National Policy on ICT in School Education

INTRODUCTION

With increasing emphasis on education the world over, educationists are researching new methods to effectively impart knowledge to students. Modern students are no longer limited to school and college grads but refresher courses, corporate training, orientation courses at government and defence, skill enhancement schools, etc have found ever increasing number of students. Transfer of maximum knowledge in the minimum possible time is the ultimate aim of all the educational institutes. In the modern world of information overload, specialization and super-specialization is now driving the education industry. Therefore, world is adapting the latest interactive learning and teaching methods that helps everyone to reach the pinnacle of education.

Selecting and evaluating sources of information, designing, creating and composing a document, recording the interpretation of sources and resources, communicating and presenting conclusions. These key curricular processes and others such as measuring, controlling modeling, testing and calculating underpin much of what comprises learning, living and working in the modern world.

While of course each subject in the curriculum comprises a unique and distinct set of knowledge, skills and understandings within these common curricular processes underpin every subject. Accepting that these key processes were around long before ICT, it is the ability of ICT to facilitate them, regardless of the particular subject or body of knowledge being studied, that makes it such a powerful tool for the modern educator � and even raises the question as to whether or not a subject-based curriculum remains the best approach for living, working and learning in a modern society

Information and Communications Technology has revolutionized almost every facet of our lives. India has recognized its importance in the early eighties although it was in use in defence and research organizations from a decade earlier. Thankfully, our predecessors acknowledged its potential and our country today can boast of one of the best trained manpower in IT and Communications in the world. However, ICT was introduced in the filed of education in the mid eighties. Although erstwhile India lagged way behind the developed nations in terms of infrastructure and economy, it had a hidden advantage when finally ICT started to grow in our country. We realized, and so did the world, that developed countries had already invested billions of dollars and pounds in their ICT infrastructure and were trapped in a dilemma whether to reinvest and upgrade to newer technology or continue with the old technology and try to recover the investment costs. India had a jump start in terms of entering straight into the latest technology and thus coming at par with the best in the world.

The situation explained is not so uniform across the country. While the information highways have expanded in the metropolitan and urban centres, smaller cities and rural India have lagged behind. Communication infrastructure in terms of broadband connectivity and IT in terms of computer and PC based education is yet to make an impressionable impact. To ensure ICT penetration level at par with metros and a few urban centres, these areas require urgent attention. It dosed not mean that metros and large cities have achieved the desired level of ICT penetration. While the disparities need to be removed, it is also essential to raise the standard of education all across in a phased manner.

The government has strived to provide a level playing field to the target population by releasing a policy on ICT in schools in 2004. However, due to dynamic and vibrant nature of ICT, it is required that a fresh look is given to this policy, achievements analysed, lessons learnt be compiled and policy suitably modified to achieve an optimum course correction.

BACKGROUND

Policy on ICT in Schools 2004

Computer Literacy and Studies in School (CLASS) was introduced as a pilot project in 1984-85. During 8th five year plan, the project was adopted as Centrally Sponsered Scheme and was extended to institutions and new Government aided Sec/ Sr Sec Schools which were given BBC micro computers. Assistance included purchase and maintenance for new schools and maint of BBC micros.

National Task Force on Information Technology and Software Development (IT Task Force) was constituted in July 1998. it made specific recommendations for introduction of IT in education sector including schools. Vidyarthi Computer Scheme, Shikshak Computer Scheme and School Computer Scheme were introduced to enable purchase of computers by students and teachers at affordable costs. It also made recommendations to introduce internet to schools, polytechnic colleges and public hospitals by 2003.

Perhaps one of the most significant recommendations is introduction of SMART Schools. However, its scope was limited in concept and definition to provisioning of computers and internet to the schools and colleges.

The ICT in Schools scheme is not a standalone scheme but it actively solicits the partnership of States, Union Territories and other organisations for homogeneous proliferation of ICT in education sector in the country. It also emphasised on setting up of Smart Schools by KVS/NVS in states.

Objectives of the Policy were:

Establish an enabling environment to promote the usage of ICT in Government High schools. Critical factors of such of such an enabling environment include widespread availability of access devices, connectivity to the Internet and promotion of ICT literacy.
Ensure the availability of quality content on-line and through access devices both in the private sector and ETC.
Enrichment of existing curriculum and pedagogy by employing ICT tools for teaching and learning.
Enable students to acquire skills needed for the digital world for higher studies and gainful employment.
Provide an effective learning environment for children with special needs through ICT tools.
Promote critical thinking and analytical skills by developing self learning. This shall transform the classroom environment from teacher centric to student centric learning.
Promote the use of ICT tools in distance education, including the employment of audio-visual medium and satellite based devices.

Implementation Of ICT In Education In Other Countries

ICT has not only supported the key curricular processes; it has facilitated a wide range of teaching and learning styles connecting all schools, colleges, libraries, universities and as many community centres as possible to the Grid;

� Ensuring that serving teachers feel confident and are competent to teach ICT within the curriculum, and that librarians are similarly trained;
� Enabling school leavers to have a good understanding of ICT, with measures in place for assessing their competence in it; Four key tests were applied in order to determine whether the UK education system is appropriately placed to benefit from the contribution ICT can make in improving the quality of teaching and learning. Those four tests are:

(1) Are schools able to access an adequate, sustainable and manageable ICT infrastructure?
(2) Are schools effectively connected to each other, to their communities and to the Internet?
(3) Do teachers have easy access to a diverse range of educational online content?
(4) Are teachers confident enough with their practice to know when and how to use ICT and when not to use it?

The findings of study and analysis of ICT in education in UK are given below:

UK policy makers realised that the key measures of successful infrastructure provision must go beyond simple computer:pupil ratios and look to the issue of manageability and sustainability.

Manageability

The government is currently far too obsessed with the number of computers in schools rather than with the ease with which they can be supported and the effectiveness with which they can be used. Schools need to begin moving rapidly towards the concept of an ICT �managed service� where an IT specialist company is responsible for providing an integrated service of equipment, software and support with the costs spread over 3 to 5 years. This approach has the advantage of leaving the school free to concentrate on the effective use of the technology to improve the quality of teaching, learning and educational management.

Schools have to date tended to shy away from such managed service contracts because they are perceived to be more expensive than the existing arrangements and because there is a lack of clarity, consistency and dependability in relation to school budgets. These factors significantly militate against the 3 or 5 year support contracts typically required to demonstrate the value for money advantage of a managed service approach.

Sustainability

For an ICT infrastructure to be sustainable not only must initial capital and running costs be affordable, but the inevitable cost of regular updating and replacement must also be accommodated. The continued dependence of schools on capital grants from central government to fund their stock of computers points to a lack of sustainability in the medium to long term.

Are schools effectively connected?

One of the key priorities of the government was to connect every school to the �information superhighway�. At that time some 83% of secondary schools and 17% of primary schools were connected to the Internet. By 2001 these numbers had increased to 96% of primary schools and 99% of secondary schools connected.

The vast majority of schools are still connected through narrowband services and the number of computers being used in each school is such that the quality of connection is very often far from satisfactory � a connectivity bottleneck (see chart).

Where there is broadband access, the broadband �pipe� is delivering a level of service (2Mbit bandwidth) much below that which would be required if schools were to fully embrace a digital curriculum.

Recommendation
The office of the e-envoy has been looking for some time now at the issue of broadband in the public sector. Mindful of its �education, education, education� commitment, the government should make broadband provision for schools an immediate priority. It should commit to the delivery of an 8Mbps service to every primary school, and 34Mbps service to every secondary school.

The cost of providing a particular level of broadband connectivity to a school will depend on a whole range of factors including the technology used, the location of the premises, the level of competition prevailing (particularly at the local loop end) and the timescale over which the initial investment is to be recovered.

Teacher confidence

Of all of the issues which will impact the ability to improve the quality of teaching and learning the most important one is the ability of teachers to adapt their practice to embrace the new technologies.

. In the UK, the management of failing state schools has been contracted out to for-profit and non-profit bodies, and there is a debate about whether churches and faith groups could run state-funded schools under licence. Other countries, such as the Netherlands and Denmark, have lived with state funding but diverse provision for many years.

Not only does such diversity give choice to parents; it encourages innovation and customer-focus, and bids up standards as schools strive to win the support of more parents and so increase their share of the state�s funding.

Online curriculum content and the other opportunities opened up by ICT are other areas where the benefits of diversity will be clear. A sector which is moving so quickly, and which exists precisely in order to generate new ideas and new ways of working, is ill-suited to being managed and regulated by government-style institutions, which are inevitably rather bureaucratic and slow-moving. Rather, it should be regulated through the much more dynamic process of customer choice. But for that system to work, customers must possess the actual power to exercise their choices.

Impact on teacher workload

Widespread access to ICT facilities would enable much of the bureaucratic burden on teachers and schools to be removed. There are virtually no aspects of the teacher�s workload which could not be improved through such access. Attendance recording, curriculum planning, assessment and reporting, and lesson preparation are but a few of the opportunities. The provision of educational broadband would facilitate the development of a range of competing educational support services, which would have the advantage of reducing the administrative burden on teachers.

If education is to benefit fully from the contribution which ICT can make to improving standards, it needs to remember the key lesson learned from the introduction of new technology into business: don�t just computerize existing practice: change the practice to fully exploit the new opportunity. That points to the need to consider the opportunity for fundamental curriculum reform. It is already clear that in the longer term the key contribution that ICT can make to such reform is its ability to:

� motivate pupils;
� encourage autonomous learning;
� facilitate differentiated learning experiences;
� allow the curriculum to be tailored to the needs of individual pupils;
� broaden the range of sources and resources available;
� provide improved feedback on learning outcomes.

The opportunities presented by new technology should also allow us to take a radical look at the role of schools and the way they work. In a world where, increasingly, learning can take place and any time and in any place we need to consider issues such as:

� The hours during which schools open;
� The role of teachers;
� The balance between number of teachers and other support professionals;
� The organization of learning groups;
� The interaction with the home; and
� Pastoral care arrangements.

These changes point to a dramatically improved opportunity to put the needs of the individual learner at the heart of or education system, and point to opportunities for change in the way schools operate.

WHY FRESH PERSPECTIVE?

As brought out earlier, ICT is perhaps one of the most dynamically changing field. It has some key features which we will strive to highlight by giving out the examples and technology description of the latest in this field:

Convergence

Technologically diverse platforms of yesterday may be available today on a single platform. E.g., communications, TV and PC applications are available on a single platform today in the form of chat, multimedia streaming and IPTV. The convergence technology is rapidly making new products affordable while simultaneously rendering the old ones obsolete. ICT in education has to take this into account by safeguarding against the obsolescence factor and also incorporating the new ones to enhance awareness and skill levels of teachers and students alike. One excellent example of convergence is the revolutionary Video Conferencing system described below.

Under the conventional system, an instructor is allotted certain periods for a particular class. Thus, physically binding the time limit for teaching and learning in a linear fashion. Presently there is no system to leverage the time so that theoretically more students can benefit from an important session being conducted at a physically different location. These sessions can be in various forms like:

(a)Visiting faculty
(b)Important workshops
(c)Various seminars on technology and science
(d)Brain storming sessions
(e)Common projects and consultations
(f)Sharing of notes
(g)Inter-college debates
(h)Interaction for experiments
(i)Serve as a window to latest development in the engineering field
(j)On line collaboration
(k)Network Virtual Environment
(l)Enable concurrent learning
(m)Saving of time and resources
(n)Live transmission of sessions

The above dilemma can be solved by use of latest gadgets and equipments, now available at much lower cost than a few years back. Intelligent and integrated use of these equipments can boost the output of instructors and enhance the learning experience of students. Availability of state of art Video Conferencing systems will certainly increase the involvement of students and also help in wider participation from various batches.

Video Conferencing (VC) System. Latest VC systems provide true to life moving video in real time. Video from remote locations can be streamed into the class room and meshed with the display systems available there. It is a must have eqpt for any modern class room for real life presentations in full ambient light conditions. It can be integrated with PC or any other video device for display on the screen with realistic images. For video displays involving inputs other than those required for the display like presentations and PC based presentations; this is extremely handy and irreplaceable equipment.

To optimally view & comprehend the data/video coming in from remote sources, the class room should have a sufficiently large display device. Every class room should have the capability of sharing (display) data from PC/Laptop as well as share printed documents. They should have a recording facility so that live examples or important sessions can be replayed back later. They should also have the capability of interspersing video & data from different sources onto the same screen as an ongoing video conference.

Components. The components of the VC systems are:
Network Controller
VC Cameras
Audio system
Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for recording the sessions
Broadband connectivity

Evolution
ICT is a constantly evolving field by this we mean that new applications are emerging every day which if cleverly used can raise the comfort level of educators and learners. Replacement of blackboard based teaching with smart boards and networked classrooms are but a few examples which have emerged of late and are finding increasing acceptance among the private owned schools and colleges. Government educational institutes can embrace this concept to benefit from it wide ranging possibilities:

White Board. These boards provide interactivity to any lesson, teaching session and are a worthy replacement of chalk and board environment of yesteryears. A complete session can be saved and replayed later freeing the teacher from repetitions.

Affordability

With the evolution of new technology and its wide spread use, newer equipment is becoming more affordable for use. As an example, a video projector was priced at around 3-5 lakh rupees a couple of years back. The better version of this same equipment is now available for less than one lakh rupees now. While the higher costs prohibited its application in the schools then, now more and more private sector schools are embracing its use in the teaching application. It not only makes the contents more readable, but also helps in saving a repetitive content to be shown over and over again to different sections and in different sessions. Teachers can improve upon the contents of their presentations (lessons) and save time during the actual classroom sessions to concentrate on the key issues rather than devoting their precious time in writing and rubbing on the conventional backboard. Class can also benefit in the form of having a multimedia content being shown in their respective rooms now instead of moving out to the auditorium or AV room and have a better interaction with the teacher.

Interactivity

New developments are not only making the world a smaller place, it is also enabling interactivity among its users. Interactivity spans from a group within a room to people spread over large geographical distances. It eases information exchange, helps in shedding inhibition among participating people because they can interact with each other unnoticed by a third person.

Interactive sessions through easy to use products make the teaching environment more cohesive and conducive to teach and learn. Modern educational institutes require a complex convergence of communications and modern IT equipment (eqpt) infrastructure. To keep in sync with the above requirement and in order to increase the efficiency of teachers and students alike, it is imperative that Smart ICT Classroom be setup using such concepts. Given below are a few examples of interactive equipment present in the market:

Interactive panel. This device is used in conjunction with the teacher�s PC and acts as an interactive touch panel interface. Thus teacher can concentrate on his/her topic rather than being bogged down by the mouse operations.

Meeting Pads. These pads are interactive devices on which teacher or student can write using a stylus or magnetic pen which can be seen on the screen. Thus, interactive sessions become livelier and whole class can participate actively in the teaching session. Can also be used for taking interactive notes.

Student Response System. There are many occasions when the teacher wants to assess the progress of class and periodic review of his/ her own teaching efforts. Objective type questions provide the most suitable medium to do so. Student Response System (SRS) is the equipment to be used under such scenarios. It has a receiver unit and a number of small handheld units (Remote type transmitter) which are provided to students. Teacher can flash the questions on the screen and students respond via press of the button on the SRS remote held with them. The results are instantly available to the teacher along with the statistics if number of questions is more. It helps the teacher in carrying out the necessary course correction and judging the standard of the class.

REDEFINING ICT CONCEPTS IN EDUCATION

As brought out in the beginning, we should draw lessons from the use of ICT in business and accordingly modify our concepts for its effective use in education. The most important and basic lesson taught to the system analysts and software engineers is that � automation does not mean merely computerisation of existing processes. Existing processes have to be redesigned to make optimum use of IT equipment being introduced. Thus, Business Process Reengineering (BPR) is the building block on which the new system or software has to develop.� What it means in the field of education is that we have to redefine our concepts of ICT in education. We do not have to merely put a computer in the classroom and provide internet connection to stake our claim of achieving automation or completeness of ICT in education.

What Should Be The Redesigned Model?

To draw the redesigned model, following steps have to be taken:

� Collect technologically fit equipment and platforms available in the industry related to teaching and learning.
� Assess their suitability for effective teaching and learning. It can be done easily by looking at their performance the world over and feedback from existing users.
� Prepare final list of equipment proposed to be fielded. Care has to be taken to safeguard against obsolescence of the technology. By this it is meant that the particular class of equipment should be available for use for at least next five years. Revision in its model number and underlying platform will not qualify for obsolescence. For example, a student response system working on IR based system may be upgraded to RF based system however, the class of equipment is not obsolete since the work performed is same and process of teaching will not require a reengineering.
� Analyse present teaching model
� Review the whole model to mesh with the proposed list of equipment.
� Make provisions for periodic review. Periodic review should be more frequent for equipment platform and less frequent for concept of teaching to grant it flexibility as well as robustness.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As enumerated above, the first three steps were performed by us for nearly six months. Thereafter the educational solution was evolved and implemented at various private owned schools and educational institutes. The satisfactory model for establishment of a Smart Scool has thus developed over a period of last two years and it is strongly felt that what is good for them must hold good for government institutes also. Having been in the field of education and after evaluating various educational products, given below is an illustrative list of equipment recommended for inclusion in the establishment of Smart Classrooms:

Educational Process Reengineering (EPR)

Having seen the list of equipment, which can be procured at an affordable budget now, we focus our attention to more important topic of EPR. Just like Business Process Reengineering (BPR), it will form the backbone of future Smart Classrooms. The classical methodology has to give way to interactive style of teaching and will enable �anytime� learning. So what will constitute the EPR? Lets list out the steps one by one:

� An individual computer for each student is not required. A central computer lab is sufficient to practice computer programming subjects.
� Training of teachers in use of the Smart Classroom products.
� One time preparation of lesson plans. Thereafter review and modifications will be required which will take up much lesser time.
� Content should become more multimedia based and earlier recordings can be made use of.
� Since the sessions can be saved while teaching from the Interactive Board, students can be given soft copies or it can be mailed to them and they can revise it and learn anytime later. For students with out access to PC at home, a printout can be provided.
� Curriculum and tests to be more objective based. This will also help in more frequent on the spot assessment using the SRS and make teaching more responsive.
� More use of miniature models and diagrams for explanations is now feasible with the use of 3D Visualiser.
� More emphasis should now be placed on �do it yourself� work and discussions which will be facilitated by use of Interactive Pads and Boards. This will enhance the retention power and also clear the concepts being learnt by the students.
� Most important issue is reduction in number of books being carried by students, since learning with the help of projector and visualiser will eliminate carriage of written material. Only assignments need to be carried now.
� Exam and assessment procedure should also be modified accordingly and more stress be given on �on the spot assessment�.
� Use of ICT should become a Culture and not a task.

As can be noticed, the cost involved in setting up of a Smart Classroom is at par with the earlier costing where emphasis was on the computer only classroom. Hence major rework for sourcing of funds is not required. Also, to study the actual impact in government schools, its implementation can be planned in phases with a review at the end of each phase. However, the phases must cover all states and union territories to ensure uniform implementation and homogeneity.

Summary

Establishment of Smart Class Room with the equipment as described above will enable a cohesive and coherent system to be in place. It will enable seamless learning experience to the students. The setup will be state of the art, elegant and more important; it will provide a platform conducive for teaching and learning sessions where students and instructors can concentrate more towards the content rather than stage logistics. Therefore, overall effect of the proposed setup will be an increased efficiency. To summarize, benefits accrued will be-

� Concurrent learning - much wider student participation.
� The class transforms into an exciting and interactive environment.
� The instructor has the mobility to teach from anywhere in the class room.
� Session are taught and stored for future reference.
� Saves time that is normally spent on preparing the board and rubbing.
� Ready made content is available and keeps on developing by the instructors.
� Active learning is reached through instant participation of one and all.
� Precise attention is paid to individual students.
� Transparent education progress is made available to students, parents & principal.
� Monitoring of class performance on daily, weekly & monthly basis.
� Reduction in students school bag weight.

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