CHENNAI: The directors of school and elementary education have instructed all the government schools to utilise video lessons from Manarkeni application — an alternative to paid video-assisted learning platforms — in day-to-day teaching routines, starting in February.
The application was launched 18 months ago, but the adoption remains poor, with the application having registered just over one lakh downloads so far, whereas there are more than 40 lakh students and two lakh teachers in government schools across the state. The application features video lessons for all classes to assist students better grasp concepts.
To improve usage, the director of elementary education instructed all the primary and middle school teachers to take photographs of their teaching, using their login details via the application and uploading them to the Education Management Information System (EMIS) portal.
Claiming the “attitude of teachers towards technology” a major hurdle, a senior official from the school education department said it is imperative for teachers to develop these skills, with students increasingly becoming familiar with technology.
Between January 20 and 25, the district officials have organised programmes to spread awareness among teachers and parents on the effectiveness of utilising video lessons in the teaching process, said the official. “Also, they have been instructed to check during inspections if teachers are utilising the application,” said the official.
The usage of videos from Manarkeni application and those sent by the State Council for Educational Research and Training, and digital infrastructure such as smart boards would be reviewed, added the official.
The department has been making efforts to upgrade digital infrastructure, such as equipping all primary schools with smart classrooms and middle schools with hi-tech laboratories. It has also planned to increase the number of computers in high and higher secondary schools to achieve a ratio of one computer for every five students.