A Step Towards Digital Learning: Meghalaya’s Journey Towards Bookless Education

In an era where technology is reshaping every aspect of life, education is no exception. The concept of bookless education, where traditional textbooks are supplemented by digital resources, is gaining traction worldwide. This shift is driven by a need for more accessible, engaging, and personalized learning experiences. After all, in a world where information is readily available at our fingertips, why should education be confined to the pages of a book?

Meghalaya, a state in northeast India, is at the forefront of considering bookless education 

During the inaugural session of the national workshop at Shillong College, Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma Ji, showed his support for exploring the implementation of textbook-free learning. This initiative aims to leverage QR codes and digital tools, to modernize education in the region. The workshop focused on integrating the SWAYAM platform. It is a national online learning resource, designed to achieve the three cardinal principles of Education Policy through access, equity, and quality.

Education Minister Meghalaya Sangma Ji emphasized the need for an evolving educational system. He highlighted that with a bookless education system, classes could be held outside traditional classrooms and without physical textbooks. This is possible because of technological advancements. He envisioned a future where open-book exams become standard, focusing on the application of knowledge and aligning with global assessment trends.

To realize this vision, the Education Minister outlined Meghalaya’s plan to introduce QR codes into textbooks for grades 9-12. All this is under the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE). 

Starting next academic year in Meghalaya, these QR codes will link students to digital study materials and instructional videos. The vision is to enhance educational access, particularly for those in rural areas. This initiative aims to foster research skills and provide a broader range of resources for students.

We are happy to see the growing focus on bookless education as a means to ensure equitable access for every student 

Our experiences across government schools in India reveal a reality: while students attend school, the availability of textbooks remains a challenge. If you visit schools, you might often see multiple students sharing a single book, while others walk long distances with heavy backpacks full of books, making them tired even before the school day starts. These examples underscore the current situation and highlight the potential of bookless education to ensure access, equity, and quality in education.

Further, we commend Meghalaya’s progressive initiative to explore bookless education and embrace digital learning 

This forward-thinking approach demonstrates the state’s commitment to ensuring that every student, regardless of location, has access to quality educational opportunities. Meghalaya’s dedication to enabling digital learning opportunities is evident in its implementation of various programs that are already making a positive impact on students’ learning experiences. Two of them are:

Project Ka Lawei for digital education in East Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya

The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, in collaboration with us, implemented 166 smart classes. This includes smart classrooms with an LMS for grades 8 to 12 aligned with the MBoSE curriculum in English, featuring offline reporting under Project Ka Lawei. The project went beyond implementation and experiential teacher training, with a critical focus on student engagement and learning outcomes. When it was observed that learning outcomes were limited, a thorough evaluation revealed that learning gaps among students might be the cause. To address this, a digital assessment on tablets was conducted for over 5000 students. The analysis of the baseline assessment indicated that more than 90% of the students were performing at levels 3-4 grades below their current grade.

To bridge these gaps, a customized bridge course was developed for each school. This was preapred based on their academic plans and baseline assessment results. This course includes interconnected videos covering content from grades 6 to 10, ensuring a comprehensive learning approach. The bridge course was integrated with the smart classroom LMS to provide a seamless learning experience. This initiative highlights the state’s clear and progressive focus on digitization and leveraging technology to enhance learning outcomes.

If you want to learn more about the experience of Project Ka Lawei, read on.

Experiential Learning Center at South Garo Hills, Meghalaya

We recently had the experience of setting up an experiential learning center in the South Garo Hills district in Baghmara. This was in collaboration with the Office of Deputy Commissioner, South Garo Hills, Meghalaya. It is a one-stop center that connects students and teachers with a wide range of solutions. This includes an interactive panel for guided visual learning by the teachers, a tablet-based digital library or a lab for personalized learning by the students, and engaging learning games. The center also offers modules to expose students to various career opportunities and so much more. 

The impact of this center extends far beyond individual beneficiaries or schools. It has the potential to transform the entire community by increasing school enrollment and extending educational reach. Additionally, by creating a schedule, the management will ensure students of all the schools seek benefit from play-way digital learning. They will also conduct workshops to teach students how to use their mobile phones for similar learning experiences at home. Experiential learning centers like this one go beyond academics. They have the power to revitalize a district by focusing on student-centered, playful learning experiences that create lasting community impact.

We are happy to be a part of the district’s increasing focus on digitization. Through our initiatives, we have enabled the MBoSE-aligned digital syllabus books with diverse digital learning content, advancing the Meghalaya government’s vision of bookless education. 

Our K-12 LMS for school education is designed in alignment with the National Education Policy. It empowers central/state governments and social organizations to foster bookless education. By offering multi-category, curriculum-aligned content in various local languages, it caters to the diverse learning needs of students. Thus, have the potential to effectively digitize classrooms across the country. 

Embarking on a bookless education system journey, it’s important to remember we’re not replacing books entirely. This step is about adapting to the needs of the modern learner.

The goal is to create a more inclusive and accessible learning environment where technology complements traditional methods. This ensures that no child is left behind due to lack of resources. By embracing digital tools and personalized learning approaches, education technology has the potential to improve the education ecosystem.
If you are seeking a digital learning solution to facilitate bookless education in your school education program, please contact us at +91 7678265039. You can also share your contact details here or can write to us at [email protected]

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