Developing Virtual School with Transformative Value

Mohan Menon
COL

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     Last modified: October 17, 2006
     Presentation date: 11/03/2006 10:00 AM in NT Hanover
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Abstract
I-CONSENT Group
(M N Deshmukh, Revati Deulgaonkar, Anant Joshi, Vasudha Kamat, Mohan Menon, Shyam Menon, Ramesh Panse, Vivek Sawant, Sanjiv Sonawane and Ram Takwale)

School education in India is facing many problems and challenges. The process of globalisation and ICT use are making many demands from education, particularly of high quality and relevance. Indian school education is now getting layerd into four strata: International schools, Private schools, Public schools and Municipal & District Council schools. They form the quality and cost ladder and divides society.

The State efforts of universalisation of primary education is still incomplete. Knowledge society now demands higher learning - 12 year schooling with vocational training. The challenge today is to offer Best Quality School Education for All for sustainable development.

A group of individuals, public and private institutions came together under the leadership of Commonwealth of Learning and formed Indian Consortium for Educational Transformation (I-CONSENT). It is still in the making. Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Ltd (MKCL), a company created to develop new paradigm in education and avoid digital divide, is offering its total e-governance and LMS platform. (www.mkcl.org)

India faces the problem of large numbers. The school system in Maharashtra alone has 17.32 million students in 89 000 schools taught by 469 thousand teachers. It forms quite a substantial part of population of 100 million of the State of Maharashtra. Indian society respects education; and a family spends substantial time and resources on child’s education at home. A parallel and supportive system of private and home tutoring exists and may be involving nearly half a million tutors and 2-3 million parents. All this makes the school education quite big and complex; and needs different approach for its transformation.

The MKCL platform enable to design and develop Technology Mediated Open and Distance Education (Tech-MODE) that enables to support mega-systems by using processes of digitization, virtualization, and mass-personalization. Tech-MODE platform enables teachers and experts to offer their best quality course and activities. The first program of the I-CONSENT on Tech-MODE platform is of Virtual School and Learning Homes and would be launched from July 2006 as a pilot in one district of Maharashtra in India.

In partnership with the Consortium members, courses and activities are being developed and deployed. They include talent nurturing, linking school education with environment, society, industry and technology with participation of parents and community. The Workshop would present issues and concerns related to ICT for Educational Transformation, Direct Teacher Training System, Social and Educational Mobilisation and Consortium Approach. MKCL platform and Tech-MODE support for e-Education would be demonstrated.