Found the lecture tough to understand? Don’t worry, the video-lecture on your smartphone will come to your rescue, anytime, anywhere. Government first-grade colleges in the State are getting ‘smart’ by becoming the first in the country to have ‘virtual’ and ‘smart’ classes for students.
While all 411 colleges will be covered, 100 of them are set to get tech-savvy in the first phase. The initiative is being implemented at a cost of approximately Rs. 50,000 per college, and at no cost to the student.
Through the virtual classes, students will be able to access video-lectures on their smartphones, tablets and laptops.
As the classes are downloadable, Internet is not required, and students can access the lessons using the WiFi zones in college. On the other hand, ‘smart classes’ will use visual and technological aids in addition to the regular mode of teaching-learning.
The initiative was inaugurated at the Government Science College here on Friday by K. Kasturirangan, Chairman, Karnataka Knowledge Commission and Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Speaking about how the initiative will bridge the urban-rural gap, he said it was important to choose material carefully.
Dr. Kasturirangan also announced that a Karnataka Knowledge Network, on the lines of the National Knowledge Network, was in the pipeline through which institutions in the State would be connected to the “best sources of knowledge”.
Minister for Higher Education R.V. Deshpande said, with nearly 15 lakh people working in the IT industry today, and with a business of over Rs. 2 lakh crore, it has become imperative to implement technology in education.
