Tech Enabled Education in Indian Schools 2010

8/6/2019 Tech Enabled Education in Indian Schools 2010

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TechnologyEnabledEducationin IndianSchools: 2010

Supported by:


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T R A N S F O R M I N G E D U C A T I O NT H R O U G H T E C H N O L O G Y

w w w . t e c h a t e d u . c o m

Tech@Edu will provide an online platform for

authoritative research, credible journalism, quality

user generated content and articles, features,

newsletters of high quality content in the technology

in education space. It will be dedicated to informing

and educating senior education administrators,

bureaucrats, students and parents about the latestadvances, issues and best practices in the use of

technology in education.


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ContentsContents


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................3

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................5

GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGEMENT OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION ...10

ICT Initiatives by Central and State Governments ...............................12

VOICE OF THE STUDENTS ...................................................................13

Adoption and Usage of Technology ...................................................14

Demand for Technology in Education .................................................17

Availability of Technology in Education ..............................................20

VOICE OF THE TEACHERS ...................................................................24

Familiarity with Technology .................................................................25

Usage of Technology ...........................................................................28

Perception of TiE ................................................................................29

VOICE OF THE SCHOOLS .....................................................................30

POLICY MAKER'S POINT OF VIEW .......................................................36

WAY FORWARD ..................................................................................44

METHODOLOGY .................................................................................46

ABOUT THE AUTHORS ........................................................................47

ABOUT WEBCHUTNEYS dotGOV DIVISION

CASE STUDY: IT@School .....................................................................39

CASE STUDY: Live@edu ......................................................................41


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Executive Summary

The Indian school education space is witnessing a technology revolutiondriven by strong sustained efforts of government and private players.Webchutney's report Technology Enabled Education in Indian Schools:2010 analyses the three stakeholders students, teachers and schooladministrations in their usage, perception and attitudes towards ICT inschool education. The survey was carried out across 5 states coveringKendriya Vidyalayas, private and government schools.

The penetration of ICT in education depends on the availability oftechnological infrastructure in schools. Government guidelines andmandates have proved pivotal in administering the ICT progress in KVs.However, lack of guidelines and mandates in case of state governmentschools and private schools diminish their usage in technology space.

A startling number of principals supported the positive role of TiE in pupil'slearning curve and school education. Other than computer science, astrong demand for TiE was observed in subjects such as science andmathematics. The study indicated that a large number of schools areplanning to spend on the technology procurement but their budgetsremain diminutive and skewed towards building basic technology

infrastructure.

A strong and positive perception towards TiE prevails amongst teachers. Asignificant percentage of teachers are using technology for educationbeside using it for e-mail and accessing online services while the usagetrend differs in urban and sub-urban areas and with the type of schooladministration. TiE training was found as the weak-link in groomingteachers for using technology in education. The training is unable to play arole due to less training being conducted and majority of it being low on

duration.

Videos and power point presentations formats are most popular amongstteachers as a medium of e-learning owing to the ease of operation. Theusage of e-learning content is restricted to audio/visual rooms and forspecial project/class purpose.

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Introduction


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India: The impending explosionin demand for education

Education has always been revered in India from the days of the earlycivilizations which saw the rise of globally acclaimed centres of learning atNalanda and Taxila, to the modern knowledge society where educationopens doors to opportunity. Poised as the country with one of the largestyouth populations in human history, the importance of and demand foreducation is one of the greatest challenges facing policy makers in thecountry today.

India, the second most populatedcountry after China, is also the

country with the highest youthpopulation (less than 14 Years)forming 30% of the totalpopulation.

This puts India in a unique situationof having the greatest strain on it'sacademic system over the nexttwenty years.

The country's demographicdividend of over half thepopulation being below the ageof 25 and having the potential ofbecoming the growth engine ofour knowledge economy, can

also become a demographicdisaster if the educational systemdoes not deliver the skills theywill need in an information age.

India Population Projection in billion

6

Youth PopulationUnder 14 Years of Age

Brazil Russia India China

19%

30%

14%

25%

1.171.2

1.25

2010 2012 2015

1.3% YoY


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7

With respect to other BRIC nations, India is at the bottom of the table withonly 10.7% of the total government expenditure being allocated toeducation. A meagre 3.2% share of the GDP is being spent on education byIndia, being slightly higher than that of China i.e. 1.9% but lower than

Brazil and Russia spending 5% and 3.9% of their GDP on the samerespectively.

Indias public spending per student on higher education is the leastamongst developing and developed countries. Due to lower publicspending, the private spending per student has gone higher.

In the case of primary education as well, India is at the bottom of the pileof public spending per student, being only a notch higher than China.

Even though Indias aggregate expenditure oneducation has been increasing YoY, the rate of increaseisnt at pace with increasing budgetary expenditure,GDP growth or inflation.

Public Expenditure on Education

%of GDP

% of Total Government Expenditure

Brazil Russia India China

13%

1.9%

12.9%10.7%

3.2%

16.2%

5%3.9%


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Public expenditure on secondary and primary education at 43% and 37%respectively, is significantly higher than the amount being spent on tertiaryeducation which is only 20% of the total expenditure.

It is observed that a very

small share of the studentswho have received primaryand secondary educationreceive tertiary education.

This implies that a largepopulation in the age groupof 15-24 years is beingdeprived of professional skill

sets. This will result in a weakworkforce which will becomean obstacle in the growth ofthe economy.

In 2007, the gross enrolment ratio for boys in primary schools was 110 %and approximately 106 % . As a whole the GER was around 108 %.Practically, this high enrolment ratio does not reflect in the final pass out

from class V, because the drop-out rate was as high as 44 % in the sameyear. A similar kind of pattern was seen in the GER of tertiary education.

Higher education plays a key role in the development of various sectors ofthe economy, by providing skilled manpower. The status of universityeducation in India is rather unsatisfactory. In view of the demand for highly

qualified personnel in theindustry and service sector, theGER of the cohort group 18 to

24 years is at around 12 %which is much lower than theBRIC countries.

Enrolment ratios vary acrossIndian states, with the southernand western states faring betterthan their eastern and northerncounterparts.

for girls

Primary Secondary Tertiary

53%

12%

108%

Student Enrolment Ratio

Tertiary

Primary

Secondary43%

37%

20%

Public Expenditure Distributionon Education Level


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India has the highest pupil-teacher ratio amongst the BRIC countries andmore than the sum of China and Russia put together.

For primary education the ratio is highest in India amongst BRIC nations, asfor every forty students there is one teacher while the ratio is as low as 17

and 20 for Russia and China respectively.

The pupil teacher ratio for secondary education is slightly lower than theratio in primary education. However, with a ratio of 32, it is much higherthan the ratio in Brazil and China which stands equal at 19 for both thecountries.

Private enrolment of the total enrolment is highest in India for secondaryeducation with 42 per cent of the students studying in secondary classesbelonging to private schools.

States in northern India have the highest pupil teacher ratio with anaverage of 46 while states in eastern India have the lowest pupil teacherratio with an average of 19.

Student - Teacher Ratio

Brazil Russia India

17

40

24

China

18


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Governments

increasingrole in supporting

ICT in education


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Government Encouragementof Technology in Education

In recent years, the Government of India and various State governmentshave taken commendable steps toward encouraging the use of ICT ineducation through its different projects. This is apparent from theincrement in the budget allocated to school education and ICT in schoolproject.

In its latest attempt to boost ICT in education, the Cabinet Committee onEconomic Affairs approved a revised scheme of INR 6,929 crore to enable1.08 lakh government and government aided schools with ICT.

The revised scheme aims for the following:

1. Training more than 10 lakh teachers in using ICT-based tools foreducation.

2. Development and dissemination of e-content in regional languages toenhance the comprehension levels of children in various subjects.

3. Instituting awards for teachers and schools for encouraging use of ICTin the teaching learning process.

With the help of its earlier scheme on ICT, the government has been pivotalin equipping 53,000 schools with the use of ICT in education.

11

School Education Budget (GOI)in Rs. Billion

FY 06 FY 07 FY 08

171222

125

ICT in School Budget (GOI)in Rs. Million

FY 06 FY 07 FY 08

670

2500

500


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ICT Initiatives by Central andState Governments

The central government and various state governments have beeninitiating projects to leverage ICT in the Indian education system. Thecentral government has been providing funds to state governments forbuilding infrastructure in respective states. Majority of the direct centralgovernment initiatives are focussed on content building for secondary andhigher education with NPTEL being one of the most successful examplesof such initiative.

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Aarohi

ICT Project

School ComputerEducation Program

GRACE

HeadStart

Project Sharda

Computer for School

Skoool

IT @ School

Rajiv Gandhi ComputerLiteracy Program

GramJyoti

Bridges to the Future

Content Driven Projects Initiated

by Central Government

NPTEL

Sakshat

National Science Digital Library

Eklavya

LOR Consortium for EducationalConsortium

Brihaspati

NCERT online Textbooks

Large private companies such

as Microsoft, Intel, Cisco andIBM are working in tandemwith state governments toencourage ICT in education


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Voice of

the Students


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Adoption and Usage of Technology

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With the PC penetration in India growing rapidly and the telecomrevolution ensuring penetration of the internet in Tier II and Tier IIItowns, students nationwide are rapidly taking to technology foracademic, entertainment and other pursuits. One notable trend hasbeen the emergence of schools as a preferred/ common point ofregular access for students in suburban/ rural areas.

The computer usage in urban areas was found to be high with 95%of the students using it and 70% accessing the internet in the pastone month. While the usage in sub-urban areas still needs to matchthe usage in urban areas from current 75% usage of computer and50% usage of internet.

Access to PC/Net in Last Month

Computer Internet

Urban Suburban

50%

70%

95%

75%

Students are increasingly accessing technology

& e-content across multiple access points

State government school students while trailing, are fast catching up withthe use of PC/ internet. Only 75% of the state government school studentswere found using computers as against 100% of students in KVs and 98%of the students in private schools.

Whereas only 46% of the state government school students were found


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using computers as against 87% of students in KVs and 74% of thestudents in private schools.

School infrastructure is playing a significant role in enabling the studentsaccessing technology.

The trend is apparent in the case of students in private and stategovernment schools where the students' internet usage at school is 75%and 65% respectively.

Location of Access to PC/Net in Last Month

Computer InternetHome Cybercafe

42%52%

58%

71%

44%

16%

School

Schools are increasinglyemerging as location of choice

for ICT Usage


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School and home are the major point of usage of technology with 71% ofstudents using the computer and almost half of the students accessinginternet at schools.

There is a negative shift in internet usage at cybercafs with current usage

being 42%.

The exposure to computer at schools and homes is increasingly drivingstudents to use it for education and internet purposes.

KV schools lead the internet usage amongst other schools with 75% of theKV students using internet as against 66% and 49% of students in privateand state government schools.

Interestingly, internet usage is slightly more for education than for e-mail,

chat and social networking sites.

Purpose ofInternet Usage

Education Email

60% 59%

50%

Recreation

45%

Chat

Purpose ofComputer Usage

Education Internet

78%

40%43%

Recreation

Education tops list of computerand internet usage areas


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Technology application, once dominated by computer science, is increasinglyfinding its place in other subjects - science and maths being the major.

Students in state government schools posed the highest demand forapplication of technology with 67% students favouring it as against 60%students in private schools.

Students in KVs posed highest demand of technology usage with 65% insubjects other than computer science.

Students across all types ofschools posed a reasonable

demand of 14% in utilisingtechnology for language subjects.

Demand for Technology in Education

Academic usage oftechnology is stilloriented towards

learning computers

Computer Usage in Subjects

Maths Science

16%

42%

60%

Languages

14%

ComputerScience

There is a strong desire among students to improve their computer andinternet knowledge.

A small percentage of 12% rated themselves as excellent, 57% of themrated themselves as good and average and a considerable 26% ratedthemselves as poor computer users.

A large gap exists in the proficiency rating between students in urban andsub-urban areas.

Only 4% students in suburban areas rated themselves as excellent against21% students in urban areas.


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While 21% students in suburban areas rated themselves as poor against 9%students in urban areas.

Self Assessment: Technology Proficiency

Computer Internet

Good Poor

21%

28%

23%

29%34%

26%

Average

8%

12%

Excellent

A significant percentage of students acknowledged the positive role ofschool infrastructure in enhancing their technology proficiency.

65% students had a positive perception of school environment inurban areas as against 53% students with positive perception in sub-urban areas.

Significant number of

students believe thattechnological environmentat school helped improvetheir proficiency

Student Response:Schools Role in Improving

Proficiency with ICT

Agree Disagree

42%

58%

18


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Indian education space is witnessing a rise in the amount spent on childeducation by parents. This is encouraged by the realisation of importance ofeducation in modern life and also by the positive steps taken by thegovernment in this space.

Out of all students surveyed, 62% were found spending on science, 43% onmaths and 42% on rest of the subjects including social science, languageand computer science.

Half of the students in sub-urban areas spend almost 500 rupees permonth and 38% spend 1000 rupees per month on tuitions.

Approximately, 24% of students in urban areas spend 500 rupees permonth and 41% spend 1000 rupees per month on tuitions.

Strong propensityto pay for learningin India

Student AttendingCoaching Classes

Yes No

53% 47%

Students Spend on Tuition (in Rs)

< 500 500 - 1000 1000 - 2000

40%

14%

37%

> 2000

9%


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Usage of approximately halfof the students is limited to 2days per week.

Daily use of technology ishighest in KVs with 37% KV

students, 16% private schoolstudents and 10% stategovernment school studentsusing computer every day.

The usage of technology is restricted to computer laboratories in allKVs and state government schools. However, few private schools havestarted using technology in classes, although the percentage is small tothe tune of 8%.

Technology usage is increasingly finding its place through audio/visualrooms especially made in the schools.

20% students in state schools, 10% in KVs and 3% in private schoolswere using technology through audio/visual rooms.

Availability of Technologyin Education

Class Room

Computer Lab

Others

A considerable share of 16% of all studentsuse computers on a daily basis20

11%2%

87%

Technology Usage

Computer Internet

Atleast Oncea Week

Atleast 4Days/Week

14%

56%

100%100%

32% 30%

Atleast 2Days/Week

TechnologyUsage Location


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The usage of technology stillremains very low in terms of usagein hours per day.

The usage is restricted to 1 hour per

day amongst 64% of all thestudents surveyed. While 26% usethe computer for 2 hours a day.

Computer usage is as low as 2hours a day among 94% students instate government schools, 84% inprivate schools and 82% in KVs.

E-learning content is increasinglyfinding its place in school education. 43%of all students surveyed have used it onceor more.

Most of the usage has happened atschool, proving to be an initiator and a

platform for e-learning material.The school infrastructure has speciallyproved to be beneficial in case of stategovernment schools. 81% of the totalstudents using e-learning content use it atschool in case of state governmentschools. However, the same figure is 73%and 72% for private schools and KVsacross the country.

Home is the second most preferredlocation of e-content usage.

49% of the total students using e-learningcontent use it at school in case of privateschools. However, the same figure is 73%and 42% for KVs and 17% stategovernment schools across the country.

Technology Usage

Computer Internet

Atleast1 Hr/Day

Atleast4 Hr/Day

2%

15%

100%100%

14%

6%

Atleast2 Hr/Day

E-Learning Content UsageAmong Students

Users Non-Users

57% 43%

Cybercafe Home

13%

76%

33%

School

Location of Usage ofe-Learning Content

76% of all students usinge-content have primarily

used it at school premises.


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The usage of e-learning

content amongststudents is primarily for

assisting coursecurriculum and learning

of the subject

Pupose of Usageof e-Learning Content

Learning Material

Learning Assistance

Others

46%42%

12%

Usage of e-learning is spread evenly amongst all subjects in privateschools while the usage is skewed towards science in KVs and stategovernment schools.

An overwhelming 91% of the students in KVs used e-learning to assistlearning in science as against 63% of students in the state governmentschools.

The average usage of e-learning content is less than an hour a day.

e-Learning Content Usage Subject Wise

Maths Science ComputerScience

68%

25%23%

Language

27%


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An impressive share of 93% of students across all schools supported thepositive role of technology enabled education (TiE) in enhancing theirlearning curve.

The demand is higher in urban areas with 96% of the students showing

positive response towards TiE while 91% of the students in sub-urban areasalso showing a positive response.

KVs and private school students were more enthusiastic about the role ofTiE in their learning experience with 95% in each category showing apositive response.

In state government schools 91% of the students agreed with the positiverole of TiE in their learning experience.

e-learning handicap - e-learning content isprimarily available in English.

E-Learning ContentLanguages

English Regional Languages

1%

99%

Perception Towards ComputerEnabled Learning

Interested Disinterested

7%

93%


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Voice of

the Teachers


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Familiarity with Technology

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Teachers are the key link in equipping young India with technology enabled

education. So, their awareness and adaptability with technology is ofparamount concern.

While the overall figure of 80% teachers using computers is satisfactory, atthe same time only 64% of the teachers are actively using the internet.

Only a minute difference exists in usage of technology by teachers in urbanand sub-urban areas, signifying the lack of infrastructure in the sub-urbanareas.

Significant percentageof teachers with highbasic proficiency but lowon advanced e-learning

technology

Teachers Familiaritywith Technology

Computer Internet

Internet

28%

45%

35% 36%

Computer

A difference of almost 10% exists in the usage of computer and internet inboth the urban and sub-urban areas as there is lack of internet availabilityat home.

90% of teachers in KVs were found adept at basic computer knowledgeand 87% were familiar with the internet.

The figure for usage of computer by teachers in state government schoolwas as low as 59%.


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Technology usage is primarily preferred at home by teachers in private andstate government schools, usage convenience being the foremost reason.

With 91% teachers using computer at home and 73% using internet atschool, KV teachers usage at school surpasses the usage at home.

This signifies the role of better infrastructure in the usage of technology.

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A majority of 81% teachers use the internet for e-mail purpose while just41% use it to access online services such as online banking, payments andtrain reservations etc.

Technology usage byteachers is primarilyrestricted to basicpersonal function withusage predominantly

at home

Technology Usage Location

Computer Internet

Home CyberCafe

17%

62%

88%83%

47%

11%

School

TiE Training: TheMissing Link - Halfof the teachersreceive TiE trainingonly once a year

Frequency of Training for Teachers

3 6 12

12%

50%

3%

24

32%

Training Recurrence (in months)


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Training plays an important role in updating teachers with latest trends intechnology enabled education.

Only 29% of the teachers were provided sufficient training in the use ofICT in education.

36% of teachers in urban area schools and 22% of teachers in sub-urbanarea schools were found to receive the training.

KVs were found doing a better job in providing training to their teachers.A satisfactory 67% share of teachers in KVs were provided the trainingswhile only 25% and 22% of teachers in private and state governmentschools were provided trainings on ICT usage.

The number is worrisome and reflects a weak link in the TiE

implementation.

TIE trainingprovided to mostof the teachers lastfor only 5 days

The duration of training provided to teachers is another weak point in

the implementation of TiE in schools. Although KVs rank higher inproviding training to teachers, the duration of training to 85% of themwas found in a range of 10-15 days per year with 55% of them receivingtraining for less than 10 days.

59% of public school teachers received training for 10-15 days. Theduration of training to 93% of teachers in state government schools wasfound in a range of 10-15 days per year with 62% of them receivingtraining for less than 10 days. 27

Duration of Training per Annum

1-2 Week 2-3 Week 3-4 Week

38%

11%

47%

> 1 Month

5%


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Usage of Technology

Video and PPT format are the most

preferred mode of e-learning amongteachers as they are simple to operate.

Most of the teachers prefer readymade PPTmaterial and were found inept to maketheir own presentations on the lectures.

Schools in India are still catching up with the rising trend of e-learning in

class rooms.

Few teachers have started using e-learning in each class. The trend is visiblein urban areas with 7% of teachers using it in each class while, in sub-urbanareas, there is no trend of using e-learning in each class.

The usage of e-learning is highest amongst teachers in KVs with 80% usingit in special classes and 65% using it for special projects.

Private schools are followed by state government schools in e-learning

usage with 59% of teachers in private schools and 31% of teachers in stategovernment schools using it in special classes respectively.

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TiE is restricted toAudio/Visual rooms but

increasing usage seenin classrooms

Format of e-Content Usage

Video Others

67% 64%

44%

PPT

Location of e-Content Usage

Every Class SpecialClasses

5%

59%53%

Projects


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Perception of TiEAn impressive number of teachers across urban and sub-urban locationswere found comfortable with the language of e-content; however they use

regional languages to make students understand the concepts in classthrough TiE.

Strong demandamong faculty toroll out e-learninginfrastructure

Even though teachers across urban and suburban areas find itdifficult to cope up with the existing technological infrastructureand training provided to them, they are enthusiastic in increasingthe participation of TiE in the current education system and firmlybelieve that it will enable students to comprehend subjects in a

lucid manner.

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Comfortable with language

of e-Content

Teachers perception on TiE

89%

79%

70%

Would prefer moreTiE in classes

Agree that TiE helpspupil in faster learning curve


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Voice of

the Schools


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Schools have Already Started

Using a Wide Array of Technology

in EducationThe Indian education industry is witnessing a surge in the adaptation andincreasing demand of computers in schools. While PCs and printers havebecome a necessity, other technology items such as smart board, projector,shared computers and other display items are finding their way inside theschool education system.

86% of KVs, 42% of private schools and 34% of state government schools

across urban and sub-urban area procured PCs last year, making KVs thefront runners in being technology savvy.

Availability of PCs in schools provides the students a basic infrastructure toaccess the technology. However, very less emphasis is laid on theprocurement or update of software required by the students. Only 34% ofthe schools expect any expenditure on the software procurement. Thediminutive figure of 19% of state government schools procuring software isworrisome.

With 45% of urban schools and 24% of suburban schools spending onsoftware procurement, a large disparity exists between the two.

KVs are thefront runners

in procuringthe PCs owingto the strictgovernmentguidelines

School Expenditure onHardware Products 2009-10

Printer PC Projector

43%

21%

34%

Display

14%

Although thedemand of

projectors islow in schools,it is equal inurban andsub-urban

areas

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Schools have started embracing technology enabled education material.One third of the schools interviewed expect to spend on TiE in the comingyear. However, the state government schools are still to come at par withKVs and private schools as less than 20% of them foresee expenditure onTiE

Schools Expenditure on Software Products 2010-11

67%

33%

Not Expected Expected

The School Budgets are Focused

on Hardware Procurement

A large share of 81% schools are spending on technology products.

However, the amount spent remains meagre. Amount spent by KVs remainshigher than the amount spent by other schools owing to the supportprovided to them by the central government. Out of 71% of KVs spendingon technology, 54% spent INR 2- 5 Lakhs per year. While out of 84% ofprivate schools spending on technology, 58% spent less than INR 2 lakhsper year on technology.


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School Expenditure on Tech Education

Hardware e-ContentSoftware

5%3%

16%

62%

19% 26%

71%

3%

52%

43%

None < 2L 2L-5L >5L

e-learning content being the latest trend in education is increasingly findingits place in schools. However, as its awareness still remains low, schoolbudgets do not prioritize expenditure on the same.

Only 48% of schools were found spending on procuring e-learning content,

out of which only 5% are spending a significant amount between INR 2-5Lakhs annually.

The market is price sensitive and brand conscious, and emphasises least onservice as a parameter while deciding technology procurement.

All KVs agreed on cost as the prime driving factor in the buying processwhile approximately three fourth of the private schools consider brand asthe most important decision making parameter.

State government schoolsand private schools aredoing balanced spendingon both hardware andsoftware while very fewKVs spend on software

Almost half the schoolsacross all categories inurban and sub-urban areasare spending on TiE.However, majority of theseschools spend less than

INR 2 lakhs p.a.


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A large number of schools have a positive perception of TiE and believethat it helps students in quick grasping of concepts irrespective of thesubject taught.

The KVs and private schools across urban and sub-urban areas are preparedto implement TiE as they are equipped with the infrastructure required forthe same. However, the situation is exactly opposite for the state

government schools as they lack basic technological infrastructure.

34

The decision makersof technology

procurement inschools are pricesensitive and brandconscious.

Procurement Decision Influencer

Hardware Software

Cost Service

41%52%

45%

68% 71%81%

Brand

Almost every schoolis aware of the

benefits of TiE ineducation but findslack of infrastructureas a major hurdle inmaking TiE common

School Perception onTiE Enhances Pupil Learning Curve

Positive Negative

7%

93%


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e-content being the latest trend in education space, is finding its wayforward in subjects other than computer science.

Although the actual usage of e-content is restricted to computer science,one can see a positive perception and its increased demand in other

subjects, science being the most preferred choice.

TiE has gainedimportance in subjectsbesides computers,Science being majorly

emphasized upon

Demand of TiE in Subjects Taught

Science Computers S. Science

84%68%

75%

Language

53%

Numerous programs have been conducted by social/non-profitorganisations, education bodies and technology companies to help equipteachers with the tools for using e-content. The reach of training is clearlyvisible in case of KVs but is lacking in case of private and state governmentschools.

83% of KVs were found to be providing sufficient training to teachers,while only 58% of private schools and 38% of state government schoolswere able to provide training to teachers.

Nearly half of theschool headsclaimed that theylack in TiE training

Teachers Training on TiE

Provided Not Provided

48%

52%


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teachers in schools to use ICT as an educational tool to bring in theparadigm shift from by rote and passive learning to methods that wouldfoster children's capacity for critical thinking and their ability to learn ontheir own.

The project provides ICT-enabled education to 2,644 schools, 4,776,306students and 176,569 teachers. Working over a long-term, the projecttargets reaches out to 1.6 million students per year. The project, throughICT, has enabled the empowerment of 5 million students and 0.2 millionteachers through a network of dedicated 200 Master Trainers and 5600 ITcoordinators.

Another significant facet about this project is that it is the single largestsimultaneous deployment of Free and Open Source Software based ICT

education in the world.

The key priorities include extending the IT@School project to the primarylevel for all schools in the State, ensuring reach of broadband to all schools,enabling the use of IT as a tool for education. Besides, using IT foradministering examination is also contemplated.

Resistance to change remains to be the single biggest challenge in thisdirection. There is need to create awareness regarding the relevance andvalue of collaboration in the field of education and knowledge creation. Thesecond biggest challenge is lack of adequate resources with the cash-strapped university systems to invest in IT. This prevents them to adopt to

modern ICT enabled technologies more extensively.

In Kerala, most of the IT initiatives in the education sector have beensuccessfully led by the public sector. A major success is the IT@Schoolinitiative.

What are the DoIT's key priorities in the education sector in 2010?

What are the key challenges that DoIT faced in rolling out ICT ineducation in 2009 and view on these in 2010?

What are the key public-private partnerships in ICT in educationand how have they fared?


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On the other hand, the partnership of Akshaya and Intel in the Intel LearnProgramme and IT@School and Intel in Skoool initiative are examples ofpublic private partnership in the field of education, specifically IT education.

Other models relate to setting up IT labs by various IT certificate providingcompanies like CISCO, Novatel etc in various colleges.

The 'Skoool' Kerala project is an Intel driven initiative that brings you highlyinnovative, interactive and exciting learning resources via cutting edgetechnologies and devices. A first of its kind initiative, Skoool Kerala provideslearners and teachers with all they need to support their understanding of

Science and Maths. It leverages the expertise of top teachers in their fieldsfor the development of its content.

Again a public-private partnership in ICT in education, the project can beextended to cover other subject areas, depending on the response that thisrecently launched initiative evokes.

http://kerala.skoool.in/about_skoool.htm

If one were to speak from the education sector alone, The IT@School haspotential enough for nation-wide replication since it helps to train children.But however on a larger level, the Akshaya Project, which has provided e-literacy to people across all age groups would be worthy of replication.

Congratulations on launching the first government driven content initiativeSkoool reported last week. What are your future plans in space?

What is the case study in Kerala you think has best potential to bereplicated nationwide?


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Case Study: IT@School

Introduction

Objectives

Activities

Changing lives across 2466 government and government aided schools,IT@School project is a progressive initiative started by the Government ofKerala in April 2002 providing ICT enabled education to 1.6 millionstudents per year in the state. This revolutionary project was set up toredesign the conventional methodologies of teaching through the use ofICT, and has empowered 5 million students and 0.2 million teachersthrough 200 master trainers and 5600 IT coordinators since itscommencement.

With a vision to create an IT literate community, IT@School works towardsimproving the quality of education using the latest ICT tools available. Itaims to improve the effectiveness of the entire education departmentthrough the mechanism of e-governance. It also aims at providing trainingto teachers in latest innovations in the space. IT@School has deployed Free

and Open Source Software (FOSS) based ICT education.

1. IT@School provides for capacity building of the teaching and learningcommunity through training programmes in ICT, internet, hardwareand ICT enabled education for teachers and IT coordinators.


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2. An important function of the project is infrastructure upgradationinvolving deployment of IT infrastructure including around 7300computers and associated hardware to around thousands of schools inKerala. It also develop content

3. It is also involved in maintenance of EDUSAT interactive terminals fortraining programmes across 15 different centres and runs the VirtualClass Technology on EDUSAT for Rural Schools (ViCTERS) educationalchannel with in-house production facility for educational content.ViCTERS reaches out to 12,500 schools and around 50 lakh students,offering them interactive virtual classrooms serving as a platform tointeract with subject experts and educationists thereby ensuringprovision of high quality education.

4. Transformation across all the levels can be seen through IT@School e-Governance initiatives. IT@School has been working to ensureavailability of broadband internet connectivity to all schools to enablethe use of IT as a tool for education.

Achievements

IT@School project has been successfully leveraging IT to bring outtransformation across students and teachers from different socio-economicstrata in Kerala and has been enhancing productivity of teachers along withimparting skills and knowledge to students. Around 15 lakh studentsacquire IT skills through this project every year.

The world's largest simultaneous deployment of FOSS initiatives ineducation have been carried by this project.

IT@School and Intel have initiated 'Skoool Kerala' which is designed toprovide students and teachers with highly engaging and innovative learningresources in Maths and Science using technology.

for ICT enabled education for upper

primary and high school classes.

40


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Case Study: Live@edu

Microsoft, under its program live@edu is working in the directions toenhance ICT adoption in schools and build the employability readiness skillsof the future workforce in the country. The company is working in tandemwith many state governments in the country.

Live@edu is a suite of application that can be easily deployed byeducational institutes. It offers Mobile, web and desktop basedapplications, helping students to collaborate easily.

Live@edu provides students, staff, faculty, and alumni long-term, primarye-mail addresses and other applications they can use to collaborate andcommunicate online. The company regularly updates and adds to Live@eduservices, so partner institutions can continually expand the set of servicesoffered to students and alumni. And students will be using company'sproducts similar to those used in many workplaces, helping to preparethem for jobs after college.

With its effort through Live@edu, the company is trying to help reduce

some of these common problems faced in IT infrastructure, including:High maintenance costs.

Too much time spent maintaining e-mail systems for students andalumni rather than working on more strategic initiatives.

Lack of common tools for students to communicate and collaboratewith others on campus.

Keeping students safer online and helping to keep their data private.

?

?

?

?


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Key Benefits

Live@edu offers the following benefits to its partner institutes:

It provides free service for K12 and Higher

Education institutions. Because it's a hosted service, the partner institutessave on the ongoing maintenance costs or updating systems.

It offersstudents a unique e-mail mailbox they can keep even after they graduate.E-mail accounts include an email inbox through Outlook Live with 10GBinbox and 20MB attachmentsalong with spam filtering, calendaring, andother features.

Live@edu works with the investments instituteshave already made on their IT infrastructure. It's compatible with Windows,Mac, and Linux computers and can integrate with your existing studentdirectories

Live@edu includes applications that can help collaboration,including:

?Office Live Workspace

?Windows Live SkyDrive

?Windows Live Spaces

?Microsoft SharedView Beta

?Windows Live Messenger

?Windows Live Alerts

Live@edu includes features and policies to

protect the privacy of students communications. For example, the e-mailservices include anti-phishing technologies and SSL-encryptedauthentication, and Live@edu policies prohibit third-party banner ads in e-mail and the sharing of information with third parties unless the studentopts in.

Offer current and future alumni an e-mailaddress with your school brand that they can keep for life and use to stayconnected with your institution and with fellow alumni.

Save time and money.

Give students an e-mail address with the university domain.

Build on what you have.

Give students the applications they want, and help them work togetherwith faculty.

Help keep students safe online.

Stay in touch with alumni.


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Numerous institutes including Symbiosis, Pune and Modern School, Delhihas implemented the service in their campuses. Students and teachers areexcited about its reliability, as well as the ability to keep theircommunications in one place.

Worldwide, the service was launched by the company about two yearsback. In India, the company has signed up with 1000 schools both at K12and university level and providing e-mail ids to around half a millionstudents studying across the country. The adoption is growing day by dayand it is going to get widely adopted.

Most of the schools are progressive about technologythese days, and I have seen a rapid adoption andinclusion in their IT infrastructure of the school.

- Tarun Malik, Director,Marketing and Strategy, Microsoft India

live@eduhashelpedthe

studentstowidentheir

horizonsintermsof

educationthroughtechnology.Ithasprovide

d

commonplatformtoshare

informationregarding

curricularandco-curricular

activities.

-Mrs.JyotiGupta,Principal,

K.R.MangalamSchool,Delhi

live@edumakeslearning

easierandquickerto

studentswhileatthe

sametimeitistimesaving

andconvenientto

teachers.Theserviceis

providedinacontrolled

andefficientmanner.

-LataVaidyanathan,

Principal,ModernSchool,

Delhi


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Way Forward

Infrastructure

Access

Affordability

Infrastructure is the key to get along with the global information network.

To get into the threshold of a digital society and economy, it is important tohave the basics such as: computers, e-content, smart boards, LCDprojectors and etc. They are generally capital intensive tasks involving ahuge amount of resources, technology, human skills and so on. It dependson government willingness and capacity, public-private partnerships andincentives for private operators.

This is the top most issue in sub-urban areas. Accessibility involvesavailability of satellite based programme, mobile services, internet facilities,access to relevant and timely training programmes, and so on.

A higher cost of access to ICT is denying millions to the basic infrastructurerequired to explore the advantages of ICT in education space. Affordabilitydetermines user's access and subsequent opportunities. Even ifinfrastructure is available it must be affordable to be widely used.

There are several critical factors that determine whether ICT and e-contentcould be made available to schools to enhance education imparting

capacities to students at an affordable rate.


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Capacity Building

Content Relevance

Policy Framework

Coordination among stakeholders

This is about opportunities provided for training and learning or making ICTliterate. This involves providing timely and relevant educational and

technical assistance to teachers. Capacity building also involvescoordination between various stakeholders in building capacity by sharingresources and technology and its use and dissemination.

Content should be relevant and specific to subjects, boards and students.This helps to enlist wider support in specific content generation,

dissemination and usability. Importantly, it should be able to deal effectivelywith local language syndrome.

Timely and relevant guidelines help to foster ICT penetration for greatersocio-economic gains and growth. Steps like deregulation, encouraging

private participation, tax and duty incentives, wise spending of resourceshelp to integrate ICT with national goals and its fulfilment.

This is very important in the present circumstances. It calls for greatercoordination between public and private parties such as content generationcompanies, technology companies, state and central boards and

government. This also includes role of public authorities, civil society,individuals, corporate working in tandem to deliver ICT benefits to theeducation sector.


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MethodologyIn order to gauge the Awareness, Perception, Usage and Consumption ofICT among teachers, students and technology buyers, Webchutney carried

out detailed face-to-face interviews with the principals, teachers andstudents in identified Kendriya Vidyalayas, public and state governmentschools across urban and sub-urban areas in the country. The interviewswere conducted on the basis of selected parameters for the study.

The samples were selected by probability proportional to population (ppp)with replacement method. The 2001 census data was used to identify thesampling frames for urban and survey frames. We conducted astatistically representative sample survey of principals, teachers and

students. The object of stratification was implemented with an objective to(i) increase efficiency of the survey design, and (ii) ensure administrative andoperational convenience. The field data was collected by data collectionagents hired by Webchutney.

sub-urban

Coverage

The research was conducted based on the following coverage:

Based on the results and insights in the study, key actionable points wereidentified where the government in concert with industry can move toquickly address specific demand areas in the technology enabled educationvalue chain.46

Scope Number Details

States 5 Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra and Kerala

Districts 15 3 in each state

Schools 300 20 in each district

Students 3000 10 in each school from 10th and12th standard

Teachers 1200 4 in each school (Science, maths,IT and language)

Technology Buyers 300 1 in each school


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About the Authors

Madhu Sudan is the Director leading DotGov,

Webchutney's e-governance business.

With significant experience in the media and

technology space, he has a deep understanding of

the digital domain. He has considerable experience

with the Network18 group and has workedextensively on technology and internet media. He holds a degree in

business management from IIM Bangalore and an undergraduate

degree in electronics & communications engineering.

He can be reached at [email protected]

Madhu Sudhan

Sidharth Rao is the Chief Executive Officer and

Co-Founder of Webchutney, India's leading and

most awarded web services company.

With over 12 years of industry experience,

Sidharth has made a significant contribution in

shaping the interactive marketing industry in

India. Sidharth leads the 125 people strongorganization assisted by an excellent management team across New

Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.


Sidharth Rao


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Rajesh Arora is the Vice President of DotGov,

Webchutney's e-governance business. A sterlingtechnology media professional with over 14years of robust industry experience in Sales andMarketing, his past leadership in online as wellas offline companies include IT Nation, IndianExpress and CyberMedia.

Rajesh leads a dedicated team of digitalspecialists and seasoned sales-force with

operations spanning across the country, to meet the increasing digitalneeds of emerging enterprises and mid-size outfits, as they becomethe next set of industry leaders in India.


Rajesh Arora

Priyank is the Senior Analyst with DotGov,Webchutney's e-governance business. He carries asignificant research experience with Evalueserveand Capgemini. In dotGov division of Webchutney,he tracks the Indian Education space. His pastprojects were related to market sizing, industryoverview, competitive analysis, and companyprofiling. He holds a certificate in business management program from

IIM Calcutta and an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.


Priyank Jain

A special thanks to for conceptualisingand executing the report design.

Sushil Kumar


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About WebchutneysdotGov Division

Webchutney's DotGov division is committed to partner with central,state and local governments in India to provide convenient, citizenoriented and cost effective public services through electronic media.

Our goal is to enable the Indian government and public bodiesmake optimal use of the digital medium to deliver information andservices to the citizens.

Webchutney has been ranked the Number 1 Digital Services

Company in India, two years in a row by Economic Times (Dec 2008, 2009). Our offices are in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Wework closely with fortune 500 and Blue Chip Indian companies inimplementing their digital strategies and solutions.

Services

We provide a wide array of consulting services ranging fromstrategic planning and change enablement to technologyassessment and portal implementation.

For more information, log onto www.webchutney.com

Delhi 7, Keher Singh Estate, Ground Floor, Westend Marg, Lane 2, Said-ul-Ajaib, New Delhi - 110030

Tech Enabled Education in Indian Schools 2010

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