Some schools in Kathmandu have started implementing e-learning and smart classes, for which they have been getting acclaim. Blackboards became white boards, and in their place we now have digital/smart boards.
This is an evolution as well as revolution in the sector of teaching. The concept of e-learning has entered our society, and students have become e-kids. Our neighboring countries have already started using digital boards and ICT methodologies, but in Nepal most parents are unable to bear the expensive fees such facilities create.
In one way, education has become commercialized, and in another, digital learning has become a compulsion. In terms of modern education, digital learning and smart classrooms have become important to parents. In schools which provide digital classrooms, students have been increasing in good numbers.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in its report entitled “Are students ready for a technology-rich world?” states that “An effective use of ICT in schools can have an immediate positive impact on the schools’ learning environments, for example by creating more dynamic interaction between students and teachers, stimulating creativity in both students and teachers, and helping students to control and monitor their own learning.”
However, many in Nepal believe that a digital board makes a smart class. The fact is that smart class comprises of a large collection of books and videos. It is an amalgam of internet, software, and other ICT tools. Students in smart classes respond that they enjoy learning as they feel that they are watching films. The time has come for us to make our education system IT-friendly. Nearly 25 secondary schools of the capital city have started e-learning and digital education.
In simple words, e-learning means an education system dependant on the internet. Midas Technology has made software named e-class which is made for teaching students in classrooms. It is based on the curriculum of Nepal government, and through the software students can learn as if they are watching movies.
Digital Education
As education journeyed from traditional to modern, we have arrived at digital education. Education that is provided through the use of digital technology is digital education. It is a branch of e-learning and online education. It makes use of e-libraries, tablets, and laptops for education. It has been gaining popularity in schools nowadays because it is very effective and interactive. Use of 3D and interactive multimedia slides makes learning effective and impressive. It also reduces paper work and saves time.
E-learning
Online education or e-learning is education through the use of different electronic videos and information technology. Education taught through the medium of internet is also known as e-learning. Some branches of e-learning/online education are Technology enhanced Learning (TEL), Computer based Training (CBT), Web based Training (WBT), Virtual and Digital education, and so on. Teaching through audio-visual means, e.g. through projectors, also falls under digital education. These methods are popular throughout the world because they save time, and are also found in Nepal. For example, if a teacher wants to illustrate the internal organs of a body, it will take a whole week for them to draw all organs on the blackboard. But when the same is taught by displaying on a digital medium, it can be dealt with in a single period, and students cal learn fast. The concept of edutainment has also arrived in Nepal, which means entertainment that educates.
Smart Class
Smart class comprises of multimedia content shown through projectors. In smart classes, teachers can easily share their thoughts and even take feedback from students. Different technologies like TV, LCD, computers and ICT boards are used in a smart class. A report has claimed that more than 4 million schools throughout the world have smart classes.
A smart classroom comprises of a PC that supports windows OS, and can access internet, DVD, VHS player, room speaker, LCD projector, and other devices. The smart class computer must have software like Microsoft office, Corel office suite, Internet explorer, Mozilla Firefox, QuickTime, iTunes, antivirus, adobe acrobat, and others.
Use of spreadsheets in school activities helps in interpreting data, analyzing statistics in mathematics, learning practical financial skills, and creating diagrams and graphs for science subjects like physics, biology, and chemistry. Slide presentations help communicate key ideas and produce brochures and promotional materials in business and commerce studies.
Multimedia and editing software help in recording, publishing and editing. Multimedia is equally essential to art and design classes where it helps create/edit photographs and videos. There are many other ICT tools like word processors and computerized software that aid in learning different subjects ranging from creative writing to English, and from astronomy to physics.
Computers and internet will not only increase efficiency but also help reduce costs. They also have the potential to transform the way our schools operate in the future for the better. However, ICT systems, resources, infrastructure and maintenance programs should be guided by continuous review and proactive strategic planning to ensure they meet current and future school ICT demands.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Ken Subedi
Quelle/Source: Republica, 04.08.2013
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