High time to go hi-tech
Satinder Kaur
NOT many years ago, a classroom was a place where a teacher delivered a lecture and gave notes using tools like blackboard and chalk. Today, the outlook of the classroom has completely changed in this fast-changing age of information technology. Classrooms, be it in a school or college, are slowly inching towards modernism. Electronic gadgets like laptops, computers, projectors, LCD screens, CDs and DVDs are fast becoming part of everyday education.
The coming together of technology and education has brought a world of difference in teaching, which is no longer confined to physical class rooms

How profit motive creates a corrupt education system
Richard Garner
Market forces have crowded ethics out of the GCSE and A-level exam system, UK headteachers’ leaders said. The warning came when two examiners were suspended after claims that they had tipped off teachers about questions due to crop up in next year’s papers.

Campus Notes
Pt. B. D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak
Three-year extension for VC
DR S. S. Sangwan, Vice-Chancellor, Pt. B. D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, whose term was to end on Monday, has been given a three-year extension by the state government. Dr Sangwan, who took over as the first Vice-Chancellor of this university in 2008, had earlier served as Director of the PGIMS, Rohtak. The health university, which is the first of its kind in Haryana, has already been accorded recognition by the UGC. It has three medical, 72 nursing, pharmacy and other paramedical colleges in the state.

   Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
n Coaching programme
n Counselling schedule
n Budget proposals

• Admission Deadline

High time to go hi-tech
Satinder Kaur

NOT many years ago, a classroom was a place where a teacher delivered a lecture and gave notes using tools like blackboard and chalk. Today, the outlook of the classroom has completely changed in this fast-changing age of information technology. Classrooms, be it in a school or college, are slowly inching towards modernism. Electronic gadgets like laptops, computers, projectors, LCD screens, CDs and DVDs are fast becoming part of everyday education. The learning has also moved from a fact-focused process to a cognitive one, focusing on critical thinking and problem-solving beyond classroom notes, where students are encouraged to take the lead and not just follow.

This coming together of technology and education has brought a world of difference in teaching which is no longer confined to the four-walled room. Today, the whole world seems to have transformed into a classroom, where all information can be accessed with the click of a mouse. All we need is a computer and an Internet connection. If you had heard of a teacher based in Ludhiana giving online lessons to his students based in New York a few years ago, you might not have believed it. But today, it is a common phenomenon. Just a few years ago, online education was Greek to most people, but now it is wisely understood and widely accepted.

Although this sounds interesting as well as impressive, a large number of people still seem to be oblivious of these new developments. The number of people actually using technology in education is negligible as compared to the non-users. In India, the situation is even worse, as literacy rate is much lower as compared to developed nations, while computer literacy is still a distant dream for many due to economic hurdles and infrastructure bottlenecks. In such a scenario, the use of technology to reach out to the masses as well as in regular teaching is all the more important. Experts feel that these new tools will surely put rote learning to rest, giving way to logical and reason-based education system.

The trend of e-learning in our country was set by universities like Amity University, Manipal, and Symbiosis. Now, the craze has caught on with schools as well for it not only facilitates anywhere, anytime learning but is more interesting and the best way to unleash creativity both among students as well as teachers. No doubt, a technology-driven system has huge benefits in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and learning outcome with limited resources and manpower, but to set up a sound system is not an easy task. Although the country has taken giant strides to keep up with the changing scenario, a lot needs to be done. Undoubtedly, there has been a great influx of technology into classrooms in private schools but this isn’t true of public schools which cater to a large section of our population. Though public schools have started taking advantage of recent technological advancements, they are still far behind.

Actually, bringing technology to the classrooms is neither easy nor without challenges. The biggest difficulty is that of creating infrastructure which involves huge finances. Although a lot of money and mind has already been pumped in to set up e-infrastructure in public schools, the results have not been up to the mark. The reason is: underutilisation of resources. We have computer labs, audio-visual equipment, Internet connection, etc., but up to what extent teachers and students make use of it or allowed to use these facilities is important. In most private schools, the technology is being used for not for making the teaching-learning process a pleasure for the child but for showing off to attract students and making education sector a business.

Also, merely possessing the required infrastructure is not enough to enhance learning. The efficiency of these tools depends on how and how much one uses them to improve his/her teaching and learning. The lackadaisical attitude of teachers is another bottleneck in the way of effective use of technology in the classroom. It is unfortunate that the teachers are reluctant to arm themselves with these new tools which can enable them to win the battle of imparting knowledge.

Learning to use these tools is not as difficult as it is thought to be. One can learn to use simple tools like Internet, camera, cell phone and an overhead projector in a couple of days if he/she has receptive attitude and positive bent of mind. It is high time that the teachers realise the importance of these modern gadgets and start using them.

Apprehensions that these latest tools are a substitute for teachers are also coming in the way of their effective use in the classroom. Hi-tech tools, no doubt, can improve teaching and enhance learning, but they cannot replace the teacher who can provide individual attention and personal and emotional touch to the students and help in their all-round development. So, the teachers should consider these tools as their friends who would reduce their burden and not foes who would replace them and render them useless. They should understand that the tools in themselves are not effective but the innovation with which the teachers use them makes them effective. Thus, while it is crucial for the teachers to use them for their benefit, they should be cautious enough not to overuse them.

As it is said that excess of everything is bad, the same is true of technology in education. Unregulated use and excessive dependence on technology can take the soul out of the teaching-learning process, rendering it meaningless. Using these tools for better understanding is good but at the same time, developing language skills or basic maths skills should not be compromised with. These tools ought to be used for generating ideas, critical thinking and problem-solving than as means to show off, copy ideas, block thinking abilities and create problems.

How profit motive creates a corrupt education system
Richard Garner

Market forces have crowded ethics out of the GCSE and A-level exam system, UK headteachers’ leaders said. The warning came when two examiners were suspended after claims that they had tipped off teachers about questions due to crop up in next year’s papers.

There is growing pressure on the government to close down the exam boards and replace them with a single board to cover the whole country. This, it is argued, would remove the need for boards to “cosy up” to schools and make their exams easier for them in order to obtain more clients.

The furore began with the publication of an undercover operation mounted by The Daily Telegraph at 13 seminars between exam boards and teachers which revealed widespread abuses of a rule that examiners should not give out information about forthcoming exams.

The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, ordered a two-week investigation into the claims by Ofqual, the exams watchdog, and said the whole system had been “discredited”.

Glenys Stacey, chief executive of Ofqual, warned that boards could have to pulp papers and rewrite them for next January and June if it was found pupils had been given an unfair advantage. Meanwhile, the Welsh Joint Education Committee announced it had suspended two examiners. It is understood they are Paul Evans and Paul Barnes, both history examiners named in the Telegraph report.

Both the WJEC and the Edexcel exam boards said they were mounting investigations into the allegations.

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “These events remind us that the profit motive sits uncomfortably with the values of education.

“Market forces crowd out ethics and league tables crowd out judgements.” — The Independent

Campus Notes
Pt. B. D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak
Three-year extension for VC

DR S. S. Sangwan, Vice-Chancellor, Pt. B. D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, whose term was to end on Monday, has been given a three-year extension by the state government. Dr Sangwan, who took over as the first Vice-Chancellor of this university in 2008, had earlier served as Director of the PGIMS, Rohtak. The health university, which is the first of its kind in Haryana, has already been accorded recognition by the UGC. It has three medical, 72 nursing, pharmacy and other paramedical colleges in the state. The university recently entered into an agreement with the ICMR to promote research activities which has led to create a central research cell at the institute and connected to the national knowledge network. A memorandum of understanding with Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak, for strengthening collaboration in the upcoming areas of interdisciplinary life sciences complementing clinical research has also been inked. The university is now registered with the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology. A recipient of the national-level BC Roy Award in 2008 for academic and professional achievement, Dr Sangwan had been given the Rashtriya Vidya Saraswati Puraskar by the International Institute of Education and Management, and Johnson and Johnson Fellowship by the IOA in 1998.

Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak
Coaching programme

The University Centre for Competitive Examination (UCCE) of MDU will conduct a coaching and guidance programme for the Combined Defence Service (CDS) and National Defence Academy (NDA) written examination from December 27. According to the Director, UCCE, Dr D.S.Dahiya, the applicants may apply up to December 23 on the prescribed application form(s) available with the UCCE office situated on the university campus. While candidates belonging to SC/ST and BC categories will be provided free coaching, general category candidates will be charged Rs 600 for this coaching programme.

Counselling schedule

The university has started the fifth and final counselling for admission to the vacant seats of the B.Ed (regular) course for the session 2011-2012 in the university departments of education and affiliated colleges of education of the state from December 9. The counselling will be held up to December 15. According to Dean, Colleges Development Council, interested candidates may get themselves registered online and fill in their options. Those who got registered but could not get admission in earlier counselling may also fill in their choices afresh. Further details about admission procedure, vacant seats, etc., are available on the university websites, www.mdurohtak.ac.in, www.hbed2011.net and www.hbed2011.org.

Budget proposals

The Centre for Haryana Studies has made several suggestions in response to an invitation sent by the State Finance Commission about the budget proposals for the coming financial year. According to Dr S. S. Chahar, Director, Centre for Haryana Studies, the suggestions forwarded included setting up of a separate fiscal domain for local bodies. He said for this purpose, Article 243 H and X be amended to make it mandatory for the state to enact laws for transferring power and duties given in the 11th and 12th schedules to local bodies and required infrastructure be established for this purpose. The centre has called for launching a district budgeting and planning schedule for making the democratic decentralisation a practical reality. It has suggested that the Finance Commission should make a thorough review of the financial position of the state and ensure better distribution criteria between different districts, which should be based on a composite index of backwardness and deprivation in view of important social and economic indicators. Funds for all development schemes at the grass-roots level need to be rotated through the local bodies by eliminating all other authorities/bodies, it added.
— Contributed by Bijendra Ahlawat

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