ICT student textbook/Preface

Through the course of human history, there have been advancements and inventions that have altered societal processes and structures greatly. The agricultural revolution and industrialization were such. We are now in another such age, brought on by Information Communication Technologies (ICT). With information creation , access, processing and sharing becoming more and more simpler, society is now being shaped these processes so much to be called the Information Society. Participating in this society requires the development of new skills as well as an understanding of how these processes are impacting justice and equity in society. It is the responsibility of the education system to respond to this by bringing into school education, an understanding of ICT, the impact of ICT and society, the possibilities for learning through ICT while at the same time building skills in students that will make them capable of functioning and responsive to a society shaped by ICT.

In this context, the Telangana Education Department is seeking to implement an ICT program in the state through an integrated approach that will focus on teacher capacity building, development of a comprehensive syllabus for ICT learning, development of content to support learning and provisioning of adequate infrastructure. The department is upgrading the school labs in 3,000 schools by building a digital lab and through equipping the classrooms with digital resources. The Telangana SCERT has decided to also develop an ICT syllabus and text book which will be used by the school teachers transacting the ICT classes from Class 6-10. The SCERT has developed the state syllabus and the textbook based on the National ICT curriculum developed by NCERT, which seeks to bring to school education the possibilities of ICTs for connecting and learning and creating and learning.

Approach and intent of the state ICT syllabus

The state ICT syllabus has been based on the aspirations and guidelines set in the National ICT Policy which focuses on building the skills of computing, creating and collaborating through safe, ethical, legal means of using ICT.

The syllabus has emphasised the different possibilities of ICT in society, briefly discussed below.

1. Connecting with the world: Technology is providing new ways for us to access information and learn. Along with this, evaluating information and using it appropriately become skills to be developed. This theme will focus on accessing the internet, evaluating resources available and creating meaningful personal digital libraries for self learning. This will also include an introduction to
2. Connecting with each other: A related dimension of connecting through ICT is in possibilities for learning in communities from each other. The focus of this theme will be on how to interact and learn in peer learning settings and through online, virtual forums. Collaborating an learning is a key learning expectation from this curriculum.
3. Interacting with ICT: Building skills and aptitudes in a technology environment is an important expectation of this curriculum. The theme will focus on building a more proactive approach to engaging with technology, evaluating appropriate technology choices, maintaining ICT infrastructure and becoming critical users of technology, being aware of the social and economic implications of technology.
4. Creating with ICT: This is a theme that focuses on building computing and creating skills in students and teachers using various ICT applications. These include data analysis and processing, creating graphics, creating audio visual communications, working with mapping applications, creating resources with specific school subject related applications and programming.

Ability to handle ICT environment, creating original content, sharing and learning and focusing on educational and learning processes rather than on specific applications are the key principles of this syllabus design. The syllabus has been designed keeping in mind the various possibilities of creative expression possible through ICT applications and platforms available today and also seeks to build a mindset that will explore and such applications on an ongoing basis. Without taking a conventional approach to building digital literacy on specific applications the syllabus emphasizes a thematic, project based approach to ICT learning. Such an approach will also enable integration of ICT with multiple school subjects.

To facilitate such an approach to ICT learning, the technology environment in schools must be free and open. The syllabus has prescribed the use of free and open source technologies wherever available to facilitate such a free and open access. The educational content used in the schools will also be licensed as open content allowing teachers and students to modify and adapt the content to reflect their contexts.

How is is the textbook structured

The SCERT has anticipated the attainment of the competencies and objectives outlined in the National ICT curriculum and ICT Policy in two stages, covering classes 6-8 and classes 9-10 and has developed a syllabus for 5 years, taking into account the student curriculum set out in the National ICT curriculum. This will be covered through two books

1. Book 1 - which will have three levels to cater to the classes 6-8
2. Book 2 - which will have two levels to cater to the classes 9-10

The following sets of materials have been prepared to support this syllabus:

1. A textbook for students, that introduces ICT skills and applications in a project based way, integrated with the different school subjects. The core competencies and skills to be covered in the text book will be determined based on the National ICT curriculum and the Telangana state subject text books and academic standards. The text book will take a project based approach to the attainment of these learning competencies.
2. A handbook for teachers and teacher educators to help them implement the syllabus as well as support their own knowledge and learning of the ICT applications based on the NCERT ICT curriculum. This accompanying handbook will facilitate the transaction of the ICT syllabus and also provide meaningful linkages to curricular and co-­curricular areas. The teacher handbook will also have a component for teachers to build their own competencies in using ICT.

Focusing on open content creation, teacher capacity building as well as integrating technology to develop new methods of learning, we hope, can demonstrate an effective model of technology integration in the school system across the country. We also believe such an approach will strengthen the government school system such that the vision of education of ‘equitable quality’ set out by the Indian Right to Education Act is realised.