This software 'opens' new vistas of learning

 An open source software programme, created in co-ordination with DSERT, is set to make learning core subjects a happier experience for government school students. Not just the students, it also aims to empower teachers with technology and with a common platform to share their learning with peers.

The advantage of using the open source software tools is that schools need not invest extra money in buying them. The software can be downloaded for free.The education tools are empowered with animation, graphics and games to help students understand abstract concepts easily. The project, ‘Teachers’ Communities of Learning’, which covers about 20 government schools in the City is training teachers in using the tools, to be used in classrooms.

The government school teachers who are part of the initiative told Deccan Herald that they were seeing a significant difference in the students’ understanding of concepts, after they began using the tools.

Take for instance, the case of students in Government High School in Begur. Radha, the Maths teacher in the school finds that she is able to attract the students to the subject with the help of the tools. “Mathematics is always attached with a fear factor among students. I needed a teaching methodology to draw their attention to the subject.

 These learning aids are helping me teach better,” Radha told Deccan Herald. She is also a state resource person for the Maths Subject Teachers’ Forum (part of the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shisksha Abhiyan).

With one of the tools specially designed for learning Mathematics, students get to see 3D visuals of triangles and they are allowed to flip the triangle, to learn about various angles. Topics such as the Ohm’s and the Boyle’s law and electromagnetic induction are also powered by interactive visuals for the benefit of students. “Since we cannot have all laboratory equipments in schools, through these tools students get to see and play around with various equipment,” Radha added.

The teachers themselves received training for 10 months before they began using the tools from the present academic year. They feel that with the revised syllabus for classes five and eight, which has been designed on a par with the CBSE syllabus, such education tools are a must. Another advantage of the project is that students are simultaneously becoming proficient with computers. They were earlier taught just Word and paint on computers.

The teachers admitted that they were unaware of open source software initially. “But now, it has also made using computers easy,” said Shilpa, an English teacher at Weavers’ Colony government school.

The teachers’ training for the project is being facilitated by City-based NGO, IT for Change. Gurumurthy Kasinathan, educationist and director of the organisation, said the project’s aim was also to build a network for teachers’ learning.

All these government school teachers have formed a Google Group of 1,500 members at present to discuss and share their learning with these tools. More about the project and the tools can be found on kareducation.org.in. More parts of the State will be covered in the next phase.