• Investment World
• eWorld
• Catalyst
• Mentor
• Life
• Canvas
• Praxis
• Urban Pulse
• Brand Quest

Our Bureau

New Delhi , Sept. 18

EDUCOMP Datamatics Ltd, a teacher training company, has unveiled `Smart Class' - a technology-enabled learning programme that promises interactive classes, be it in history, maths or environment studies.

For instance, if children are learning about volcanoes, they will see how the massive mountain actually erupts and spews out hot molten lava, on a video screen.

If it's time to study the World Wars in history, actual footage shown in the classroom could bring the lesson out of the rote mode and into the sphere of total recall.

The Smart Class programme uses technology to transform classroom experience.

A knowledge centre set up at the school acts as the nerve centre of the network.

It is connected through campus-wide network to the existing classrooms that simply turn into ETECs (Educomp Technology Enabled Class rooms).

Just launched at some of the leading schools in the country including the Padma Seshadri group of schools in Chennai, Delhi Public School, RK Puram in Delhi, GKD Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore, Dominic Savio in Lonavla, DPS Panchkula and DPS Agra, the aim is to make learning and teaching a joyful experience.

The Educomp CEO, Mr Shantanu Prakash, said: "We expect to introduce the Smart Class programme in over 1,000 schools in India over the next 2-3 years." According to the company, this is the first of its kind in the world, with the entire content developed by the Educomp team over the last two years.

Multiple 17-inch monitors encased in tamper-proof custom-designed casings are installed in each classroom connected to the dedicated PC for the teacher in each class.

The teacher's PC in each ETEC is connected to a central knowledge centre at the school. The knowledge centre is virtually turned into a staff room where the teacher can request for digital resources on topics to be taught over a specified period using a Smart Class software engine.

However, the technology does not do away with conventional teaching methods.

"Apart from the chalk and the blackboard, the teacher can now use videos, 3D images and animation to teach the chosen topic inside classroom resulting in a multi-sensory learning experience for students," said the Educomp Vice-President, Mr Abhinav Dhar.

Established in 1994, Educomp is headquartered in New Delhi and has regional offices in 12 cities. The company has received investment from the Carlyle group as part of its $250-million investment in technology companies in India.

It recently set up a US subsidiary, Edumatics Corporation, with Rs 2.5 crore seed investment to develop and market e-learning technology and solutions in America. With a turnover of Rs 20.5 crore for 2002-03, Educomp is looking to double its turnover to Rs 42 crore during the current fiscal.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication

Stories in this Section
`Call centres have to change tack to tackle new US law'

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu Business Line. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu Business Line