Indian govt launched VidyaDaan 2.0 on DIKSHA used by CBSE,NCERT to strengthen e-learning content

Recognising the growing need for good quality digital content, Govt of India has launched a national program VidyaDaan 2.0 today i.e. April 22, 2020, for inviting e-learning Content contributions.

India Today Web Desk | New Delhi | April 22, 2020

Due to the spread of Covid-19, education of students across schools is impacted everywhere. Traditional ways of teaching and learning are being rapidly augmented with online methods. It is the right time and opportunity to strengthen the e-learning content for school education on DIKSHA and leverage its potential used by all students and teachers of CBSE, NCERT and 30 states/UTs which have already adopted DIKSHA.

Recognising the growing need for good quality digital content, Govt of India has launched a national program VidyaDaan 2.0 today i.e. April 22, 2020, for inviting e-learning Content contributions. VidyaDaan 2.0 is a common national program to develop and contribute e-learning content and a chance to be recognised nationally.

VidyaDaan 2.0: Motto of the programme

The programme brings together academicians and organisations to develop and contribute fun and engaging e-learning content aligned to the curriculum. Contributors can contribute a variety of e-learning content in the form of explanatory videos, animations, teaching videos, lesson plans, assessments and question banks in the prescribed format.

The content will be monitored by a panel of academic experts and released for use on the DIKSHA app to help millions of children across the country continue learning anytime and anywhere.

States and UTs to initiate their own programme

Following the launch, States and Union Territories can initiate their own program as part of VidyaDaan 2.0, inviting individuals/ Organisations/ educational institutions/EdTech organisations/ teachers etc. to nominate themselves as contributors on the content contribution tool of VidyaDaan 2.0 and contribute content in regional language(s), contextualized to their regions.

The standardised templates available on VidyaDaan 2.0 via a content contribution tool will also help in creating a uniform structure ensuring easy accessibility.

The contributed content will be available for use across the education ecosystem such as government departments, education boards- national and states, schools (government and privates) and for the use of all other institutions, organisations and entities engaged in education.

VidyaDaan 2.0 will be leveraged for sourcing content for higher education very shortly. Please join the movement and share, for your care.

For more information on the process of nomination and contribution through VidyaDaan 2.0, you may visit-- vdn.diksha.gov.in or diksha.gov.in and click on VidyaDaan 2.0.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/

CBSE to announce dates for Class 10, 12 Boards after May 3

CBSE had postponed Board exams even before PM Modi announced the lockdown on March 24

  BusinessToday.In  | April 20, 2020 

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that Board exams for Class 10 and 12 would not be cancelled. The examination dates for pending papers would be announced after May 3, depending on the situation.

CBSE had postponed Board exams even before PM Modiannounced the lockdown on March 24.

CBSE will conduct Class 10 exams only for North-East Delhischools for Hindi Course A, Hindi Course B, English Communication, English language and Literature, Science, and Social Science. Meanwhile, only tests for main subjects including Business Studies, Geography, Hindi (Elective), Hindi (Core), Home Science, Sociology, Computer Science, Information Practice, Information Technology, and Biotechnology will be conducted for the class 12 boards.

Class 12 students from North-East Delhi will have to give exams for English, Mathematics, Economics, Biology, Political Science, History, Physics, Accountancy, and Chemistry.

The new dates would be notified 10 days before the exam.

CBSE had directed affiliated schools to promote kids till class 8 without any evaluation. For classes 9 and 11, the board has ordered the schools to assess them based on their performances in internal evaluations. If a student fails to pass, then the schools can use the lockdown period to provide online remedial classes. It is also discussing a 'rationalised syllabus' as the coronavirus pandemic has already pushed back opening dates of schools.

Source : https://www.businesstoday.in/latest/trends/cbse-to-announce-dates-for-class-10-12-boards-after-may-3/story/401514.html

CBSE school to work with reduced curriculum for next academic calendar, HRD Minister

JEE Mains will most probably be conducted in the month of June as the lockdown has been extended, says the minister.

Human Resources Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal, said that CBSE will be reducing the curriculum for the next academic calendar for all the classes to make up for the lost time due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The curriculum will be curtailed in proportion to the lost time due to the lockdown, reports Indian Express.

Moreover, due to the extension of the lockdown, the minister said, the JEE Main examination will not be conducted in the last week of May which was the tentative date. Now, the JEE Main examination is expected to be conducted in the month of June.

The minister said that the curtailment of the curriculum was necessary to make up for the lost time. Students from CBSE schools have already lost one-and-a-half months worth of study time. He added that CBSE has already instructed its course committee to work on the calendar for the next year.

CBSE was in the midst of conducting its 10th and 12th board exams when the lockdown was imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The board had earlier that students from class 1 to 8 will be promoted without an exam this year.

Moreover, it was also decided that out of the 41 subjects remaining to be conducted (including for students from Northeast Delhi), only 29 subjects will be conducted once the lockdown is lifted.

Source : https://scroll.in/announcements/959680/cbse-school-to-work-with-reduced-curriculum-for-next-academic-calendar-hrd-minister

NEET PG 2020 counselling dates extended till April 24, check details here

Earlier, the last date of reporting for round-1 of PG Counselling 2020 was April 20 which now has been extended to April 24, 2020.

By : Akhilesh Nagari | Hindustan Times, New Delhi | : Apr 15, 2020

Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) has extended the last date of reporting for round-1 of PG Counselling 2020 till April 24, 2020. The NEET PG 2020 counselling result was declared on April 10, 2020. The MCC Committee is allowing online reporting for students who will not be able to commute. The committee has also enabled a special provision for students to take admission during the lockdown.

Earlier, the last date of reporting for round-1 of PG Counselling 2020 was April 20 which now has been extended to April 24, 2020.

In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, MCC has also advised colleges to ‘sympathetically deal with the issues faced by candidates of NEET PG 2020’. Colleges have been instructed to ask only for the essential documents for admission. The list of essential documents is available on the MCC website.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/neet-pg-2020-counselling-dates-extended-till-april-24-check-details-here/story-4YUokbEk2NT8giTifKkivK.html

CBSE, Fit India Mission to stream live exercise classes for students from April 15

The Fit India Mission has reportedly made five capsules of five minutes each for breaks between online sessions. These capsules will be played by schools between online study sessions.

By: Education Desk | New Delhi | Updated: April 14, 2020

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) along with Fit India Mission will begin live fitness sessions for school children from April 15 onwards. The sessions will be streamed live on Fit India’s YouTube channel. “As many schools have already initiated online or virtual classes for students, it is equally important to invest in their overall physical, emotional and mental well-being at home during this period,” the board said in a recent circular.

In a letter addressed to school principals, CBSE informed that all the live sessions are downloadable and can be made available as video capsules to be disseminated later. The sessions, claims the board, will be created to ensure it engages students, teachers as well as parents.

The Fit India Mission has reportedly made five capsules of five minutes each for breaks between online sessions. These capsules will be played by schools in between online study sessions.

Meanwhile, schools are holding classes online for students until the lockdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic is over. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced to extend the lockdown till May 3. Over 10,000 people have been infected by the coronavirus in India. The death toll in the nation due to the virus has reached 339.

For those belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) of the society, coping with these classes has been difficult. As per a report, of the 25 crore students affected by the lockdown, 80 per cent are from EWS category. These students are struggling due to lack of e-learning, know-how and unavailability of required infrastructure.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/cbse-fit-india-mission-to-have-live-exercise-classes-for-students-from-april-15-6361766/

Google Play adds a ‘Teacher Approved’ section to its app store

By : Sarah Perez@sarahintampa / April 15, 2020

Google today is making it easier for families to find quality educational apps with the addition of a new “Teacher Approved” section to Google Play. All apps found in this section are vetted by a panel of reviewers, including more than 200 teachers across the U.S., and meet Google’s existing requirements for its “Designed for Families” program.

That program requires apps to meet government regulations around data collection and ad targeting, and also limits the types of ads that can be displayed to children, if apps are ad-supported.

The apps chosen for the “Teacher Approved” section, however, don’t just meet the program’s minimum requirements — they’re also reviewed and rated highly by teachers. These may be apps teachers suggest for supplemental learning while others may just be used for fun.

The launch arrives at a time when most U.S. children are now out of school due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent school closures. To date, at least 55.1 million students are no longer attending their public or private school in-person, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. This change has left parents scrambling to fill their child’s time with educational activities. And even if distance learning is available in their school district, it isn’t typically enough to keep the child engaged throughout the day.

Google says it heard from parents that it was difficult to find kid-friendly apps they felt good about letting their children use, which is why it chose to launch the new “Teacher Approved” section on Google Play.

The company worked with academic experts, including lead advisors Joe Blatt (Harvard Graduate School of Education) and Dr. Sandra Calvert (Georgetown University) to create the framework for rating apps for kids. But the apps themselves are chosen by a panel with teacher involvement. The panel rates apps on various aspects like age-appropriateness, quality of experience, enrichment and whether kids enjoy using the app.

To access the new section, you can either visit the “Kids” tab on Google Play or you can look for the “Teacher Approved” badge on any given app to see if it met with teachers’ approval. In addition, Google Play Pass will offer subscribers a selection of “Teacher Approved” content under the “Apps and games for kids” section.

The apps will be grouped by age: 5 & under, ages 6-8 and ages 9-12. Google will also include information in the app’s listing about why it was rated highly.

At launch, Google tells us there will be around 1,000 Teacher Approved apps live in the Play Store and around 60 also included in Google Play Pass. The company says it’s working with its Play Pass partners to increase this number over time.

 “I think it’s terrific that Google is taking this unprecedented stand – creating a unique space for apps that teachers have rated high in quality and value for kids and their families,” said Joe Blatt, senior lecturer and faculty director of the Technology, Innovation, and Education Program, in a statement about the launch. “Over the past three years, together with faculty colleagues and students, I have worked to pinpoint criteria for developmental appropriateness, learning impact, and appeal. Then we helped Google build a rating system that enables teachers to apply these criteria reliably. I’m really impressed with the dedication and professionalism that the Google team has invested in this project,” he added.

The new Kids tab with “Teacher approved” apps will roll out in the U.S. on Google Play over the next few days. Google says it will expand the experience internationally in the months to come.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/15/google-play-adds-a-teacher-approved-section-to-its-app-store/

CBSE may conduct exams of the main subjects only

By : TNN | Apr 16, 2020, 04.13 AM IST

Indore: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) will conduct examinations for only main subjects that will be required for promotion or are considered crucial for admissions to higher educational institutions (HEIs).

Considering that the timetable cannot be declared due to the present situation, the board has decided to give notice of about 10 days to all stakeholders before starting board examination.

For remaining subjects, board will issue separate instructions for marking, assessment. After getting several queries from students on helpline numbers, the board has answered some of the questions related to higher secondary classes.

“We have still been getting three to four calls on a regular basis from students regarding the examination and promotion,” helpline counsellor of CBSE, Jaydeb Kar told TOI.

Several students of Class 10 had asked about the examination of language subjects taken as sixth subject as it may affect the admissions for Class 11, the board has decided not to conduct the exam, but it is making provisions to prepare the result for these subjects.

Students of Class 12 who are interested to appear in competitive examinations had been enquiring about marks of the subjects that will not be conducted as it might hamper the standard marks.

“The system of assessment for declaring results will be worked out by the board shortly and the schools will be informed. Board has ensured that the interest of students will be protected,” said Kar.

Students of Class nine and 11 asked if they can be promoted to the next class like the students of classes one to eight stating that mostly students study only for the annual examination. However, the board has disagreed.

It stated that there is a system of continuous internal assessment in most of the subjects by the schools besides the term exams at regular intervals in which the students are assessed.

Those schools that were unable to conduct the examination of Class nine and 11 will be promoted to the next classes. However, the promotion policy will not be applicable on the students of classes nine and 11 whose results have been declared prior to the lockdown.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/cbse-may-conduct-exams-of-the-main-subjects-only/articleshow/75169468.cms

Maharashtra education department begins rolling out e-learning content for classes 1 to 9

Under the initiative of e-learning, students from classes 1 to 9 can watch videos, listen to recorded lessons and solve exercises on their phones.

By : Hindustan Times | Ankita Bhatkhande | Apr 13, 2020

The content is hosted on DIKSHA app which is an Ministry of Human Resource Department platform for e-learning.

 The state education department started rolling out digital learning content to students in government and aided schools across the state on Monday, April 13, 2020. Under the initiative, students from classes 1 to 9 can watch videos, listen to recorded lessons and solve exercises on their phones.

The content is hosted on DIKSHA app which is an Ministry of Human Resource Department platform for e-learning. Every day, students would be sent a set of links on the phones of their parents or guardians and they can access this content as per their convenience to continue learning. Dinkar Patil, director, Maharashtra State Council for Educational Research and Training that is overlooking the initiative said , “The DIKSHA app already has nearly 9000 different uploads with respect to learning content. But to ensure that students follow the right sequence, we will share daily links from the app which would make it easy for them to access the content.” The links will be shared to the students through their class teachers.

The department is also working on the use of television and radio to air educational content for students who do not have access to smartphones. “MHRD’s Swayam channel will host this content for two hours in the morning and evening every day. We are working on the content and it should begin in a couple of days,” added Patil.

With the education department’s announcement of promoting students from Classes 1 to 9 on the basis of their previous scores, several teachers had raised concerns about learning coming to a standstill. The department has thus ensured that through online education, students stay in sync with studies even as they are at home.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/maharashtra-education-department-begins-rolling-out-e-learning-content-for-classes-1-to-9/story-eIspMIRtmCAywks1CFKuyO.html

NSDC encouraging skill seekers to acquire new skills

The COVID-19 outbreak is the major accelerator that has led to a mega shift in digital teaching and learning approach.

EDUCATION | Indo Asian News Service  Updated: Apr 13, 2020

New Delhi

Over the past few weeks, the world has seen a paradigm shift in the working and learning styles of people at large, especially young professionals.

Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 outbreak is the major accelerator that has led to a mega shift in digital teaching and learning approach.

So, it is quite evident that when we rejoin the workforce post the lockdown, we might see a need to diversify our skill sets, and be prepared for unforeseen times too.

Rather than binging away to your favourite series or just killing time lounging at home, why not add some arsenal to your capabilities?

Amid the lockdown, National Skill Development Corporation’s (NSDC) is encouraging skill seekers to acquire new skills and utilise their time effectively. NSDC’s eLearning aggregator portal, eSkill India portal offers more than 400 courses curated from various knowledge providers. In the recent weeks, eSkillIndia has partnered with EnglishScore, SAS India, Saylor Academy (USA) and UpGrad, thereby providing skill seekers with varied online opportunities.

The eSkill India portal pivots the online skill creating initiatives in collaboration with global leaders in the eLearning domain and thus enabling access to a wide range of courses for users. With strategic knowledge partnerships, the portal leverages technology in continuing the momentum and enables skill seekers to accelerate their learning through methods like virtual learning and remote classroom.

Commenting on the digital and eLearning initiatives, Manish Kumar, MD and; CEO, National Skill Development Corporation, said, “These are unprecedented times and digital learning initiatives are playing a critical role in keeping learners connected and in maintaining continuity. There are a plethora of online resources and platforms that skill seekers and professionals can use to equip themselves with new-age skills in the current scenario. We have several collaborations with leading knowledge providers to facilitate self- learning by providing access to high-quality online learning resources.”

NSDC’s alliance with EnglishScore, an English language assessment app by British Council, aims to provide global standard of English proficiency to the Indian youth. The collaboration brings not just free app access to the Indian youth, but also enables free certification for 1 lakh candidates.

Through its partnership with Saylor Academy, a non-profit headquartered in Washington DC, NSDC opens another gateway to prime quality and global-level skilling opportunities from leading research and academic universities. This facilitates eSkill India to provide high-standard skilling opportunities to Indian youth, with course-credits that are guaranteed by some of the leading universities like Bellevue, Bethel, Brandan, Catholic, Colorado, Southern New Hampshire, Thomas Edison, Maryland etc. The programs are known for their high-quality content and free certification.

eSkillIndia has also partnered with SAS®, the analytics powerhouse, to offer a range of courses on data analytics, machine learning, predictive modeling, statistical business analytics that are useful across all industries like IT, Retail, Pharma, Banking and Finance, Retail, Manufacturing, etc. These new solutions for online education could bring much needed innovation and the user can easily control their career trajectory by gaining comprehensive analytical and research skills that are in great demand in the competitive marketplace.

The partnership with Wadhwani Foundation, a philanthropic organisation, will bring specific skilling and entrepreneurship enhancement initiatives through the portal.

Work-from-home employees and corporate houses can also use their time to enroll and access the wide catalogue of Business / Professional courses and certifications. The users can also enroll in the next-gen analytics courses to discover insights from your data and make more intelligent decisions to drive relevant change.

Knowledge Partnerships of eSkillIndia amongst others include Amrita University, Salesforce, TCS iON, BetterU, Apollo MedVarsity, iPrimed, Liqvid’s English Edge, Fair and; Lovely Foundation, IBM Skills.

Last month, as a part of the commitment to fight the spread of the COVID-19 and fully support the public, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) notified all the establishments under designated and optional trade to pay full stipend to apprentices engaged with them.

Additionally, reimbursement of stipend to establishments under National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) shall be paid by the government for the lockdown period as per the NAPS guidelines.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/covid-19-nsdc-encouraging-skill-seekers-to-acquire-new-skills/story-JfgJOva37NqOKmgxGDHiNO.html

For board exams next year, CBSE schools begin online classes

By: TNN | Apr 16, 2020, 04.12 AM IST

Chennai: With schools remaining closed for nearly a month now due to Covid-19 crisis in the city, CBSE schools have begun online classes for students who are promoted to Class X and XII to compensate loss of working days. Some schools teaching through apps like zoom, teamlink and microsoft teams, other schools are using learning management systems to upload the lessons.

The new academic year supposed to start from April 1 and many schools had originally planned to take classes till third or fourth week of April. "There could be at least one or two months delay in reopening of schools due to Covid-19 crisis. We can make it up during pooja and Christmas holidays. We have started online classes to keep our students engaged," said P G Subramanian, principal of Bhavan's Rajaji Vidhyashram.

Sunitha Vipinchandran, principal of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School said students in Classes X and XII are more responsive to online classes. "We are sending the materials, resources and assignments to parents and they are taking the initiative. The school is also sending the alerts for online classes," she said adding that online classes likely to be extended for other classes as well.

Bala Vidyamandir Senior Secondary School Principal R Srinivasa Raghavan said the school has taken the decision to introduce online classes in the previous year itself. "We have trained our teachers in taking online classes. They are uploading lectures using software. Students can view these lectures using their login ID," he said.

Students can also rate the lectures. Meena Sriram, an English teacher from Bala Vidyamandir said the Covid-19 crisis has helped her school to make a seamless transition to online classes. "Students will not have brakes in academics especially in Classes X and XII. Though there is no interactive audience, it challenges teachers to make it interesting and informative so children be engaged and watch the video. The students also can play it any number of times," she said.

G Chitramala, a Hindi teacher from Modern Senior Secondary School said teachers are prescribing online resources through various apps including teamlink. "We prescribe class timings in advance to the students. Many students are actively participating in the online classes," she said.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/for-board-exams-next-year-cbse-schools-begin-online-classes/articleshowprint/75169449.cms