PC Free Smart Class: Complementing Natural Psychology of Teachers
As per the recent national survey of 2020 conducted by the Centre for Teaching, Learning, and Development (CTLD), BML Munjal University, indicated that more than 34% of teachers found online teaching tough, as they were not tech-friendly and 32% were unable to make out what was happening at the student’s end like whether students are paying attention to classroom teaching or not. Further, some teachers also mentioned that they miss the warmth and personal interaction with students. Therefore, they are keen to get back to “normal” teaching as soon as possible. But in today’s education system, a blend of technology in a traditional classroom setting has become significant in making learning and teaching interactive and interesting. Thus, teachers have to become tech-friendly.
So, as a part of the learning ecosystem, we have simplified the smart class hardware by making it all about “One Screen, that is iPrep Digital Class”, just like the TV in our homes. It has eliminated infrastructural and psychological barriers limiting technology use in the school.
PC Free Smart Class setup Simplifying digital teaching
PC free Smart class is just one screen that requires a maximum half an hour to set up. It can be set up on any wall with one stand and 4 screws. When we go for setting up PC Free Smart Class in schools, we have always noticed some level of curiosity in government school teachers like, “How simple is it to set up this device?” and “Will it be this easy to use also?” They willingly ask us about its content and features and also access it on their own through the remote, just like they access TV in their homes. During these times, we learned that with infrastructural barriers, we have also been able to cope with psychological barriers that limit the use of Smart Classes.
What psychological barrier have we eliminated with PC Free Smart Class?
Let’s go back to the times of our parents to understand the natural psychology of adoption
When I talk to my parents about life in their times, they say, “…in our times we only had newspapers, radio, and books and television were evolving, where we had only one TV commonly used by all the people in a home …” Without any training the generations got comfortable with advanced devices which now have become an integral part of their lives.
In alignment with the comfort of teachers with TV in their homes, we have simplified conventional smart classroom setup with versions of iPrep Digital Class. With this, we eliminated the need for all its complex components like CPU, projector, Keyboard, and mouse. iPrep Digital Class is one screen that can be accessed through a remote/touch. Further, all the content is made available offline on Pendrive, where teachers just need to plug the Pendrive, choose necessary categories, and are good to teach.
Incidents that pushed us to relate iPrep Digital Class with TV in our homes
After the training of smart class setup in school supported by Sambhavana NGO, one of the teachers took the remote from our team member and said
“…Oh, it’s just like the TV in my home. The navigating options are very simple, just like changing channels. This is easy and not like what I thought. When I heard of smart class, I thought this would be another add-on to school infrastructure. We teachers won’t be able to teach through this, but now I am confident of using it ….”
-Said one of the teachers
A similar thing happened in another implementation supported by End Poverty. Here, we implemented iPrep Digital Class through an interactive flat panel display. IFDP digital Classes can be accessed through touch, resulting in high teacher involvement. When we were showing them the way to use it, one teacher came forward and said:
“… Let me do it. I will change the language. Ok! Now I have to choose the class and subject. Arey Wah! It’s very simple; oh we have video lessons too….”
The overwhelming response and curiosity of the teachers left us awestruck. We felt pleased when teachers liked it, used it, and admired it.
Why do we think iPrep Digital Class, a PC Free Smart Classroom solution is easy to use for teachers?
iPrep Digital Class, a smart classroom solution can be set up on any hardware Android TV, interactive flat panel, and on all operating systems, that is, Windows, Linux, or Android. Smart TV/ Interactive flat panels for schools are some examples of it that are designed to help teachers manage their classes easily. It just requires Plug and Play to start classroom sessions just like we switch on the TV in our homes. iPrep Digital Class is easy to use for teachers because:
Simplified hardware:
We have simplified the hardware by reducing its components to one screen. It can be set up in any school, on any classroom wall in just half-hour with one stand & 4 screws. Moreover, it is nothing alien and is designed keeping in mind the technological friendliness of teachers with TV in their homes.
Aligns with teaching pedagogy:
The syllabus books and animated video lessons on iPrep are just like textbooks. Further, iPrep Digital Class makes teaching became more simple by integrating the Learning Management System. The LMS comprises a list of all teaching materials aligned to textbooks so that teachers can easily adapt to digital content.
Multilingual platform:
We enable content in Hindi, English, and other regional languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Oriya. All this because we believe that the availability of navigating options in teachers’ preferred language makes smart class setup easy to use. Further, we have seen easy user interfaces motivate teachers to use a smart class on a daily basis.
Engaging classroom content:
To suit the different learning abilities of different students, we enable multiple categories of digital content. The content is in the form of animated educational videos that make comprehension of concepts simpler. Further, iPrep offers syllabus books to refer to anytime, and notes for quick revision. Teachers also get access to content beyond academics such as life skills, DIY videos, climate action course, and more for the holistic growth of students. Additionally, we give access to inspirational stories, poems, and biographies for the holistic growth of students. Lastly, we give MCQ style Practice questions for an interactive classroom experience.
Availability of monthly reports:
To ensure regular usage of iPrep Digital Classroom, we share monthly usage reports with the principal. This helps them keep track of their teachers’ involvement in digital content.
iPrep Digital Class empower teachers to supplement their teaching with digital learning solutions
Digital education is part of the wider vision of India
or
डिजिटल एजुकेशन भारत का व्यापक विजन का हिसा
-Honorable PM Narendra Modi Ji
PC Free Smart Class emerges as an affordable solution for social sector development, offering an optimized approach to utilizing funds while aligning with teachers’ existing technology habits. By eliminating the need for additional infrastructure and internet connectivity, this smart classroom solution enhances the teaching approach and fosters an engaging learning environment for students.
If in case you would like to know more about iPrep Digital Class, comment below or write to us at share@idreameducation.org.
idreameducation.org
Frequently Asked Questions -
1. What is PC Free Smart Class?
PC free Smart Class is a user-friendly smart classroom solution that simplifies setup by eliminating the need for complex computer hardware. It consists of a single screen that can be easily mounted on any wall within 30 minutes using just a stand and four screws. Designed keeping in mind the infrastructural challenges of schools located at remote locations and teachers' familiarity with Android devices.
2. How do smart classes change the role of the teacher?
Smart classes shift the teacher's role from the primary source of information to a facilitator of learning. Teachers guide students as they interact with technology, curate digital resources, and design engaging activities that promote collaboration and critical thinking.
3. What training is necessary to prepare teachers to use smart classroom technology effectively?
Teachers need comprehensive training on A. Technical aspects: Hardware setup, manage and use of education software. B. Pedagogical integration: Strategies to blend technology meaningfully into a lesson plan to enhance learning outcomes. C: Keeping track of what is being taught, improvement in student’s learning level, learning gap and outcomes
4. Are smart classes easy to use for teachers?
Smart classes are designed to make teaching easier and more engaging. However, the ease of use for teachers depends on a few factors that are smart class hardware, the relevancy of content available to teachers, dependency on the internet, and how easy it is for teachers to manage and use smart classes on a regular basis.
