EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
As a premier institute in educational technology, the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), is mainly concerned with development of video and audio programme, 16 mm films and other learning materials training of personnel in educational technology, media planning, script writing programme, production and technical operation.
90
15
EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY As a premier institute in educational technology, the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET), a constituent of the NCERT, is mainly concerned with development of video and audio programmes, 16 mm films and other learning materials, training of personnel in educational technology, media planning, script a writing programme, production and technical operation. It is also concerned with conducting research in various aspects of media planning and production, documentation and dissemination of information and material and consultancy in applications and development of educational technology.
The CIET has the responsibility of feeding a daily satellite educational television service entitled Tarang. This ETV service transmits programmes in Hindi at the primary level for students and teachers. While programmes produced at CIET and the State Institutes of Educational Technology, (SIETs) at Lucknow and Patna are capsuled and transmitted on Tarang, the other SIETs at Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar, Hyderabad and Pune look after similar telecasts in their respective regional languages. The ETV programmes are received in eleven states and UTs of Chandigarh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In order to enhance the reach of such ETV services in particular and educational technology in general across the length and breadth of the country, proposals to set up more SIETs during the Ninth Five Year Plan are under consideration at the MHRD level.
After signing the Memorandum of Under standing with the Akashwani, the CIET is providing audio programmes to the Allahabad, Bhopal, Delhi, Indore, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Lucknow, Patna, Rohtak and Shimla Stations of Akashwani. This programme entitled Umang, is broadcast once every week.
Tarang on DD 3 The CIET will be providing video programmes for telecast on Channel 3 of Doordarshan. As a part of educational broadcast, the CIET and agencies like CEC and IGNOU are providing programmes for this broadcast. The proposed telecast will be for a duration of half an hour, all seven days a week, and will include various programmes for children of the age-group 9-11. Apart from this half-hour telecast, a series of programmes in Mathematics for students of Classes X and XII will be telecast. Areas in Mathematics found difficult by students are proposed to be presented by expert teachers in a tutorial format. This telecast is a three-month experiment in using television for direct teaching, and the CIET proposes to expand such transmissions to other classes and subjects too. The telecast is slated to commence soon.
Educational Television Programmes During the year 1996-97, 83 ETV programmes, aimed at teachers and students of the primary stage, were produced. This is in
91
addition to, 52 continuity and link programmes which are used with the capsules of Tarang. Scripts are being requisitioned on various areas of the curriculum from outside script writers. An in-house script committee consisting of members with expertise in content, media and production aspect has been formed to help the script writers in finalisation of scripts. ETV programmes are largely aimed at supplementing the primary school curriculum and as such focus on helping children achieve the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLLs).
Some of the significant series of ETV programmes taken up for production are Environmental Education (cleanliness and orderliness) for children, multi-grade teaching and integration of women's issues in the curriculum for teachers of the primary stage. A series of nine programmes to be used during the pre-service primary teachers' train- ing programme are being developed.
While the allotment of programmes for outside production on a turn-key basis has been discontinued, outside producers are encouraged to take up productions using all the facilities of the CIET. Two series of programmes on Story Telling and Art Education have been completed and series on Discoveries and Inventions is in the process of completion.
Educational Audio Programmes Apart from the programmes produced for Umang, which is aimed at children in the age-group 3-6, the Educational Radio Division has taken up production of audio programmes for various target groups and themes. About 110 audio programmes were produced during the year 1996-97. Significant among the various series of programmes are: a series for the educable mentally handicapped children; Pracheen Bharat ka Itihas and Madhya Yugeen Bharat Par Ek Drishti for middle school children; Har Din Ho Kitab Ka Din for the National Book Trust; a series of 24 programmes to encourage Sanskrit learning in children for the Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan; and Gyan Vigyan for primary school children, are significant.
Educational Films The Film and Photo Division of the CIET produces educational films in the 16 mm format. During 1996-97, the Division has completed 'Coronation of the Sun' and its Hindi version Suraj Ki Tajposhi, a film on the Solar Eclipse of October 1995, Vibrant Ranges' and its Hindi version Samvedansheel Parvatmala on the Aravalli ranges, Tribes of Garhwal' and its Hindi version Garhwal Ki Jan-Jatiyaan, 'Lutyen's Dream: Mughal Gardens' and Technique of Photography'. The films Vir Bhoomi, Dev Bhoomi, 'Coimbatore Plains' and 'Princess and the Moon' are at various stages of' completion.
Marketing of Media Products The CIET has an arrangement for the marketing of its products (audio and video programmes) with private agencies. During 1996-97, a number of video and audio titles were selected by the agencies for marketing.
Video Festival The CIET organises a children's Video Festival annually. This festival aims at encouraging improvement of quality of production and exchange of programmes.
92
Video programmes for teachers and children in the age-groups 5-8 and 9-11 were invited from six SIETs. During 1996-97, the CIET organised the Eighth Festival at Ahmedabad from 3 to 5 October 1996. Audio programmes were also included in the festival.
CIET Bags NHK Award An educational television programme entitled Ek Jatan Aur was nominated for the 23rd Japan Prize instituted by the NHK and got a special commendation award.
The programmes Ghar and Kenchua were awarded third prizes at the Eighth Children's Video Festival held at Ahmedabad in October 1996.
Programme Briefs An exercise to prepare programme briefs pertaining to all areas of the curriculum at the primary stage (Classes I-V) has been completed. The document now provides programme briefs in Mathematics, Language, Envi- ronmental Studies, Art Education and Work PC Experience based on the Minimum Levels of Learning (MLLs). The exercise is proposed to be extended to encompass various other developmental and research activities leading to the development of a validated Media Curriculum.
Programme briefs, scripts and media programmes (both audio and video), have also been developed in the areas of Special Education (for Educable Mentally Handicapped), Teacher Education (Multi-grade Teaching and Integration of Women's Issues) and Environmental Education. Script testing and field testing of programmes have also been carried out.
Tele-conferencing Experiment The innovative teleconferencing mode of training of primary school teachers under the Special Orientation Programme for Primary Teachers (SOPT) involves a two-way audio and one-way video networking of training centres through satellite. Training of primary school teachers in 45 centres in Madhya Pradesh was taken up during August 1996, through this mode. A series of 13 short video programmes was developed. Besides telecast, evaluation of the programme was also undertaken. The evaluation reports of the teleconferencing programme for the states of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh were brought out.
New Technology Equipment A training programme of personnel belonging to CIET and SIETs to familiarise them with the latest Betacam video cassette recorders and CCD cameras was organised. These systems were procured and installed at the CIET and the SIETs at the cost of Rs 1.3 crore. The CIET is also procuring new technology equipment including Graphics and Animation Station, Beta Recorders, Non-linear Editing Systems and Test and Measuring Equipment.
Training Programmes The CIET also takes up training programmes for various producer and user groups in Educational Technology. An in-house training programme in scripting and production was held to orient the new faculty. A training programme on 'Use of Computers' for the ET faculty of DIETs in Madhya Pradesh was organised in collaboration with the Department of Education, Devi Ahilya Bai University,
93
at Indore. Training programmes 'Concepts and Applications of Educational Technology' for faculties of the University Departments of Education, Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs), Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs) and the District Institute of Education and Training (DIETs) were organised. Students from S.V. Government Polytechnic, Bhopal and the Department of Mass Communication, Devi Ahilya Bai University, Indore were attached to the CIET for training in various aspects of production. A training programme for the personnel of the ET Cell of the SCERT, Mizoram in scripting and production techniques was also organised.
Eight personnel from the CIET and SIETs were sent to Hong Kong for specialised training in the maintenance of ET systems. Two producers were sent for a workshop on Children's Television conducted jointly by the Doordarshan and the UNICEF during November 1996.
Regional Level Inputs in Eudcational Technology The RIE, Mysore undertook production of audio programmes in Kannada and Tamil for use in Classes III and IV. The programmes include the core curriculum such as 'Protection of Environment', 'Removal of Social Barriers', 'Indian Cultural Heritage', etc. Five cassettes produced on these themes are being tried out in the primary schools of the Karnataka State.
At the request of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, the RIE, Mysore undertook development of competency-based audio programmes for teaching of Tamil in Classes III and IV. Fifty audio programmes and 17 poems in Tamil were recorded. The Institute assisted the Government of Karnataka in their evaluation study on 'Utilisation of Radio-cum-Cassette Players in Primary Schools of Karnataka'. Support was provided in the form of designing tools of evaluation, data collection strategies, orientation of investigators, data analysis and reporting.
Reports and Other Materials Brought Out during 1996-97 1. Towards a Media Curriculum: Briefs for Educational Media Programmes based on the Primary School Curriculum. A set of 5 books (430 pages in all) containing briefs in Hindi, Mathematics, Environmental Studies, Art Education
2. Workshop Report on Development of Programme Briefs/Basic Samples for Audio Packages for Educable Mentally Handicapped at Primary Level
3. Teachers' Guide for the Use of Audio Packages for Educable Mentally Handicapped at the Primary Level with about 120 Flash Cards as Visual Support (manuscript)
4. Evaluation Report of Audio Programmes on 'Understanding Children and Helping Them to Learn' for Primary Teachers (typed)
5. Pracheen Bharat Ka Itihaas (Documentation of the audio series containing Programme Objectives, Briefs and Content Outline)
6. A Series of ETV Programmes on 'Multigrade Teaching' containing Programme Objectives, Briefs and Content Outline
7. A Series of ETV Programmes for 'Integration of Women's Issues into Curriculum Transaction'
8. Report of Evaluation into Utilisation of Interactive Video Technology in SOPT in Karnataka (typed)
9. Report of the Field Testing of ETV Programmes under Mathematics Series (under typing)
10. A Comprehensive 'ET Curriculum Module' for incorproation in the Elementary Teachers Training Curriculum (under typing)
95