Reading, writing and learning via ink-and-paper textbooks is passé these days. Digital bookcases, iPads and tablets are taking over the conventional way of studying. The old methods of rote memorisation, remembering instead of learning is now being replaced by interactive learning and best thing about this shift is that school bags of children are becoming lighter.
While publishers are updating e-books almost instantly with the latest events or research, city schools are increasingly looking to hand-held tablets and iPads as a way to sustain students’ interest and even to reward their achievements.
The Sanganwa school in Rajkot,, Gujarat has become first one run by the government to go bagless. All 70 students of class V to class VII have been given tablets that contain the entire syllabus.
According to Jairaj Bhattacharya, MD, ConveGenius, Technology is the only way we can bring the power to teach and learn on the fingertip of a child. As 72.2% of India lives in the rural parts and it was obvious that more than 25% of India’s population from the rural segment will be equipped with Smart-phones, tablets and internet via Data connectivity.
Lina Ashar, founder of Kangaroo Kids Education Limited, which runs the Billabong group of schools says that e-learning takes the child to a world beyond textbooks which at times is unable to explain concepts. Also, this learning can be repetitive whereas a class teacher explains a concept only once. She further adds that apart from tablets, children are given a home notebook and a class workbook so that children do not require to carry heavy load back home.
In April last year, Cambridge University Press launched Cambridge Learn — a digital innovation for education. Cambridge Learn is a first-of-its kind comprehensive digital learning solution, comprising of books and learning resources on a tablet.
Last year Podar International School, Mumbai became the first school following the Cambridge International Examination (CIE) board to adopt Cambridge learn followed by several schools this year.
The growing demand for enhanced learning services is something schools are waking up to, with computers, tablets, iPads etc creeping into classrooms. Teachers film their lectures and upload them online which can be viewed by students even at home and discuss them in class the other day.
The Balmohan Vidyamandir at Shivaji Park too has tablets for its class VIII students with state board curriculum textbooks already uploaded on them.
The tabs, which have solar power chargers, have been given to students of classes VIII to X under the state syllabus in Marathi and English for now . The course content has been loaded onto the tabs.
Shambhavi Jogi, education officer of BMC told that they had formed teams for every subject to scrutinize the course content in tablet and training was given to teach students through these tabs as the course content was supported with animation. She further added that besides having chapters from every subject, each tab contains 6000 multiple choice questions (MCQ), that will help students further.
