EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR DIGITAL INDIA
1. INTRODUCTION
by Komal Bahuman
(komallbahuman@yahoo.com)
The Digital Century
The educational system is by far the only discipline that has remained unaltered in the deluge of developments that have shaken India since the advent of the digital age. This is quite surprising considering that rapid technological upgradation has made it manifest that skills learnt at school are no longer applicable during employment. A few decades ago, one had a lifetime profession; what you learnt at school or college would be useful at your workplace. But in the present scenario a new version/upgradation hits the market everyday. Hence, what is essential is the basic skill of being able to learn with celerity and efficiency. In addition, we need to produce people who are able to handle situations they have never experienced before. The information society, therefore, both requires and facilitates new forms of education. It is indeed unfortunate that curriculum writers are blissfully oblivious to the changes happening around them. It is also quite a pity that digital technology has veritably penetrated only into the hands of a privileged few leaving the masses untouched.
The Importance of Education
A number of eminent scientists have studied perceptual and cognitive development in children, Jean Piaget, Seymour Papert and John Dewey to name a few. It is their view that children must be given the power to control their own learning process. According to the renowned philosopher and scientist John Dewey, everything can be learnt through curiosity and passion for a particular subject. He claimed that instead of using tests as a parameter to appraise a student's capability in rote and drill, learning should be more about doing things, making things and constructing things.
Another acclaimed mathematician, Seymour Papert contends that knowledge is not for giving the right answer, but for mobilizing a purpose, to make something happen, to achieve a goal. The goal might be making a machine, creating a work of art, making a theory but it’s a personal goal that the individual believes in and not something written in a curriculum.
Generally, there is a misleading notion that children are drawn away from abstruse subject matter. But in reality it is the lackluster mode of presentation that dampens their motivation for learning. The curious and inquisitive attitude of a child must be actively nurtured. The teacher has a crucial role in moulding a child, but being part of an outdated system often ends up making a misfit out of him.
The educational system must, therefore, shift from a 'preaching' methodology; wherein the student is forced to believe whatever the teacher says, to a more constructive approach; where the student can experiment and contemplate about the concepts put forward by the teacher.
The Educational Divide
There exists a divide between the educational system and society today. The media has created a lot of hype about technology on one hand and entertainment on the other. This has resulted in a number of students becoming media crazy, craving to be a DJ, VJ, RJ and so on. But the school culture remains as it once used to be. Thus, there is no synchronization between the school culture and the world outside. Now is the time to bridge this divide. We have to create an energy and an interest in education and learning; and the computer is the best tool to achieve this end. Until now the computer has been confined to a computer room as a subject of its own totally cut out of the mainstream learning environment which has kept its tremendous potential latent. It is indeed surprising that while the corporate world is so busy making technological innovations in every other discipline, it has completely neglected the educational system and the citizens of tomorrow.
Digital Technology has a Solution
There are two wings to digital technology
- technology as an informational medium.
- technology as a constructional medium.
In schools today, the informational side dominates be it computer related knowledge or informational resources on the machine. The computer must be used as a constructional medium that enables students to solve interdisciplinary problems and as a tool in project work; the computer must bring out the creativity in a child and give it a sense of power and accomplishment.
Students should carry out projects that cut across the curriculum, cut across the subdivisions of Maths, Science, History and English; and draws not on one discipline alone but puts them together. It must be noted that the computer can never substitute the role of a teacher; it is merely an instrument that helps a teacher create a better thinking environment for the student.
The educational system must, therefore, and I am sure you will all agree, use the technological infrastructure available to enhance and upgrade the system as also to motivate students towards originality, creativity and better imaginative skills.
Computers: Tool Towards Effective Teaching
The traditional method of teaching has always been and still is basically preaching of lessons to students and hoping that the words would somehow flow into their heads and make sense. But with the advent of computers, we can utilize the available graphics and animation, and the students' experimentational powers for a better understanding of the concepts. Visualization of pictures, figures and tables along with relevant explanations will provide for easier learning, better understanding and can even cut across the barriers of language and the limitations of a teacher. It would, thus, cultivate the child's imagination and thought processes and give a better support to cognition.
In addition, classroom teaching is basically based on textbook content whereas with a computer there is a possibility of better interaction among friends in the classroom and on the Internet. In this way students with common interests and even divergent learning can communicate and enrich their knowledge.
Moreover, experimentation on the computer enables the student to test what he has learnt and not take for granted whatever the teacher says. This will make the student stronger at the fundamental level.
Most importantly, in this approach, there is no scope for rote or drill work that has been plaguing schools for centuries.
Further, this approach has tremendous motivational power since the student garners the feeling that he is exploring and discovering the concepts for himself; which gives a sense of fulfillment.
Another advantage could be the affordability. Making use of low cost computers, free software supported by local language interfacing, can make the cost minimal.
A few instances of the educational software packages we have made available on this site are:
1. Dr. Geo
2. GRASS
An Alternative
Some practical actions that maybe taken in achieving the above cited goals are:
1. Local Learning Hubs:
Assembling a group of learning activists to develop, guide and research these methods on children and analyze their benefits.
2. Advocating in schools:
Advocating and trying out these methods on students in schools to research and analyze students’ cognitive capabilities.
3. Rural Learning Hubs:
Taking digital technology to rural areas and creating awareness about its advantages. Starting local learning hubs in rural areas and providing services that will be useful in their daily life and occupation.
We at IndicTrans call for your wholehearted support in our vision to work for a promising future.