ICT has huge role in attracting children: Azim Premji

One of the few things on which there is consensus across the entire ideological spectrum in economics and politics is that literacy and education are perhaps the most significant drivers of development and democracy. For societies to improve their literacy levels and the quality of their education, multiple complex factors must be worked upon. Information and communication technology (ICT) can facilitate improvement on several of these dimensions. To me, use of ICT for literacy is almost intuitive, given the challenge of reaching out to large numbers which a country like India faces. ICT provides us an effective tool for connecting with a large number of remotely located learners at a low cost.

My perspective on the use of ICT for education and literacy is based on our interaction with the parents and schools in over 1,300 villages in 2000, through the Azim Premji Foundation. Through these interactions we gained the following perspective: Parental feedback indicates strong demand for computers; they also consider computer interface as an enabler for knowing English; ICT can strengthen our efforts for universalising primary education and; ICT could also be the solution to a uniform high quality of instructions without replacing teachers. But more than that, we learnt that ICT also has a huge role in attracting children to the school, and creating excitement in and around the school.

To me ICT is not about the computers or the educational CDs or the Internet or the specific device or medium we use. It is really about a different process that we deploy for the purpose of enhancing the quality of education. It is about providing alternative learning experiences to the children who currently do not have options other than text book as a learning tool.

If someone asks me what we should try through ICT in the schools, I would have the following response: A change of culture – openness, responsiveness and opening windows for new thinking, an atmosphere of innovation; an alternative paradigm in pedagogy – interactive, away from the chalk and talk, self paced and contextualised learning; an attempt to achieve equity and; bringing excitement and motivation.

Mere introduction of ICT will not automatically create the kind of impact or change that we intend to cause. Technology will induce change only if accompanied by changes in ideas, processes and way of viewing things. Technology is likely to create bigger transformation where the current situation and culture are considered to need improvement.

Based on our experience with the schools, I would suggest that we must address the following critical issues to enhance the effectiveness of ICT in literacy and education.

First is the challenge of making teachers a partner in this effort. If teachers do not see that ICT is helpful in their work, there is no hope for it turning out to be an effective tool in our mission for education and literacy. Second is the challenge of deciding what to, and what not to, deliver though ICT. The usual tendency is to try to deliver every learning item through ICT. It amazes me when governments roll out a large-scale programme to introduce ICT in schools and villages without an adequately thought out long-term plan of how it will be utilised. There is no point in using an expensive computer screen as a replacement for the blackboard.

Third is the challenge of enhancing the vision of a typical teacher of what learning experience could be. The challenge is to ensure that an average teacher relates to the broader definition of literacy and education, and not merely reading and writing.

Fourth is the challenge of building teacher capacity. For a teacher to translate vision into reality she needs to acquire capability in discipline area, teaching methods or pedagogy, and use of ICT. Our challenge is to build this capability in each of our teachers, which is a mammoth task given our large numbers. India has around 5.5 million teachers. Finally is the challenge of building teacher motivation. It is our challenge to create a motivating environment for them so that schools truly become centres of learning. I suspect that this is going to be our biggest challenge.

laptop @ sub 20K

NEW DELHI: Xenitis Infotech Pvt Ltd, the flagship company of Xenitis Group rolled out the lowest-ever laptop computer priced at Rs 19,900 on Tuesday in India. The newly launched Xuva T14WN laptop is a product extension of the existing brand Xuva, the company said in a statement. "Our product will cater to common people at large especially low end consumers like students and entry professionals.

The laptop is configured with Intel Celeron M 1.4Ghz (360), 256 MB RAM, 80 GB HD, Combo 3-in 1 Card Reader, Intel 945GM Chip Set & 14.1" WXGA LCD. This launch is set to storm the laptop market since a sizeable chunk of desktop PC buyers will go for it, Xenitis claimed. Santanu Ghosh, Chairman & MD, Xenitis Group said, "We believe the sub 20 K laptop will result in mobility, flexible working hours for working populace and thus leads to increased productivity for companies as well.

It would be the people's laptop in India and would introduce a new trend in growth of laptop business." Xenitis Infotech is the pioneer in manufacturing of desktop PC and notebook PC in eastern region. The group is also into OEM manufacturing of desktop PCs and laptops and computer components as well. Xenitis Group is the only computer component manufacturing company in India. "India is the fastest growing IT hardware products market in the Asia Pacific Region.

There has been a massive growth potential of Laptop computer in India. Seeing the growth pattern, we have thought of launching this sub 20K Laptop," added Mr Ghosh. Xenitis Infotech, the first in India to launch personal computer at sub 10,000K, launched laptop computer branded as Xuva in 2005 in India. The newly launched Xuva T14WN can be upgraded as per user's requirement. The laptop will be available at all dealers' outlet.

India has emerged as a global leader in the advance of information technology. Yet the country faces a fundamental challenge — building on its successes by enabling greater access to technology for its people. This will drive expanded economic growth and opportunity. Less than 3% of Indians own a personal computer — compared to nearly 8% of Chinese, almost 14% of Brazilians and more than 15% of Russians.

Despite the very low penetration of computers in India, the impact has been profound. India is home to three of the world’s 10 biggest IT firms — Tata, Infosys, and Wipro, and already generates nearly $40 billion in revenues from its IT software and services sector. Nasscom forecasts this figure to grow by nearly 27% next year.

It must be recognised that the benefits of broader IT use and deeper Internet access are substantial, and will be a catalyst for —not a result of — economic growth and modernisation. India is already benefiting from e-governance initiatives that deliver real-time tallying of results of the world’s largest elections and from technology-driven distance learning that brings the world’s educational resources to students without regard to location or economic background. But cost has been a major roadblock for broader technology adoption in India.

Reducing taxes and tariffs is essential to facilitating broader access to technology and driving growth in the technology sectors. Global hardware exports are 43% of Chinese exports versus only 2.3% for India. India is clearly missing out on a big opportunity. If it doesn’t act soon, investments will go further into China and emerging countries such as Vietnam, instead of India. Consider also that, in India, a typical desktop computer costs 44% of the average Indian’s annual wage. Brazil’s experience in supporting technology adoption is particularly instructive. Since reducing taxes on computer purchases two years ago, the PC market tripled, and more than two million families bought their first PC, making Brazil the world’s fourth-largest PC market.

What was more important was the multiplier effect this had on the economy. Thousands of IT industry jobs were created and government revenue from the IT sector increased by 50%. But cost isn’t the only barrier. IT complexity will also threaten access to technology while increasing its cost and environmental impact. We are all members of what we at Dell call the ReGeneration — a new global movement concerned with the regeneration of not just our businesses but also our planet. Environmental protection efforts are improving, as reflected in the Nobel Prize jointly awarded to former US vice-president Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change headed by Rajendra Pachauri. And technology is an important part of these efforts. The future will bring even more benefits.

By 2020 microprocessors will run one thousand times as many computations per second as they do today. That will mean enormous gains in productivity and efficiency, giving people unimaginable power to access, organise, and transform information. Indian citizens will more fully benefit from this progress as government and industry leaders strengthen their cooperation. This will help create the conditions in which IT can flourish and reach all people, businesses, and institutions across the country.

India plays a pivotal role in global IT. Technology users in the western world benefit every day from the work of bright, talented Indian employees and their constant innovation. But more than serving as the world’s software writer or back office, India is harnessing the productivity, efficiency, and innovation benefits of IT as a foundation for global economic competitiveness. I see industry working, with great commitment, with India’s government to build on this progress, and to help further democratise access to technology, so that more Indian citizens enjoy even more of technology’s benefits with an ever-decreasing impact on our environment. That is our shared responsibility. By harnessing these forces — the democratisation and simplification of technology, we can make a positive impact not just on our economies, but also our planet.