Students to now use tablets in classrooms

It might be as common as a noodle in Chinese classrooms, but Indian schools are yet to harness the power of a tablet. But the trend might change – it has to as it is the future – with a small step taken by a city school. Delhi Public School (South) along with Education Initiative, an education management company, recently conducted a pilot study to check the viability of using tablets in classrooms.

The pilot study was done for class 5 and 7 during a month-long testing process. “It is not that the teachers will be replaced. It is just to aid the teaching process,” said Mansoor Ali Khan, member, board of management, Delhi Public School, Bangalore and Mysore. “With the teaching methodologies changing, we have to move with the changing times. For instance, in a class of 35, we will get to know as to how many have exactly understood what is being taught.”

The study — conducted over a month with the participation of 40 students — used Maths and Science to evaluate students. “To start off, we will probably introduce it for Maths and Science, and may extend it to History and English,” said Mansoor Ali Khan. “With History requiring a lot of reading material, through this medium graphic presentation can be used. Also, a subject like English, which requires students to get the right pronunciation, a standardised pronunciation can be adopted. We want to adopt a medium that will be viable for the future.”

Khan said the initiative had really caught on with the students. “We found that students were really curious to know more and learn more. The students were really excited,” he said.

But how expensive will it be on the parents? Khan said that as of now they hadn’t decided on the cost factor.

Khan said a meeting will be held next week to decide whether to introduce tablets from the next academic year.