teaching-learning – The KGP Chronicle

Empowering Educators With Digital Pedagogy by Centre for Teaching Learning and Virtual Skilling

Is virtual reality teaching possible? How positive impact can digital content have on student assessment? Ahead of Teacher’s Day, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur organized a special one-day workshop to find answers to some of these questions. The Centre for Teaching Learning and Virtual Skilling (CTLVS) at IIT Kharagpur successfully conducted a one-day workshop titled “Empowering Educators With Digital Pedagogy and Technology,” on 4th September 2024. The workshop, aimed at school teachers from KVS, introduced innovative methods for enhancing teaching practices through digital tools and interactive technologies.

A total of 30 teachers from different branches of Kendriya Vidyalayas of Kolkata participated in the workshop titled ‘Empowering Educators with Digital Pedagogy and Technology’. They are taught the ins and outs of improving reading and assessment methods through technology-based teaching.

Apart from this, how using Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality can make teaching interesting for students and how game-based learning methods can be used-these topics were also taught in the day’s workshop. Kaushal Kumar Bhagat, Assistant Professor of Advanced Technology Development Center, one of the organizers of the workshop and Vice Chairman of CTLVS, along with other officials also held a detailed discussion with the participating teachers.

After the workshop, the participating teachers reported that their participation in the program increased their understanding of the use of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. It also gave students an opportunity to think about how technology can be used to make reading more interesting.

“Strategies have been taught to use realistic technology for assessment. I want to use that method in my teaching as well,” said one of the participating teachers.

When questioned why is this workshop relevant, Prof. Kaushal Kumar Bhagat said that as one of the initiatives of CTLVS, the main aim of this workshop was to teach how teachers can adapt to digital and technological changes in the education sector.

He further said, “The workshop also elaborated on the relevance of using technology in creating an appropriate learning environment. Based on the enthusiasm of the participants, it can be hoped that more teachers will be interested in digital learning in the future.”

Key topics covered during the workshop included:

Digital Pedagogy: Integrating technology to foster more engaging teaching methods.

Assessment and Evaluation: Using digital tools to improve student assessment processes.

Interactive Technologies like AR/VR: Exploring immersive learning experiences through Augmented and Virtual Reality.

Game-based Learning: Engaging students through gamification techniques.

Participants praised the workshop, calling it very informative and useful and emphasizing its practicality in today’s classrooms. One participant noted, “The AR/VR demonstration was eye-opening and gave us fresh ideas on how to engage students.” Another participant said, “The digital tools for assessment were very practical and something I can start using immediately in my own teaching.”

The workshop is part of a broader initiative by CTLVS to support educators in adapting to digital transformations in education and creating more interactive and immersive learning environments.

Media Coverage:

Anandabazar Patrika

By : Poulami Mondal, Digital & Creative Media Executive (Creative Writer)
Email: poulami.mondal@iitkgp.ac.in, media@iitkgp.ac.in, Ph. No.: +91-3222-282007

Follow us on: Facebook – IIT Kharagpur; Twitter – @IITKgp; Instagram – @iit.kgp; LinkedIn – Indian Institute of Technology
For news visit: https://kgpchronicle.iitkgp.ac.in/

Language Hubs for Assisted Learning

Can regional languages help students understand classroom lectures better? Prof. Virendra K Tewari, Director, IIT Kharagpur shares his views on setting up language hubs at technical institutes to assist students especially those from vernacular medium or facing difficulty in English communication.

In a recent briefing, the Union Education Ministry made an announcement to start technical education, especially for engineering courses, in mother tongue from the next academic year including shortlisting of a few IITs and NITs. Since the announcement of NEP 2020 with a thrust on regional languages, , speculations and debates were up for embracing regional languages in the Indian higher education system. As we progress further in the 21st century and pursue the aim to position ourselves as Vishwaguru, as often cited by our Shiksha Mantri ji Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, let language not be the barrier to learning.

Before we delve into the issue of multiple regional languages, let us remind ourselves, that across the globe, classroom teaching is pursued in a variety of regional languages, be it France or Germany or Russia or a country like China, which has over 300 languages and dialects with 8 of them being the major ones. It has been observed that the human mind is more receptive to communication in the language in which it is accustomed to thinking from childhood. In my four decades at IIT Kharagpur, initially, as a student, research scholar and later as a faculty member, our ‘teaching and learning’ has been in English in its entirety. The practice, I would say, continues regardless of the first language of the students and difficulties at their end in adopting to English as the primary communication language, thus disrupting the process of learning. But when explained in regional languages, especially mother tongue, grabbing the concepts or expression of the ideas by the students becomes fairly easy. This can be observed frequently in practical classes and labs where the lab instructors often form a close relationship with the students and communicate with them in the languages known by the former. Even some teachers adopt this approach outside the classroom.

Now it is to be contemplated how such practice can be institutionalized for IITs and NITs with a regionally diverse student population. In a world taking pride in the liberal thought process and individualized attention, the challenge of language as a barrier to the learning process needs to be critically reviewed. This would lead to the development of a policy framework for regional language education not only at schools but in higher education including technical education. The decision of the Ministry in this matter is highly laudable.

Adopting regional language in technical education is a necessary long-term goal requiring teachers proficient in undertaking classes in the vernacular medium along with English in addition to publishing textbooks and reference materials in regional languages. However, this transition can be facilitated with language assisted learning. Regional language hubs set up at technical institutes can bring together students requiring language aids. Depending upon the composition of students from various vernacular backgrounds or those facing a challenge in English communication, and the availability of teachers with regional language proficiency, these hubs can be structured. For example, at IIT Kharagpur we can have such a hub with an optional language-assisted learning focus on Bengali, Telugu and Hindi and even other languages such as Odia, Tamil etc. in some subject areas depending on the availability of teachers and choices by students who need language assistance in classroom teaching. To ensure students are not left out due to the lack of teachers with their preferred language expertise, we need to adopt technological aids. Audio translation aids have been in use at various organizations including the Indian Parliament, UN gatherings etc.

We can further take a step forward to AI-based hearing aids which can effectively translate engineering and scientific teaching communication in regional modes that can be understood by the students without much difficulty. In fact, we have already started working with AICTE towards AI-based multilingual translation of the learning resources of various engineering subjects.

While the seminal decision has been taken to start technical education in the mother tongue, it is time that we equip ourselves with facilities and processes to adapt to this new approach in our segment of the higher education system.

Media Coverage:

Hindustan Times	Indian Express	Times of India
Financial Express	New Indian Express	Economic Times
Dainik Bhaskar	Dainik Jagran	Navbharat Times
Lokmat	Punjab Kesari	Ei Samay
Business Standard Hindi	ABP Education	Times Now
Yahoo News	The Week	India Today
NDTV	Outlook	Republic World

A New Era of Schooling

How is teaching & learning being carried out at IIT Kharagpur’s campus schools?

Schooling has entered a new era with ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown. As contact classrooms have been shut down, schools across India are reinventing the educational system. Blackboards, benches, workbooks have been replaced by computers, smartphones, video lectures, conferencing applications, assignment modules.

There are three schools on the campus upto higher secondary level and one school upto its primary section. The schools have gone digital since March 21, 2020. DAV Model School and Kendriya Vidyalas share the experiences with The Kgp Chronicle.

DAV Model School at IIT Kharagpur started online classes March 27 keeping in view the disrupted academic calendar due to the ongoing pandemic. The school has facilitated online classes through Zoom App, YouTube, ePathshala, Diksha, NDLI resources, Tata classedge, Snap Homework app, forming Whatsapp groups while assignments are being regularly uploaded on the school’s website.

“It is the time when students need the teachers, their ‘second parents’, to protect and take care of their tender minds and unknown apprehensions. Team DAV Model School IIT Kharagpur has taken up the challenge to the extent that not just academic disciplines but even creative classes such as dance, music, art and craft, and yoga are being conducted on online mode,” said Principal Lopa Chatterjee.

The School is also recommending resources from the National Digital Library of India developed by IIT Kharagpur.

“We are sharing text and reference materials from NDLI which students. Both teachers and students have been using this platform extensively,” added Lopa Chatterjee.

Another school on campus, Kendriya Vidyalaya IIT Kharagpur, is also conducting classes on various online modes, sharing video lessons and assignments. The school is using free e-resources such as NROER, DIKSHA, SWAYAM, SWAYAM PRABHA, NPTEL, NCERT and NIOS. WhatsApp groups are used significantly for doubt clearing sessions.

“The link to all these apps/websites have been provided to students and teachers through Vidyalaya website for their optimum use by them. Some materials on Creative and Critical Thinking Skills, Program for International Students Assessment have been uploaded on the Vidyalaya website for exposure and practice of students under supervision of teachers. We are also in the process of exploring other means and methods for conducting online live classes by our teachers,” said Principal Bal.

Both the schools have prepared separate time table for online teaching which is being updated on the websites of the respective schools.

A gift to posterity

IIT Kharagpur’s Centre for Classical Arts will transform the way the classical arts are taught and preserved

A new dream is unfolding in IIT Kharagpur. The premier technology institute is working towards the creation of a Centre for Classical Arts.

As to why an institute specializing in science and technology should ramify into the arts, the big picture first. For a variety of socio-economic reasons, the traditional guru-sishya parampara through which many of India’s intangible art forms have been passed down through generations is unlikely to survive in the future. There is a dire need to evolve a modern pedagogy of teaching and learning the traditional art forms so that they continue to be appreciated, practiced, researched and improvised upon. IIT Kharagpur believes that this can be made possible through appropriate technological interventions that can make the teaching-learning experience interesting and innovative, while at the same time preserving the core fundamentals of the traditional art forms.

Collaboration with Pandit Tejendranarayan Mazumdar and Pandit Shuvankar Banerjee

There is another concern closer to heart — the students. Professor Joy Sen, head of the department, Architecture and Regional Planning, who is already knee-deep into heritage preservation as part of IIT Kharagpur’s SandHI (Science and Heritage Initiative) team, says, a course in music will be a “small infill in the lives of new entrants who are entering the rat race.” While they engage in analysis, logic, deep maths, computer programming and such like, music and the classical arts will give them a chance to contemplate, listen and appreciate.

Professor Pallab Dasgupta, Dean, Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy and leading professor of computer science and engineering says, “Since our musical heritage is more about innovation, engagement with it gives a cognitive satisfaction to minds that are intelligent and creative,” he says. Professor Dasgupta, much like Professor Sen, is a driving force behind the proposed Center of Classical Arts. But while it is important to rejuvenate interest in classical arts among students through the process of teaching-learning, appreciation and innovation, “the goal is to preserve our heritage,” says Dr Dasgupta.

Collaboration with Jnana Pravaha (Suresh Neotia Foundation) Varanasi and Dr. Bettina Baumer, Abhinav Gupta Foundation. Varanasi

This thought process goes back several years. The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth or SPIC MACAY was founded by an IITKGP alumnus, Kiran Seth, whose work has been an inspiration for Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of HCL and another noted alumnus, who has taken up the cudgels for the creation of the arts center in IITKGP. Says Mr Malhotra, “We have been thinking about the impact SPIC MACAY has had on our youth and we wanted to leave a perpetual legacy for our classical art and music and culture to continue. That was the motivation behind SandHI”

The institute already has ongoing collaboration in the areas of music and fine arts, notable among which is a recent tie up with Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty and his school of classical music for children, called Shrutinandan.

This first-of-its-kind Center for Classical Arts will consist of three main components. One, an educational center for students that will create a teaching-learning experience uniquely crafted with the help of modern technology. The educational center will offer training in music, fine arts and the performing arts, and also introduce credit courses in the forms of electives and micro-specializations.

Collaboration with Shrutinandan – Pandit Ajay Chakraborty and his team

Two, the school will create national and international outreach programs for dissemination and collaborative research on science and technology interventions in Indian classical music and other classical arts.

Three, it will create teaching-learning resources for Indian classical music and other classical arts. This is a huge challenge given the fact that traditional pedagogy of Indian classical music is anchored on direct dissemination from teacher to student, without reference to any archived content.

The team working on the founding of the Center of Classical Arts understands the challenge they have taken up. Says Mr Malhotra, “The challenge for IIT Kharagpur is that there is so much to do in this area… what would they (the arts school) focus on initially and how would they expand this. Just in music alone there are so many gharanas… and then there is folk music.”

Besides, enormous resources are required for this initiative. The institute is looking forward to public-private partnerships, support from its alumni, music enthusiasts and the government funding to give wings to its mission.