skills, office productivity (such as spreadsheets and word processing), as well as subjects like reading and math.

digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

PROJECT: SIET, Kerala www.sietkerala.nic.in

The State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) was constituted by the Government of India in all the States with an intention to promote the level of learning and also to disseminate knowledge to the students through the use of Radio and Television. SIET, Kerala is the latest in the array of 7 SIETs in the country. SIET, Kerala was constituted under the Travancore Literary Scientific and Charitable Societies Act 1951 in 1999 as an autonomous society. The Institute has adopted itself to play a catalytic role in fostering as well as supporting and supplementing the educational movement in the state particularly in the arena of secondary education. Some of the successful initiatives under the programme have included: 1) Setting up of the CD Library project in 1000 Higher Secondary schools containing 150 CDs; 2500 High Schools containing 120 CDs; 3200 primary schools containing 50 CDs in the State of Kerala. This is the first time in the history of India a SIET implemented this type of a project for the promotion of E-Learning. 2) Implementation of a full fledged e-learning project in 29 Legislative constituencies in (6800 schools) in the state of Kerala.

Some of the successful initiatives under the SIET programme have included: Setting up of the CD Library project in 1000 Higher Secondary schools and Implementation of a full fledged e-learning project in 29 Legislative constituencies in (6800 schools) in the state of Kerala.

In 2006 the M.M. Panth Commission constituted by the MHRD, Government. of India, after evaluating the performance of all the SIETs in India selected Kerala SIET as an excellent model and directed all the SIETs in India to follow the “Kerala Model” in the field of E-Learning system.

HIGHLIGHTS •

PROJECT: Programme for distribution of valuable bon certificates – Vouchers for purchasing computers www.mio.gov.mk/baucheri

HIGHLIGHTS • The main goal of the Programme was increasing the number of computers among the young population while creating IT literate workforce. The Programme achieved its goal throughout the sale of over 22,475 computers to students. • Moreover, the inferred aim of the Programme allowed amplified spread of IT skills required for successful completion of job tasks in the new labor force. • The outcome of the Programme was immense increase in the number of computer usage in the country among the younger generation.

In accordance with the Government’s priorities aimed at bringing ICT technologies closer to citizens and creating developed information 30

www.digitalLEARNING.in

society in the Republic of Macedonia (RM), the Programme for distribution of valuable bon certificates – Vouchers for purchasing computers- was organised for two consecutive years. The Programme was defined as an acceleration instrument which would speed up the process of constructing modern information society. It was targeted at students which were closest to inclusion in the labour market, consequently contributing to self creation of computer literate labour force. The bon certificates were designed as direct financial aid for purchasing computers. The target group of the Programme were the full time students, citizens of Republic of Macedonia, who were enrolled in their final year of programme for the first time at any of the accredited Macedonian higher educational institutions and colleges, and it included all the students who were enrolled as students with special needs.

In order to ensure regular and legally accomplished Programme, a law for distribution of bon certificatesvouchers was created. The law set guidelines for the basic rules and regulations of the Programme. It defined the manner and procedure in which the vouchers were about to be issued.

PROJECT: Student Academic Management System (SAMS) www.orissagov.nic.in/highereducation/index.htm

Student Academic Management System (SAMS) was introduced by the Higher Education Department, Government of Orissa, as an innovative initiation for providing an IT tool for simplifying the admission related concerns of the students, their guardians, the colleges and the authorities of the department. SAMS has two components i.e. e-Admission & e-Administration. e-Admission aims to use Information Technology to process common applications for admission into junior colleges for all students passing the 10th Board exam. e-Administration manages the student information by accepting, adding, modifying or removing information about students and generating reports. It captures the student attendance, marks scored in tests, class timetable and previous education qualification.

HIGHLIGHTS • •

SAMS has two components i.e. e-Admission & e-Administration. e-Admission aims to use Information Technology to process common applications for admission into junior colleges for all students passing the 10th Board exam. e-Administration manages the student information by accepting, adding, modifying or removing information about students and generating reports.

•

e- Admission of the SAMS project has increased the process efficiency of the Admission process. Application form & prospectus has been made available online thereby reducing the travel cost of students. The entire process has been able to reduce the time from about 75 days to 55 days and at the same time increase the transparency of the process. Prefixed datelines & use of queries through website increase information availability and has reduced the anxiety in part of applicants/guardians.

PROJECT: Computer for every child

Republic of Macedonia www.mio.gov.mk

HIGHLIGHTS • Not only has the project fulfilled the expected achievements, but has also made successes that have given added value to Macedonian education; • The most significant achievements to this stage are: providing a computer connected to Internet in front of each student in the country, in a projected time frame; • The project management succeeded in defining a set of learning tools, and having all teachers trained in using it efficiently and creatively in their instructional process.

In order to achieve the vision of creation of developed information society, the Ministry of Information Society, Republic of Macedonia, carried out specific initiatives and measures in the field of ICT and education. Specifically, the ‘Computer for Every Child’ Project is the biggest investment in the field of education in the Republic of Macedonia in the past 17 years. This project provided 17,818 personal computers, 98,710 LCD screens, 98,710 keyboards and mouses and 80,892 Thin Clients for the primary and secondary schools in Macedonia. Secondary schools have already been equipped with new network infrastructure and a computer for every student. Training of teachers has been an integral part of the project. Software tools have been localised in Macedonian and Albanian language and they have been adjusted to the operating system EduBuntu. The project has contributed to increased efficiency of the overall educational processes, has resulted in increased level of technology and Internet usage, as well as improved Information Technology (IT) skills of teachers and pupils.

The Project is the biggest investment in the field of education in the Republic of Macedonia in the past 17 years and has contributed to increased efficiency of the overall educational processes and higher level of technology and Internet usage among teachers and pupils. digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

Nominations for Civil Society/Development Agency Initiative of the Year Grassroot efforts by Civil Society organisations have helped bring about drastic changes for people living in the communities. Innovative ideas and practices have changed the way children and adults see technology, especially in the underprivileged pockets. The Award for Civil Society/Development Agency Initiative of the Year aims to honour civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, bi-lateral, multi-lateral developmental organisations throughout the world that demonstrate extraordinary effort, innovation, leadership, and excellence in providing ICT services for development to humanity.

PROJECT: EASYNOW

Commonwealth Educational Media Centre for Asia, New Delhi, India www.cemca.org/easynow

Easynow is a select set of easily available open source ICT tools that can be easily learned and utilised by the content developers to produce quality materials suitable for open and distance learning on the World Wide Web. It integrates use of multiple media like text, audio and video tools that allows for inexpensive production and quick upload by the developers. Teachers and learners will be the immediate beneficiaries of the Easynow training as the materials created using ICT tools will create an environment conducive to effective learning. Academic institutions administering ICT efficient programmes will be the ultimate beneficiaries, as they can bring in quality enhancement. Classroom teachings can be converted into multimedia lessons. Various universities like YCMOU, Nasik, BRAOU, CIET in India and Open University of Malaysia, Open University of Sri Lanka, Maldives College of Higher Education, etc. have already started using the technology.

HIGHLIGHTS • •

Easynow open source ICT tools integrates use of multiple media like text, audio and video tools that allows for inexpensive production and quick upload of quality material for open and distance learning by the content developers.

www.digitalLEARNING.in

•

The project has the ability to get nine different delivery modes from one electronic source. It does not envisage any additional hardware or purchase of proprietary software. It taps the potential of easily available and open source materials and under the project after 5 day training any teacher is capable of producing audio, video and multimedia materials. The convergence and compression technologies achieved by this project surpasses the speed and downloading of multimedia materials from Youtube, etc

PROJECT: HOLE IN THE WALL EDUCATION (HIWEL)

Hole-In-The-Wall- Education Limited, New Delhi, India www.hole-in-the-wall.com

HiWEL, a joint venture between NIIT Ltd. (IT Training & Development Company) and the International Finance Corporation (a part of the World Bank Group), was initiated as an experiment in 1999 to facilitate learning for the marginalised children, through unconditional and public access to computers; to improve the quality of teaching; motivate children to complete school; and to ensure that skills of youth meet the needs of India’s emerging economy. The computers, typically located in a government school playground or in the community are unsupervised and are available to the children for at least eight hours a day. Working in self-organised groups and helping each other, the children typically navigate within minutes and begin to browse in about an hour. Within three months they achieve basic computer literacy, and by nine months they have achieved the proficiency level equivalent to the skills of most modern office workers. Along with the stimulating educational games, curriculum related content is provided to help children with their schoolwork.

The project has been conferred on several prestigious awards by World Bank, Computer Society of India (CSI), India, Institute of Social Inventions, UK, Gil Rossellini and Global Vision, International Cable Broadcasters Association, Ministry of IT, Government of India, The Communication of Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association, and Indian Society for Training and Development.

HIGHLIGHTS • There has been an increase in learning interest and higher enrollments in the children allowing them to concentrate on higher level tasks like mentoring students and leading class discussions. • About 300,000 out-of-school and in-school children, in India, Africa and Cambodia, have been directly impacted by HiWEL. • HiWEL Learning Stations have also been able to boost the confidence levels of certain children with special needs (CWSN) with the usage of interactive educational content in the juvenile homes. • The project is the first attempt at applying the principle of self-organising systems to primary education, which is representative of a new area in theoretical physics.

PROJECT: HOME ICT NETWORK PROJECT

ICT Mini Campus Virtual Society, Ambalantota City, Southern State, Sri Lanka

HIGHLIGHTS • The project has given an opportunity to the students of small scale computer training center to get an understanding of the IT sector from an international perspective. • The project also promises to provide opportunity of training various capsule courses like MS Office, Graphic Designing, Web Designing, etc. • This project is implemented to enhance the digital learning rate of rural students and youth. They get training in the Nenasala in their own village similar to the training received in a town or a foreign country. • The project has helped create a network of IT and web designing knowledge for the students thereby creating employment opportunities for them.

This project has aimed at preparing and helping the rural youth for information technology courses in the local language of Sri Lanka (Sinhala) and English with the help of social network, e learning, self learning, and distance learning. Under this project, in the year 2005 / 2006 preliminary computer literacy was provided for 4000 students of the school. Special feature of this project is that the membership fee charged from each student has been used in purchasing computers to be used by them. The project helped the marginalised and deprived students procuring computer literacy. Through the network of 500 Telecenters, a minimum of 5 lakh school children and youth will be trained in ICT using Sinhala and Tamil languages. In addition they will be able to study web designing to their vocational skills and improve their knowledge of the English language. There are three social networks that the members use to avail facilities of English learning, self learning and distance learning. The projects provides the village youth with opportunities to learn web designing as part of a vocational training.

Through a network of 500 Telecenters, a minimum of 5 lakh school children and youth will be trained in ICT using Sinhala and Tamil languages. In addition they will be able to study web designing to their vocational skills and improve their knowledge of the English language through language learning sites. digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

LEADERS SPEAK

Providing Access to Technology for Rural Students www.ncomputing.com

Manish Sharma Vice president, asia pacific, ncomputing

What has been the primary aim of NComputing solutions in the field of ICTs in education ? Currently there are about 850 million people in the world who have computer access. NComputingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to bring affordable computing to the next billion people so they can join the digital economy. Our technology allows a single desktop computer to be shared by many users at the same time at very affordable costs. The primary aim of NComputing in the field of ICTs in education is to provide affordable computer education to not only private schools but also poor students and students studying in remote areas across the country. ready in the global competitive scenario. Could you elaborate on your experience of working with the Andhra Pradesh government in providing shared 34

www.digitalLEARNING.in

NComputing technology have allowed a single desktop computer to be shared by many users at the same time at very affordable costs. Manish Sharma, VP, Asia Pacific NComputing explains further about the project. computing for rural students in 5000 schools? Andhra Pradesh Government being very forward looking, had an ambitious plan to bring computer access into 5000 government schools to benefit 1.8 million underprivileged children. Given limited funding, the government of Andhra Pradesh sought the most cost-effective way to provide computing access to these schools. They needed a low-cost solution that would also save them in long-term operational and maintenance expenses. Government of Andhra Pradesh after serious evaluation chose to implement the NComputing solution to utilise the PC capacity by sharing the resources/PC power of 2 complete PCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s with 8 additional computing stations, without compromising on the their performance. Besides the cost of the equipment, another key issue was access to power. Because the NComputing solution uses just 1 watt of power, the government purchased smaller, less expensive generators to run the computer labs and they will save money longterm on the fuel needed to operate them. Environmental concerns have taken precedence in the modern day world and key policy makers have been extensively engaged in conservation drives. In this context, we would like to know more about Green Computing. There are over a billion personal computers around the world. A typical PC uses over 110 watts of electricity and generates 10 kg of e-waste at the end of its short 3-5 year life. The overall impact is a massive output of greenhouse gases and hundreds of tons of toxic e-waste. Green computing will not succeed until PCs are

more efficiently utilised. NComputingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s virtual desktop technology enables a single PC to be shared by as many as 30 users. These $70 virtual desktops use just 1 watt of electricity, weigh 100 grams, and have a 10-year useful life. Imagine a 98% reduction in electricity and a 99% reduction in e-waste. This is already a reality at tens of thousands of schools, governments and businesses, who are saving money and meeting green computing goals. Do you have any specific successful venture that can be shared with our readers? NComputing technology has been used in various parts of the globe, especially developing countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America to provide affordable computing access to students, thus empowering them for a better tomorrow. Macedonia is a small country in Europe where every students has 1:1 computer access, using the NComputing technology. What are the future plans of NComputing in capturing the Indian market? Our future strategy is to focus on reaching out to the potential customers in India and strengthening our channels base to serve those valuable customers. The marketing programs would be driven around creating awareness about the value propositions that NComputing products offer to its customer in term of cost efficiencies, low-maintenance and simplicity and on the whole, creating demand for the product in the Indian market. Our marketing efforts focus on enabling channels partners and empowering them with all the marketing and technical support to target and serve their customers. \\

LEADERS SPEAK

Increasing the Student Teacher Interaction www.hitachi-soft.com

Tarun Jain Country Head, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pvt Ltd., Singapore

What are the challenges that the Indian education market, though growing, is facing? Laptops and computers are essential digital learning tools. In fact they complement interactive whiteboard technology. However, as stand-alone technology, they are more geared to ‘individual-learning’ than ‘grouplearning’. It is this difference that is critical, and it’s precisely this point, once appreciated, will lead to change in mindsets regarding the importance of interactive whiteboards in digital-learning. Also, development of better infrastructure, digital-content, financing options and user-education/training will help expedite adoption of interactive whiteboard technology in India. In comparison to UK, why is it that the Indian education market is yet to catch up with the innovative technologies of the Interactive whiteboards? Is it the

Tarun Jain, Country Head, Hitachi Home Electronics Asia (S) Pvt Ltd., Singapore, shares with digital LEARNING his understanding on White Board market in India and the challenges lying therein. cost? What is the reach out of Hitachi StarBoards in India? It may not be appropriate to compare the UK and India markets. For one, they differ vastly in market potential and size. The Indian education market is also far more heterogenous in terms of economic, technological and infrastructural parameters. Finally, interactive whiteboard technology has been introduced in India much later as compared to the UK. Having said that, we are currently witnessing a phased and successful adoption of interactive whiteboard technology in the India market, with mostly urban and technology-savvy institutions leading the way. There is also effort being put in to fit within with overall ICT-in-education policy being formulated by the government so that the benefits of interactive whiteboard technology can be reaped by education institutes in tier 2/3 cities and rural India. However, India has around 1.2 million schools, which means that it is going to be a while before we can achieve UK levels of adoption. It is a common perception that interactive whiteboard technology is expensive. However if we recognise that the interactive whiteboard technology is a ‘group learning’ tool the costper-student works out to be very affordable. Hitachi’s award-winning StarBoards, while incorporating best-in-industry technology, are specially priced to be cost-effective solutions. Innovative financing models, provided by solutions providers, further reduce the cost impact for buyers. What are the strategies you have adopted to capture the Indian market? Since the market for interactive whiteboard technology is still nascent in India we have adopted a two pronged strategy of brand as well as category building. On the brand front we have introduced our cutting-

edge globally award-winning StarBoards range of interactive whiteboard solutions. We showcase our products through demos, advertisements, PR and other communications tools. On the category front we are currently evaluating strategic alliances and PPPs to undertake capacity building for the adoption of interactive whiteboard technology. Who are your channel partners? Are you looking for any new alliances? We are currently partnering with HCL (government sector) for the distribution of our StarBoards across India. However we are actively looking to partner with more distributors with whom we can identify synergies to better address private-sector market segments. Are there any new developments in the K-12 segments and higher education segments, as far as Hitachi solutions are concerned? What is the way ahead for you? Hitachi is one of the few companies that has its own brand of interactive whiteboard as well as projector solutions. We have introduced the cutting edge combination of the FX-DuoBoard and the Hitachi CPA100 Ultra Short Throw Projector (for virtually shadowless presentation). The DuoBoard offers the dual option of writing with a digital pen as well as the finger. This makes it more convenient for students to interact with the interactive whiteboard. In addition, the DuoBoard offers the dual-touch feature by which two people can simultaneously write on the board. This potentially enhances student teacher group-collaboration. Apart from this, our Bluetooth wireless tablet BT-2G and our portable StarBoard the T17-SXLG are selling very well. \\ digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

LEADERS SPEAK

Bringing ICT and Education Solution to the Masses www.topchalks.com

TopChalks.com is a property of Catura Systems, a company focused on creating a revolutionary solution to educate and train masses without compromising the quality and the time tested instructor-led teaching techniques. Mr. Dinesh Mehta, FounderChairman, Topchalks.com, shares more about the organisation, its goals and future plans while in conversation with Digital Learning.

What has been the goal of Topchalks. com in India. Please tell us more about your company? We are focused on creating solutions that leverage technology to educate and train young masses of India. TopChalks.com, with the assistance of its unique applications, processes and means of delivery seeks to empower some the best minds of India and enable them to reach and educate masses without compromising the time tested instructor-led teaching techniques.

is motivated and who wishes to learn should have an opportunity to learn from the best minds of India. A student’s or a parent’s poor economic condition, lack of qualified instructors at institutions or lack of other similar resources should not be the reason for depriving a student of first class education. Our applications and our business model give us the ability to enable a handful of excellent instructors in each of their areas competency, to capture their course content in its depth, along with experience that a student expects in a normal classroom and to deliver such content and experience efficiently to the target student audience via Internet, within the classroom, via digital libraries and via learning centers. We address the issue of affordability of such solution with our ability to leverage the provisioning of such content to the masses over the Internet. We conduct market survey and research through various means. Our online solution also provides the mechanism for the consumers to critique our product and offer feedback at the granularity of a lecture. Our learning centers and digital libraries also solicit continuous feedback from the student community.

How do you fulfill your vision of ‘democratizing education’ in India through your services? With the market opened up globally, what kind of market survey/ research do you carry out (as part of the background preparation)? By “democratizing education in India” we mean that every student in India who

How do you see TopChalks.com capture the Indian market with the cost effective courses that are offered by you? How is it different from its counterparts/ competitors? We are in the process of setting up pan India distribution channel in order make our content available on CDs throughout India. We have fully functional digital libraries

Dinesh Mehta Founder - chairman, Top Chalks, India

www.digitalLEARNING.in

and learning centers now operating in Kalu Sarai, New Delhi, in Hyderabad, AP and in Ambala, Haryana. The in depth nature, the completeness and the end user experience of our content sets us apart from our competitors. Any other collaborative or partnership initiatives that you would like to share with us? We have fostered many partnerships over the last several months. These range from content partners to marketing collaborations to distribution tie-ups. On the content side, while we actively develop content in house, we constantly seek experts in various areas to leverage the technology and process that we have developed to reach the masses. Career Launcher, a leader in CAT preparation in the country has collaborated with us to digitise test preparation material for CAT. What does the future hold for TopChalks. com? Our mission remains to democratise education in the country. That primarily requires two things - developing meaningful and in depth content for every segment of students out there and developing relevant distribution mechanisms to get the content out to those students. On the content side, we are going to expand our portfolio to include more vocational and college level curriculum besides further strengthening our school level offerings. On the distribution side, we will continue to expand our reach through our own sales and marketing efforts as well as through collaborative partnerships with other entities. \\

LEADERS SPEAK

Flat Projection to Interactive Whiteboards www.mimio.com

The Director, Mimio, gives an insight to digital LEARNING regarding the role and priorities of the solution provider company. Mimio is a retrofit technology that turns any board or firm flat projection surface into a full featured interactive WhiteBoard.

Jaemes Shanley Director of sales - asia pacific, latin america, newyork, Mimio

Mimio interactive technology is known to be synonymous with advanced innovative, quality and award-winning educational classroom solutions. Could you elaborate on how your product matches up to the description? Our mission is to deliver state-of-the-art interactive classroom solutions that enable more teachers and students to benefit from the pedagogical power and enhanced learning enabled by these systems. Our sustained commitment to ease of use and practical training resources are key to insuring that Mimio systems are actually used in the classroom. How has Mimio made its products more affordable than its competitive products in the Indian market? Mimio is a retrofit technology that turns 38

www.digitalLEARNING.in

any board or firm flat projection surface into a full featured interactive WhiteBoard. This eliminates cost at multiple levels including the product itself, freight and transport, installation, and service. Mimio is more affordable both in terms of acquisition cost and, importantly, on each metric of total cost of ownership.

for special needs education, Mimio again provides a versatile affordable means for special students to participate more fully in dynamic learning environments. Mimioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique portability provides the option, if necessary, for these students to literally carry the technology with them from classroom to classroom.

Are there any collaborative and partnership initiatives that Mimio has entered? Our relationship with Educomp Solutions is one instance, as described above. We are also working with other organizations in India, like CRISP (Consortium for Research In School Pedagogy) to introduce interactive classroom technology to higher education and other school systems in India.

Has Mimio done any prior research to make its products respond to specific classroom environments? Any statistics on the current usage trends in India? We have had the honor and good fortune, in India, to be able to work with Educomp Solutions, providing an interactive WhiteBoard system for their market leading Smart class solutions. Their marketing and leading delivery of full spectrum technology to Indian schools has provided the perfect venue to Mimioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advanced technology, to be paired with complete interactive learning systems created specifically for the Indian classroom and educational standards.

Mimio has been used in special educational settings as well. How has Interactive Whiteboards been used as Inclusive Technology? The initial applications for Mimio in special needs education centered on our ink capture capability which enabled a variety of students with physical or learning challenges to obtain real time and post class access to WhiteBoard notes, in a versatile digital data format. As applications and resources for interactive WhiteBoard teaching have expanded to include a rich variety of tools

What are your future plans and strategies for capturing the Indian market? As a priority market for Mimio, we will continue to work collaboratively with our partners in India to understand the market more comprehensively and to make sure its needs are prioritized in our substantial new product development initiatives.\\

LEADERS SPEAK

360 Degree Support to the Education System www.extramarks.com

Atul Kulshrestha Chairman, Extramarks.com Education Private Limited

With ‘Simple Learning, High Scoring’ as mantra, can you give us an overview of your organisation? I have seen teachers, academicians trying all the tricks in their bag to make the student understand the concepts; but somehow we never take out time to put together the best practices to be able to set the basic standardized delivery model which will help students learn better and teachers teach effectively. With Extramarks we strive to achieve an everlasting solid foundation for future learning, making assimilation of content easier for the learners. What are the products of Extramarks. com? What is the USP_unique selling point of your esteemed organisation? By providing “360 degree education” support for the classes VI to XII, Extramarks

Atul Kulshrestha, Chairman, Extramarks shares with digital LEARNING, how Extramarks is striving to make a difference in the Indian education system by providing students with ‘360 degree education’ support and equipping schools with special teaching and learning aids, which are learner driven and scientific in nature. equips a school with special teaching and learning aids. Extramarks products, are learner driven and scientific in nature. Our study modules like Mind Maps is devised to give a flowchart of every chapter in one glance, while our Smart Learning Modules explain the chapter in detail at four levels and challenge a student towards High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Extramarks also delivers its program through its online avatar – the After-School Study support program that forms a study help bridge for the student from the school to home. How do you see your services cater to the requirements of the students, keeping in mind the dynamic cultural diversity of the Indian education system? Therefore, expectations from the market are manifold and multifold? The main aim of any academician or a teacher is to make learning easier for the student and reduce their workload. Extramarks does all this and much more by providing continuous workshops, seminars for the teachers. It is our learner centric attitude and approach that has helped us gain the edge with the schools. In which part of India do you think, your products are doing well? What could be the possible reasons? The areas in which our products are doing exceptionally well are Rajasthan, North East and South India comprising of mainly Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Reasons are varied from this diverse response. While the elitist schools of the country based in Rajasthan have taken

our program enthusiastically, in North East it is the government schools that have shown their interest in our program. So, anyone who is motivated to change the regular school experience is our ideal partner. Are there any plans for expansion? Going by the great response we have had in India, Extramarks.us is our recent launch that caters to the US students. All the study content on the US website is in accordance with California State University curriculum and it brings forth the best of eLearning attributes to its users. Further, we are planning to make way in other parts of the world like UK, Singapore and be a milestone in integrating technology with education. Please share with our readers if Extramarks.com has entered into any collaborative or partnership initiatives? Extramarks is proud that various Governments at various levels has shown confidence in its offerings. We are the official education partner of NDTV for their online educational portal NDTVtutor.com. Also, Extramarks provides educational content for MyWay’s IPTV platform. What are your plans for the future? Our endeavour is to create easy to adopt solutions that have relevance and share the teacher and learners immediate study targets. We ourselves keep looking at our study modules and reinventing them in order to strike perfection. So, our future plan lies in getting the finesse with making inroads worldwide with our program. \\ digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

LEADERS SPEAK

Learning Goes Smart Through Online Assessment Application www.24x7guru.com

Muralidhar K S CEO, LearnSmart India Pvt. Ltd, Hyderabad

Please share with our readers about the potentials and opportunities of Indian education market, as far as your products and services are concerned? 24x7guru.com is an Online Self Assessment Application for students from class 3 to 10. The application fundamentally believes that once a student understands the concepts, they are less likely to forget, as opposed to rote learning. 24x7guru.com is an intelligent web-based assessment application that enables a student to take tests as per the course curriculum: chapter-wise, periodic and customised. The application is parameterised in terms of complexity levels and provides a new set of questions each time a student attempts to answer. The scalability is scientifically designed and is aimed at drilling down conceptual comprehension and clarity amongst students. 40

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Education has varied options vis-à-vis content providers, through schools, teachers, tutorials, parents, Internet and e-learning websites. However, there exists no application that intelligently assesses the conceptual understanding/comprehension in the subject. Muralidhar K S, CEO LearnSmart, in conversation with digital Learning, says that 24x7guru.com is driven with a passion to spread the benefits of Quality learning to the student’s community with the objective to enable them to compete globally. 24x7guru.com empowers students with: A) Online Assessment Application: Chapter wise assess the understanding of concepts and guides the students by providing an insight on where they went wrong and more importantly why they went wrong. B) Edutainment: i) Crosswords: Chapter wise cross words made available to the students that help in grasping the fundamentals and concepts in a fun manner. ii) Link and Learn: An improvised version of match the following that develops the students reasoning and thinking ability. These again are available chapter wise for different grades. C) Guru Gyaan: A pool of knowledge for students covering aspects of Guru Spell,Guru Fact, A TELL ME Series covering aspects of -The Who, What, When, Why, Where, How, Guru Quiz etc. D) JOE (The Joy of English): English practice module session with audio soundtrack to help students brush their language, reading and comprehension skills in the English language. E) Guru Wellness: As important is education, that vital is sound health. That is why we tied up with the leading experts in child health care - Lifetime Wellness Rx International Ltd (An Apollo Hospitals Group Initiative), so that we provide the best health assessment possible.

How do you compare your products with the existing market players/ competitors, locally and globally? Do you have any expansion plan in the global market? 24x7guru.com is the only Online Self Assessment Portal for students from class 3 to 10 of its kind that develops the child’s conceptual clarity and fundamentals with a multi-dimensional approach towards learning. As for the expansion in global market, 24x7guru.com already has its presence in GCC and shall shortly have its footfalls in at least 2 or 3 countries in the Asian Region. How do you see the collaborative initiatives and partnerships determine the economy of our country with regard to your product? How the community at large, learning and teaching, is benefited? The economic growth of a country is in direct relation to the standards of education of that country. Economy grows: A) When the Young generation can compete in global competition and become successful entrepreneur; B) When we build the confidence levels in the minds of young students and through assessment alone but by giving them the overall multi- dimensional knowledge. In spite of the fact that the primary/ secondary education is important to stabilise the growth of the country, the Indian policy makers did not think that way. Only this year, we are able to see some light focusing into the primary/secondary education which is the foundation for our country’s growth. \\

case study

Answering the Learning Needs of New Age Education www.extramarks.com

t’s the age of Education …That Clicks. Textbook, blackboard, and classroom education is fast blending with new age learning technology. It has become apparent that a good educational system will work only if it teaches young people how to incorporate learning in their lives. Digital Education For All Extramarks deliverables, In-School Study Support and After-School Study Support programmes are the reflection of its effort to introduce a new concept of teaching, assessment and excellence in the teaching and learning process. Being an ICT (Info Communication Technological) organisation, all its products are technology based and scientific in nature. In addition it provides teachers support and training program to empower the teachers with the knowledge of latest technology and digital study modules of Extramarks. In-School Study Support Smart Learn Class provides state-of-art technology enabled teaching environment that allows standardisation of delivery, structured learning content, thereby reducing confusion and enhancing classroom teaching experience. All the study modules are mapped class-wise, subject-wise and chapter-wise. Unique Study Modules Extramarks study modules direct a student towards HOTS (High Order Thinking Skills - CBSE’s necessary learning requisite) and aim at increased retention, performance enhancement of the students. Creativity is the core element that drives Extramarks product team. All our learning modules are simple - they are layered, hierarchical, logically 42

www.digitalLEARNING.in

flowing content that is easy to teach and comprehend. Extramarks Mindmaps give a snapshot of each chapter, presented in a flow chart that highlights the important concepts in the chapter logically and hierarchically; that help in easy assimilation of the key factors in a chapter. Extramarks Smart Learning Modules further explain each chapter through a visual, graphical and concise presentation. Each chapter is explained, starting from basic to advance level, to help the student grasp the topic naturally and gradually. Extramarks Test Modules are intensive tests that focus on recall, practice and developing High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). An exhaustive bank of Model Test Papers, Online Tests, Solved Previous Board Papers and Practice Papers help in exam preparation. Online tests based multiple choice questions format can be taken as per the flexibility of subject, chapter, time, and difficulty level. They help to examine the student’s clarity on the topic and helps them identify, work upon their learning gaps. Extramarks Smart Learn Class and Extramarks Assessment Center allow unlimited access to scientifically designed study material to be used as teaching aid in the classroom.

Personalised Attention Live Virtual Class gives the students power to demand their class as per their need in the comfort of home saving time, cost and inconvenience. Be it to discuss the homework, school assignments or get simple explanation of complex topics, Extramarks subject experts are present Anytime for the student. Ask a Teacher service helps student get the answers of their email generated queries and have better understanding of the concepts. Empowering Teachers Development of procedural skill to increase the proficiency of the educators so that they can add a new dimension in the teaching process has been another important forte of Extramarks. To accomplish this, Extramarks offers Computer Based Training & Workshops and Training on Computer Aided Learning, both a novel approach in pedagogy. To be in sync with the requirement of Gen Z, teachers are trained to use latest techniques and handle a CAL driven classroom - having technology integrated Extramarks study modules.

Study Support Bridge – From School to Home

Far From the Madding Crowd

Extramarks not only provides complete help in the schools but also forms a study bridge from school to home. This enables the student to access all the study tools used in Smart Learn Class in their home at own pace and convenience. In addition to In-School Study Modules of Extramarks, students can also avail other services like Virtual Class, Ask a Teacher, Ask a Counselor, Board Help, Creativity Zone, Extramarks Networks – all intended to make learning simple and comprehendible.

Having more than 5 lakh members across India in less than one year of its operation is the testimonial to the commitment and quality in offering digital education. Extramarks strives to stand apart from the crowd of digital eLearning solutions by making learning a simple and lasting experience. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” So, Extramarks is your One Spot Solution that answers all your learning needs in the best possible manner that you could have ever imagined. \\

case study

The Reality That is India www.invidya.com

ndia today is on the starting curve of a growth explosion. The fundamentals are strong and sentiments are moving from weak to medium as the recession seems to be entering a recovery phase globally. The coming three years will be defining moments for economies networking and vying for global space. The key factor is consumption. The mandate is quite clear before all concerned that the GDP has to see closer to double digit growth in order to keep the economy and society on track towards 2020. And the transition towards a knowledge and information economy has already begun. Knowledge and information are the two pillars on which institutions businesses and consumers will come together to grow together in business and societal models. The Indian worker – a global reality Human resource and knowledge will be the key to this growth. Recent reports suggest that the number of trained people needed to fuel this growth will be nearer to 2.5 million by 2011-2012. This requires huge inputs in the area of learning and training of skills and processes. In K 12 and adult and continuing education there is a large gap between capacities and appetite. In addition to impacting the K 12 sector heavily, on line learning will play a big role in shaping the social capital in traditional sectors like agriculture and health to emerging sectors like tourism and retail. This is purely because on line learning gives instant and wide access to validated knowledge and certification to generate employability and professional competence. In the process service providers in telecom and broadband, RFID, mobility, television and the Internet are coming together to

• create a huge networked platform to deliver learning. In sectors like telecom and retail where investments in the coming three years run into billions the shortage of trained manpower is most acute. This shortage will get augmented through institutional as well as online learning after K 12. The proliferation of distance learning and adult and continuing education is just the beginning of the online revolution that is coming. What Invidya is doing Invidya works on designing and delivering next generation knowledge solutions driven by innovation and passion. •

•

Invidya specialises in building knowledge solutions for the education and learning/ training sector with an eye to the future of technology and globalization. Invidya today is one of the fastest growing knowledge design and delivery boutiques. Backed by a total domain experience of over 80 years Invidya works with large trans-national customers building content and technology solutions for global delivery. Invidya is ISO 9001:2000 certified and works seamlessly across development platforms to design and deliver content to a diverse range of user profiles. Invidya has brought together leading talents in cutting edge solution design, instruction design and content design to work on site and off site in fast growing business verticals. Invidya has a wide repertoire of skills and experience in the area of K 12 education, language skills, telecom, retail, AIDs, agriculture, automobile engineering, banking, financial services, teacher training and NGO training.

•

Invidya designs solutions to build on line training, deploy and deliver learning and training, manage knowledge repositories and learning paths, training management and tracking platforms, custom content, repurposing of content, compliance, test and assessment designs and engines, complex behavioral skills training that are online, simulations and gaming, documentations and presentations. Invidya delivers one of the highest ROI on training to customer organizations through proven methodologies and constant validations.

We are pursuing new developments in the area of distributed learning through integrated technology platforms on television, local community enterprises, IPTV, mobile telephony, simulated environments with diverse partners. Invidya has achieved tremendous growth since its inception and is widely invested in technology and skills. We have a strong R&D orientation and invest almost a third of our capital on R&D alone to continuously innovate and validate new methodologies in online learning. Invidya is innovative, inclusive and Indian. \\

Sonjib Mukharjee

Sonjib Mukharjee is the Founder, CEO, Invidya, the new generation knowledge solution company. This eLearning Company is based in Bangalore and operates across India, US, APAC and the Middle East. The company has proven expertise in designing and delivering custom eLearning solutions and is a forerunner in new generation learning solutions across user groups and platforms.

digital LEARNING

SEPTEMBER 2009

case study

Bringing Classroom Sessions Alive www.hitachiconsumer.com/in

FX-Series Starboard (Essential interactive whiteboard for teaching, presentations & meetings) is made without embedding any wires in the board itself. This allows the board to be functional even in case the board surface is dented.

Key Features DATA STORAGE AND TRANSFER: Starboard software allows teacher to save lessons to be reviewed and used later. One does not have to create fresh lesson plans for the same subject. Also, one can email lesson plans to the absent learners. Starboard Software supports PDF, HTML, Images (jpg. png) output. INTERNET CONNECTIVITY: Hitachi Starboards offer the feature of viewing and navigating the internet on the interactive whiteboard; thus enables surfing and display of websites which the entire class can see. MULTI-MEDIA FACILITY: Starboard can receive inputs from various multimedia devices like camcorders, DVD players, etc. This enables the Starboard to display videoclips or movie files, which make learning and presentations very engaging. REMOTE WRITING: In case the user wants to use the Starboard from a distance he can do so by connecting it with the Hitachi BT-2G Bluetooth tablet. ANNOTATION: Hotachi Starboards allow users to write on top of presentations / pictures / spread sheets / text. It even allows the user to write on movies without pausing the movie. CONFERENCING: One can remote conference between two Starboards, i.e. one presenter can be in one location and the other in another location. Up to 50 Starboards can be connected at a time. 44

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Starboard T-17SXLG - Small and portable Starboard

Hitachi FX Duoboard - Finger or any other object can be used to right on surface

•

Better planning and more effective lesson management, on a day-to-day and year-to-year-basis.

Benefits for Students • Starboard BT-2G - Wireless Bluetooth tablet to teach or present from anywhere in the classroom

• •

Benefits for Teachers • • •

Improved presentation by using ICT with the whole class. Potential to instantaneously revisit or adapt previous work. Facility to immediately respond to student needs by manipulating shapes and text.

• •

Enhanced performance & increased self-confidence. Ability to cope with more complex concepts. Motivation and involvement in learning. Improved behavior has been observed as a by-product. Clear and attractive presentation of a student’s thoughts. Accommodating different learning styles. \\ For more information visit www.hitachiconsumer.com/in Email: singh@hitachi.co.in Toll-Free Helpline: 1860 180 9080

case study

HCL Ties-Up with Delhi University for providing ICT Training to Students www.hclinfosystems.in

HCL Infosystems, India’s premier information enabling company has entered into a tie-up with Delhi University for imparting ICT training to students. University of Delhi’s Campus of Open Learning (COL) has introduced various short-term professional training programs to bridge the skill-gap of its students. As part of this initiative, COL has signed an MoU with HCL Infosystems for conducting programmes on ICT and web technology at its Centre for Professional and Technical Training, Keshav Puram. This tie-up aims to create a new generation of highly-skilled IT professionals who possess the industry perspective and practical understanding to become employable and productive from day one. As part of the tie-up, HCL will offer six months programme which will include courses like Linux with Convergence Technologies Innovation (LCTI), Web Development Using PHP (WDPHP) and Web Designing (WD) for students. The course will be an ideal combination of conceptual instruction and practical exposure for four months, followed by industry internship for two months. Application form and further details are available at www.col.du.ac.in. “We believe that our students should be equipped with skills required by the industries, and therefore, these courses have been designed in consultation with the industry which includes Hands- on -Training as well”, said Dr. Savita Datta ,Director, COL. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. George Paul, Executive Vice President, HCL Infosystems Ltd said, “Despite the rapid mushrooming of IT institutes, industry ready trained manpower is still in short supply. HCL courses have been designed to transform young students into industry-ready professionals, who are ready to take on ICT industry responsibilities without the need for any further training on the job. We have set up alliances with leading IT corporations such as IBM, Microsoft, Red 46

www.digitalLEARNING.in

Hat and Oracle that help in creating state of the art curriculum as well as adopting global best practices in IT.” Adding further, Prof. Deepak Pental, Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi, said, ”This centre is established with a view to provide employability skills to the various students pursuing undergraduate courses at the University of Delhi and offers various affordable short-term courses in partnership with industry partners like HCL.” About University of Delhi The University of Delhi is the premier University of the country and is known for its high standards in teaching and research and attracts eminent scholars to its faculty. It has also been declared as the Centre of Excellence.” About HCL Infosystems HCL Infosystems Ltd, with revenue (LTM) of US $ 2.7 billion is India’s premier information enabling and ICT System Integration

company offering a wide spectrum of ICT products that includes Computing, Storage, Networking, Security, Telecom, Imaging and Retail. HCL is a one-stopshop for all the ICT requirements of an organization. HCL has India’s largest distribution and retail network, taking to market a range of Digital Lifestyle products in partnership with leading global ICT brands, including Apple, Cisco, Ericsson, Kingston, Kodak, Konica Minolta, Microsoft, Nokia, Toshiba, and many more. With India’s largest ICT services network that reaches to every corner of India, HCL’s award winning Support Services makes it the preferred choice of enterprise and consumers alike. HCL Infosystems has a 100% subsidiary that addresses the physical security technology system integration market. The subsidiary leverages technology to build a security framework called ‘Safe State’ that will safe guard life, infrastructure & society. For more information please visit us at www. hclinfosystems.in \\

case study

Learning Made Easy Through Virtual Instructors www.topchalks.com

hilpa couldn’t conceal her excitement when she was offered admission to the BSc Computer Science Honors program at Delhi University. It was her dream to become a software programmer with specialisation in animation. After all, it was only a year back when she often wondered if her dream was ever going to be realised. Shilpa hailed from a typical middle class family in Delhi. Her father was a businessman who had dabbled in several different small businesses. When he decided to become a travel agent a few years ago, Shilpa didn’t realize it was a decision which was going to alter her life fundamentally. The first thing her father did on becoming a travel agent was to buy a computer. He operated his business out of his own home and consequently Shilpa and her elder sister started experimenting with the newly acquired toy, much to the annoyance of their mother. The mother would often complain to her husband about the valuable time being wasted away on the computer. But that didn’t deter Shilpa. She was amazed by the vast amount of knowledge available on the web. Most importantly, she felt she knew what she wanted to do with her career. Developing a career in computers was not going to be easy. Shilpa realised she had to get admitted to a good computer program in college and for that, she needed to excel in her Class 12th Boards. Shilpa had been a good student all her life. But it was painting, drama, declamation, singing and anchoring which interested her even more. Like all the other students in her class, she often complained about the lack of time to do everything. But, unlike all the other students in her class, she wanted to remain an all-rounder. When her father moved her to a new school for the completion of Class XIth, Shilpa realized that all the students around her were taking tuition classes to get that 48

www.digitalLEARNING.in

extra edge for the examinations. Her mother insisted that she attend classes at the local tutor’s. Shilpa was not keen at all. She had asked a few friends about the tuition classes and while she saw some benefit in them, she realized she would be wasting more time and money than she would want to. She understood her parent’s financial conditions and didn’t want to burden them with yet another educational cost. The situation was not ideal for her. She understood the importance of getting the extra marks in her board exams to get the college and subject of her choice and yet she was not getting the appropriate academic guidance in school or anywhere else. Shilpa’s parents were worried as well. They wanted Shilpa to get the additional help which they knew all the other kids were getting. But they always knew that they had a stubborn daughter who would do things her way. One day Shilpa’s father got an SMS from an unknown number: ‘Visit TopChalks.com and study Maths for as little as Rs 99 per month’ He didn’t know what that really meant and forwarded the message to his daughter. Shilpa, always interested about the new things that the Internet had to offer,

checked out TopChalks.com. She was pleasantly surprised to see comprehensive audio-video lectures on her entire Class X11th syllabus for all her subjects. There were quite a few companies offering tests and some concepts but no one was covering the entire subject matter in such a unique and complete way as TopChalks. The site, not only, had employed some of the best teachers from various schools to deliver the lectures but had also presented the lectures in a very unique audio-visual format. The lectures were led by the instructors, were full of graphics and animations to explain the concepts and yet to Shilpa’s delight the lectures didn’t take forever to download on her average-low-speed Internet connection. Shilpa asked her father to enroll her in the Maths and Physics package being offered by TopChalks.com. Her father didn’t hesitate for a moment and Shilpa spent the next several months being coached by the “virtual” instructors at TopChalks.com. Her favourite part was that she could study the material at her own pace, anytime during the day and keep repeating the material that she couldn’t understand completely. Every once in a while when she had doubts, she would post them on the forums maintained by TopChalks and got her questions promptly answered by the faculty as well as other supportive students. With such a comprehensive preparation, Shilpa wasn’t nervous at all on the day of the exams. When the results came out, she had done wonderfully in all her exams and had secured grades far beyond her parent’s expectations. Now Shilpa has started studying Computer Science in Delhi University. She often tells the TopChalks folks to prepare similar content for her college level classes too! \\

subscribe today! D uration (Year)

Issues

Subscription USD

Subscription Price INR

100

900

150

1500

250

2000

*Please make cheque/dd in favour of CSDMS, payable at New Delhi

Three easy ways to subscribe: Web : Log on to http://www.digitalLEARNING.in/subscribe.asp and submit the subscription form online. Fax : Complete the information below and fax it to +91 120 2500060 Post : Complete the information below and send it to Digital Learning magazine, CSDMS, G-4 Sector 39, Noida 201 301, U.P. India Tel +91 120 250 2180 to 85 Fax +91 120 2500060 Email info@digitalLEARNING.in Web www.digitalLEARNING.in

I/We would like to subscribe to monthly

digitalLearning magazine! Please fill this form in Capital Letters First name................................................................................................................... Last name................................................................................................................... Designation/profession................................................................................................ Organisation .............................................................................................................. Mailing address ......................................................................................................... City............................................................................................................................. Postal code ................................................................................................................

subscribe Now!

Country ..................................................................................................................... Telephone................................................................................................................... Fax ............................................................................................................................ Email ......................................................................................................................... Website ..................................................................................................................... I/We would like to subscribe for

Years

I am enclosing a cheque/DD No. ............................ Drawn on ................................... (Specify Bank) Dated ................................................................. in favour of CSDMS payable at New Delhi. For Rs./USD ........................................................................................................... only

Subscription Terms & Conditions: Payments for mailed subscriptions are only accepted via cheque or demand draft • Cash payments may be made in person • Please add Rs. 50 for outstation cheque • Allow four weeks for processing of your subscription • International subscription is inclusive of postal charges

www.digitalLEARNING.in

State . ........................................................................................................................

Rush Your Subscription Request!

EVENTS

Mark your calendar

In Times of Crisis 2 October 2009 Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States http://www.michcea.org

‘HighEdWeb 2009: Open. Connected.’ 4 - 7 October 2009 Milwaukee, WI, United States http://www.highedweb.org/2009

Building a Donor-Centered Stewardship Effort 5 - 7 October 2009 Austin, Texas, United States http://www.academicimpressions.com

College Teaching & Learning Conference 5 to 7 October 2009 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States http://www.CluteInstitute.com

Assessing the Needs of Commuter Students 6 October 2009 Online Webcast, United States http://www.academicimpressions.com/ web_conferences/1009-commuter.php

2009 IACSIT Autumn Conference 9 to 11 October 2009 Singapore, Singapore http://www.iacsit.org/2009ac/index.htm

2009 International Conference on Distance Education and Open Learning (DEOL 2009) 9 to 11 October 2009 Singapore, Singapore http://www.iacsit.org/deol/index.htm

Conferencia IADIS IberoAmericana WWW/Internet 2009 21 to 23 October 2009 Madrid, Spain http://www.ciawi-conf.org/

Pedagogical Education: Contemporary Problems, Modern Concepts, Theories and Practices 22 to 23 October 2009 Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation http://www.iporao.ru/conference2009_eng

ACE 2009 - The Asian Conference on Education 2009 - International Conference 24 to 25 October 2009 Osaka, Japan http://ace.iafor.org

Indo-american Education Summit 8 to 15 November 2009 NEW DELHI, India http://www.indus.org

European Conference for Academic Disciplines 9 to 13 November 2009 Gottenheim near Freiburg, Germany http://www.internationaljournal.org/germany. html

Psychoanalytic Perspectives on Teaching and Learning: Getting under the Skin of Teaching and Learning 4 to 5 December 2009 Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom http://www.canterbury.ac.uk/education/ cisdp/conferences/psychoanalytic/ Conference%20details.aspx

Enlist your event here. Write to info@digitalLEARNING.in

www.digitalLEARNING.in

2-4 December, 2009 Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies (CSDMS), India and Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), Sri Lanka have joined hands to organise 4th annual eASiA 2009 conference and exhibition in Colombo, Sri Lanka to celebrate the year 2009 as the year of ICT and English as declared by Mahinda Rajapaksa, President, Sri Lanka and to promote growth of ICT4D, through consultative dialogue, knowledge networking and business partnering. eAsia 2009, is the annual international event on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development providing opportunity for all stakeholders in the ICT arena to share a levelplaying ground through active conferencing and networking. Spanning over three days, the event will comprise of unique thematically inter-related conferences, in the domains of e-Governance, Digital Learning, e-Health and Telecentres, Emerging e-Technologies. The five tracks of eASIA2009 are: • eGov Asia • Digital Learning Asia • eHealth Asia • Telecentre Forum Asia • Emerging e-Technologies Asia Call for Papers eASiA 2009 seeks call for abstracts/proposal(s) for speakers who illustrate innovation in using ICT for development, by September 15, 2009 Abstracts and Extended Abstracts Submission: September 15, 2009 Notification of Acceptance of Abstract: October 1, 2009 Full Paper Submission: November 3, 2009 Submit your abstracts/proposals at papers@e-asia.org Exhibition eASiA 2009 will also host an exhibition featuring the best in cutting edge technology across Asia and beyond. The list of exhibitors will be made available online and will be updated regularly in the run up to the event in December. For more details on the event, log on to www.e-asia.org/2009

Green PC

Interactive Board

Interactive Panel

Teach from the front of the class

Interact Directly on the Screen

Interactive Pad

Visualizer

Teach from Anywhere in the classroom Add external inputs to your plans

Projector

Interactive PRS

Crystal clear images every time

Instant freeback at your Fingertips

Globus Infocom Ltd., pioneers in education technology, presents Interactive Classroom, with digital education content that sustains the attention of your students and makes learning lot more Interactive & Effective! A unique tool that goes beyond teaching, the Globus Interactive Classroom integrates cutting edge technology into your regular curriculum, adding tremendous value in the process. Used collectively or independently with existing setup, it can easily be configured for your specific requirement. Visit us at:

2009 25-27 August 2009 Booth No. 51 Hyderabad International Convention Centre India

Available at

DGS&D rates Special Finance facility for Schools & Educational Institutes

For International Enquiries, pleas Contact: Alex Daniel + 91 9873001062, alex@globusinfocom.com A-22, Sector-IV, Noida - 201310, Dist. Gautam Budha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh., Tel.: 0120-4051700 / 800 / 817/819, Fax: 0120-4051701, E-mail: sales@globusinfocom.com, Website: www.globusinfocom.com NORTH-DELHI NCR: Ekta Gandhi +919654957737, Sanjeev Kumar +919711210627, Mamta Dange +919780011005, PUNJAB: Puneet Dhanda +919814534343, Mamta Dange +919780011005, HARYANA: Amit +919215295660, Mamta Dange +919780011005, JAMMU: Sanjeev Kumar +919711210627, Ajit +919419620156, CHANDIGARH: Mamta Dange +919780011005, HIMACHAL PRADESH: Mamta Dange +919780011005, SRINAGAR: Sanjeev Kumar +919711210627 Randeep (+919419055525 ), UTTRANCHAL: Mamta Dange +919780011005, Megha Sehgal (+919997997480), RAJASTHAN: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), Ashish Srivastava (+919351517833), UTTAR PRADESH: Gagan Jolly (+919311252352). WEST- GUJARAT: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), Amit Nanda (+919377094007), MUMBAI: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), PUNE: Pramod Sontakke (+919324890990), Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), GOA & Rest of MAHARASTRA: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), NASIK: Pramod Sontakke (+919324890990), Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), EAST- BIHAR: Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), JHARKHAND: Gopal Maewall (+919934344005), Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), ASSAM: Ankur Jain (+919311319846), Mukesh Sinha (+919830146966), WEST BENGAL: Ankur Jain (+919311319846), Chandan Sen (+919432086190), ORISSA: Ankur Jain (+919311319846), B.B. Jena (+919937949068), NORTH EASTERN STATES: Ankur Jain (+919311319846), Mukesh sinha (+919830146966 ), MEGHALAYA: Ankur Jain (+919311319846), Mukesh Sinha (+919830146966) , CENTRAL- CHATTISGARH: Santosh Dantare (+919301126951), Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), BHOPAL: Santosh Dantare (+919301126951), Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), INDORE: Santosh Dantare (+919301126951), Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), GWALIOR: Santosh Dantare (+919301126951), Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), JABALPUR: Santosh Dantare (+919301126951), Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), SOUTH- ANDHRA PRADESH: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354) K. Natraj (+919396267299), KARNATAKA: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354), TAMIL NADU: Gagan Jolly (+919311252352), KERALA: Vikas Chaddha (+919910027354)

RNI No. UPENG/2008/25311

UP/GBD - 70/2009 - 20011