As developing countries increasingly realise the demand to prepare their youth to be able to compete in a world driven by information, technolgy and knowledge, traditional classrooms have undergone massive changes. Information technology has entered the classroom in a big way to aid the teaching-learning process. Computers are no longer stand-alone subjects; but infact used to empower teachers to teach other subjects with greater ease.

In view of the above, project Bhartiyavidya is an Indian endeavour to pay more attention to the interfaces that are specially designed to be used by a teacher seamlessly with his/her wisdom as well as all other conventional teaching aids during a classroom teaching process.

"Bhartiyavidya" is a system that can be used by the teachers for more effective classroom teaching along with other conventional teaching methods and tools that include the teacher’s wisdom, teacher’s voice, chalk and blackboard. The philosophy of Bhartiyavidya is that the teaching-learning process is sacred and should not be tampered with. The teacher should be provided with the right tools to perform the function of imparting knowledge.

The system comprises of Computer Hardware, Hardware-Software Interfaces, Security Devices, Colour Television, Computer-Television Interface, Secure Databases, specifically designed User Interface Software and custom made Multimedia Audio-Visual aids (known as Capsules in ‘Bhartiyavidya’ terminology) based on in-house researched school curriculum based teaching modules. The multimedia content has certain distinct features like expandability, scalability, and absence of voice over and use of minimal amount of text with specified minimum font size.

This is a beautiful audio-visual medium to increase the interest of the learner, increase conceptual clarity and retentivity as also incorporate measuring tools for perception analysis and has found widespread favour with students and teachers.

References:
MayoCollege.Com - Project IT 2002
Apeejay Institute of Design

PERCEPTION ANALYSIS
This system is already being used by over 300 schools in India. Perception analysis based on data from 1217 teachers and 3967 students of Bhartiyavidya User Schools clearly indicates improved concept clarity, higher interest level, better retentivity and higher attention time span.
BHARTIYAVIDYA: :India's First Digital Classroom Teaching Aid

References:
Educationworldonline.net
Digital teaching aids to liven up classrooms

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Regards,
For JIL Information Technology Ltd.,

Vandana Ahuja
64/4 Sahibabad Industrial Area
Ghaziabad-201010
INDIA
Ph:+91-9818221913
email:vandana.ahuja@jalindia.co.in

An innovative company in the U.S. has established an "internal stockmarket" to give more weight to the ideas and opinions of employees. Perhaps it's time to use a similar mechanism to harvest real-world thinking about what's needed and what works in ICT for D.

Rite Solutions, profiled in the NY Times, runs its own in-house equity market in ideas. Employees start stocks, and other employees invest "opinion money" if they think the ideas are worthwhile. One of these ideas now accounts for 30% of the company's business; another has led to a deal with a major toy manufacturer. The point? The point is to capture the welter of ideas, desires, and opinions that are far from the decision-makers and centers of power.

We need new processes, new "architectures of participation," if ICT4D is going to realize its full potential impact. Blogs (like this one, and like Global Voices are a start, but things will get vastly more interesting when we're able to hear from a still wider range of people, and when we develop "architectures" that aggregate people's desires, opinions, demands, and needs.