- A delegation of 12 individuals from the public and private sector, including the School Education Minister of Madhya Pradesh, attended a programme of study visits on the theme of ‘teaching and technology’ in the UK from 23-27 January.
- The publication ‘Teaching and technology: case studies from India’ jointly produced with Central Square Foundation was launched on 24 January at a reception hosted by the British Council’s deputy chair Baroness Usha Prashar
New Delhi, 7 February 2017: A delegation of twelve individuals have recently returned from a British Council-led programme of activity in London, focusing on sharing learning and fostering partnerships and collaboration on the theme of ‘teaching and technology’. The delegation included Kunwar Vijay Shah, School Education Minister Madhya Pradesh; Khoho Siile Anthony, Director Human Resource Development and Employment, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER); Lokesh Kumar Jatav – Additional Secretary, School Education Department, Madhya Pradesh. Other individuals represented organisations and government bodies including the NCERT Central Institute of Educational Technology; Tata Consultancy Services; Naandi Foundation, Chrysalis, Central Square Foundation and IT for Change.
The purpose of the visit was to provide opportunities for the India-based organisations to explore potential collaborations with those working in the education sector in the UK, specifically with an interest in the power of technology to leverage quality in education. The British Council recognises that partnerships can play a fundamental role in the development of strong ties between our countries and that two-way sharing of experience and learning can play a significant role in promoting innovation and excellence. The UK-India Education Week programme was part of the UK-India Year of Culture 2017. Education and culture are at the heart of the bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and India.
The delegation attended a briefing on the UK education sector, led by the British Council, and undertook a series of study tour visits. These included a demonstration of an innovative teacher development tool, Iris Connect, at a London primary school, visits to The Open University and University College London and presentations from UK-based edtech companies including Avado Learning and London Grid for Learning. The delegation also attended the Education Innovation Conference, organised by the Economic Policy Group, and the Bett Show which showcases the best of UK technology for the education sector.
A new publication: Teaching and technology – case studies from India, produced jointly with Central Square Foundation, was launched at an evening reception on 24 January. The publication features 22 case studies of innovative uses of technology in the schools sector in India. The launch in London provided an opportunity to highlight the range of activity happening in edtech in India, for mutual learning and benefit.
The School Education Minister MP, Director HRD&E (DoNER) and Additional Sec. School Education Dept participated in the Education World Forum.
Mr. Alan Gemmell OBE, Director, British Council India, said, “this was our biannual third UK-India Education Week, offering an excellent opportunity for representatives of India-based organisations and institutions to network and share their experience and knowledge with potential partners in the UK. We were delighted to launch our new publication together with Central Square Foundation. This collection of case studies represents a fascinating overview of the work that is being undertaken across India to improve both access to and the quality of education. The stories illustrate a range of innovative uses of both hardware and digital content. We hope that by helping to share these stories, others will be inspired to experiment, adopting and adapting the ideas, to help realise our shared vision of high-quality education for all.”
Teaching and technology: case studies from India
Edited by Dr Gary Motteram, University of Manchester
Jointly published by British Council India and Central Square Foundation (www.centralsquarefoundation.org), this collection of case studies illustrates teachers and organisations using technology in innovative ways in schools and classrooms across India.
An open call for case studies was advertised through our respective networks, with over 400 submissions received. Following a process of review and coding against the emergent themes, the publication team identified 22 stories that they believed demonstrated the range of hardware and software being used to improve learning for students and for teachers’ professional development across India. The case studies show teachers using virtual reality, video conferencing, WhatsApp groups and other technologies with ideas for how other teachers might replicate their innovations. By highlighting this good practice, we aim to inspire future action by others to experiment in similar contexts.
The publication is available for free download here: https://www.britishcouncil.in/continuing-professional-development