What do you think is the role of ed-tech and online learning in improving teaching

inside Indian schools? *

(Please provide a detailed answer as your answer will help us determine your interest and approach to the
domain)

Ed-tech and online learning can make education more affordable and accessible by overcoming
challenges such as geographical distribution and socio-economic condition of students. It can also
reduce dependency on quality of teachers as finding good teachers is a big challenge in rural areas.
By providing hardware and multimedia content classrooms can be made more lively and interactive.
Content creators can make content in regional languages enabling better reach in across Indian
schools.

Open education resources and course development systems are now available that help teachers to
create and curate courses effortlessly. Projia is a good example in this space that can help a teacher
to rapidly find open education resources without copyright restrictions. Indian teachers can be
incentivised to create e-learning content by creating simple animated videos by using rapid content
authoring tools.

Technology can be leveraged in efficient management of education system. Education Resource

Planning ( ERP softwares ) can help in scheduling of classes, planned budget allocation and
continuous communication with students through mediums like email, sms and automated calls,
reports and alerts. Various reports, graphs and action points (performance tracking) pertaining to
students can benefit individual teachers and policy makers.

Technology enables Distance Learning, even Indian government promoted this model with the help
of IITs and EDUSAT was a venture in this line. Satellite beaming of live classes where students
interact with a teacher teaching remotely was made possible.

Ed tech companies like BYJU’s has made interactive education popular in India. With growing
internet penetration, Online Gamification of homework could be done for young kids using internet
and smartphones. For higher class students, reading, retention and application can be tested online,
and collected data can be used for performance tracking over a period of time.

Online Learning Management System where one can learn, give exams, attend lecture, get access
to study materials and interact with faculty and other students are available now. Live classes with
teachers are conducted and pre recorded material can be uploaded. Companies like Blackboard
using this technology is quite popular in private sector. Platforms like Pagalguy.com is good example
of peer to peer learning. Similar platforms could be made for primary and high school education
where a class could continue to interact and learn collaboratively even after class hours.
Not all students learn in the same way. Every student has his own weaknesses and strengths so
customised study material and teaching is needed. Adaptive Learning platforms can adapt its
content and delivery according to the abilities of individual student. This reduces the aversion a large
number of students develop towards studying in early age.

Apps using artificial intelligence and natural language processing are available which give instant
feedback and correct how English language is spoken by someone. There is shortage of good
teachers and English being critical for students such apps can be used. India has over a million public
schools with over 260 million students enrolled in these, but the learning outcomes leave a lot to be
desired. Annual Status of Education Report surveys indicate only 15% of Grade 5-6 students can both
read and comprehend simple English sentences. Companies such as EnglishHelper and Voxta can be
helpful in bridging this gap.

You are pitching a partnership proposal for the implementation of a year-long

teacher capacity building programme to a state's Education Department. What
important aspects of the programme will you include in the proposal? *
(Please provide a detailed answer as your answer will help us determine your interest and approach to the
domain)

The aim of the teacher capacity building programme is to equip teachers in content and
pedagogical competence such that they can seamlessly blend the same into classroom
practices. Technology can also play an important role by helping teachers build their capacity,
and subsequently make a difference to students and the way they learn.

Key aspects of teacher capacity building programme

• Classroom Management

Three components to be covered in Classroom Management are

I. Content Management
II. Conduct Management
III. Covenant Management

• Effective Teaching Strategies

I. Setting clear lesson goals

II. Show & tell.
 III. Questioning to Check for Understanding.
IV. Summarise New Learning In A Graphical Way.
V. Plenty of Practice.
VI. Provide Your Students With Feedback.
VII. Be Flexible About How Long It Takes to Learn.
VIII. Get Students Working Together

• Develop and Institutionalize Innovative Practices

I. Cross over Teaching - learning through informal setting such as after-school learning

clubs, or trips to museums and exhibition.

II. Teaching through Smart Boards - transform the teaching experience into an interactive

and collaborative experience as the teachers use dynamic multimedia content, to help
convey the topic more effectively to the students and making it a visual, engaging
experience

III. Teaching through Flipping Classrooms - passing the onus of learning to students, it

requires the teachers to relegate to the role of resource providers and the students take
the responsibility of gathering concepts information.

IV. Teaching through collaboration - allowing students to learn, study and work in groups.
Assigning group homework or encouraging students to work together on plays,
presentations and other reports.   

V. Teaching through Virtual Reality - offers students a valuable opportunity to learn in an

immersive manner that creates a lasting impression on their minds. It makes learning fun
and helps the students retain the material for a longer time.

VI. Teaching through 3D printing technology - 3D printers are used to create prototypes and
make complex concepts easy to understand

• High - Order Thinking

Higher-order thinking takes thinking to a whole new level. Students using it are

understanding higher levels rather than just memorizing facts. They would have to understand
the facts, infer them, and connect them to other concepts.
• Self – Development

Self-development refers to possessing personal strengths and characteristics that

aid teachers define and make sense of their teaching practice and of themselves as individuals.
This is through developing the necessary life skills that can help them grow in and outside their
profession.

• Learning - Standard Assessment

 Assessment that relies on the evaluation of student understanding with respect to agreed-

upon standards, also known as "outcomes". The standards set the criteria for the successful
demonstration of the understanding of a concept or skill.

• Leadership Skills

As a leader, teachers are expected to practice their art and learning how to improve their
techniques. They listen in class for opportunities to teach. These teachers watch their peers and
learn from their teaching styles

• Value Education

Value education can be describe as character education or moral education. It is

an education where learners learn value from educators and implement them in future to lead a
better life, the life of humanity where religion has no importance, the thing that value most is your
character.

• Life Skills

Develop basic life skills like self-awareness, empathy, problem solving, decision making,

effective communication, interpersonal relations, creative thinking, critical thinking, coping with
emotions and coping with stress among students.