From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jun 23: Chief minister B S Yediyurappa and deputy chief minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, who is also the state’s higher education minister, took part in a function for the distribution of 1.55 lac tablet personal computers (PCs) for students of first grade colleges and other students studying in government educational institutions and also launched 2,599 smart classes as part of the Digital Learning Programme (DLP) of the higher education department in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Yediyurappa inaugurated 2,500 Smart classes for government first grade colleges under Digital Learning Programme and symbolically distributed tablet PCs to students of government higher education institutions as part of the programme to mould the future of the students. The chief minister also symbolically distributed the tablet PCs to students of government higher education institutions.
The function was held in the banquet hall of Vidhana Soudha.
Smart classes will include projectors, whiteboard, Android box, UPS and internet facility which will facilitate both teaching and learning. The programme is taken up at a cost of Rs 27.77 crore. The distribution of tablet PCs to 1.55 lac students at a total cost of Rs 163 crore, which will benefit 430 students of government first grade college, 87 government polytechnic's first and second-year students and first, second and third-year students of 14 government engineering colleges.
The Digital Learning Programme (DLP) taken up by the higher education department is aimed at empowering the students of government colleges to face the challenges of the 21st century with confidence through this digital learning, the chief minister said.
Yediyurappa said the objective of the ambitious initiatives is to promote digital learning and bridge the digital divide in higher education and explained that the cost of distribution of Tablet PC’s for 1.55 lac students amounted to Rs 163 crore with the creation of 2,500 smart classrooms costing Rs 27.77 crore and development of a Learning Management System (LMS) at a cost of Rs 4.04 crore.
The initiatives of empowering students by providing Tablet PCs and creating 2500 smart classrooms are expected to largely benefit the students belonging to economically weaker sections of the society, who pursue their studies in government education institutions, Yediyurappa explained.
The chief minister said 2,500 classes have been converted to Smart classrooms by equipping them with a projector, whiteboard, android box, UPS and the Internet to facilitate the usage of modern teaching and learning models. The LMS enables access to learning both in online and offline modes.
Anytime, Anywhere learning
The deputy chief minister said the Karnataka LMS, a comprehensive learning management system is providing a platform for unique and modern teaching and learning process which is ideal to conduct both online and offline classes. Rs. 4.07 crore has been spent on this project.
In 2021-22, all students admitted to government higher education institutions will be provided tablet PCs and 6,500 classrooms will be upgraded into smart classrooms in the current year.
Dr Narayan said the implemented programs which enable ‘Anytime, Anywhere’ learning will be beneficial for 25,000 teaching faculty and 5 lac students, and added that Karnataka was the first in the country to implement such a comprehensive learning management system.
“These initiatives will be helpful to resolve the imbalances between offline and online, digital and physical, rural and urban, government and private, rich and poor and also English and native language barriers with respect to access for quality teaching and learning, besides providing a strong platform to implement National Education Policy effectively,’’ he said.
He complimented the supports of the departments of social welfare, backward classes welfare, and minority welfare in the implementation of the initiatives and expressed gratitude to respective ministers, Sriramulu, Kota Srinivas Poojary and Srimanta Balasaheba Patil for their cooperation.
Kumar Naik, additional chief secretary, department of higher education, Nagambika Devi, additional chief secretary, department of social welfare, Pradeep, commissioner, department of collegiate education, Prof Thimmegowda, vice-chairman, higher education council, and others were present.
Key features of the initiatives:
Benefits 25,000 teaching faculty and 5 lac students
PPT, video, and study materials for each subject and session
Depository of 3.25 lac contents
Multiple choice questions for assessment
Analysis of students’ performance
Linked with attendance of students
Option to give rating for the content
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