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Follow UsA school had always been about books and blackboards - till computers
came into the picture. But computers too were a luxury for few, being
restricted to a few public schools.
If a couple of desktops did find their way into the government schools,
they were mostly for administrative purposes, rather than educational
ones. However, with Right to Education Bill finally passed, and
education made compulsory, our country has no other option but to
change our methods. Given the sheer magnitude of areas to be reached
and numbers to be educated, smart
is the only way out.
And technology is the only plausible solution. Two of our IT giants
joined hands today to provide affordable technology access to
schools. Announcing an alliance,
and
are all set to bring to market solutions and supporting hardware
that allows cheap and easy ways of e-learning.
While Microsoft announced its Windows MultiPoint Server 2010, HP
announced its MultiSeat Computing Solution based on the operating
system with immediate availability in the Indian market. The hybrid
solution multiplies the power of one PC several fold without a
matching increase in cost could go a long way in alleviating the
education situation in India.
The solution allows multiple users to simultaneously share one
computer, thereby increasing access to affordable computing in
educational scenarios like classrooms, labs and libraries. Windows
MultiPoint Server 2010 is an operating system that allows multiple
stations to draw their processing power from one traditional
PC, providing each student an independent monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Talking about shared computing technologies,
Bajwa, general manager, public sector, Microsoft India explained,
A few years ago, Microsoft researchers in India developed a technology
that would allow multiple mice to be connected to one PC, transforming
the power and impact of one machine. This paradigm was called
MultiPoint, and it is today being implemented in schools across the
world. The potential of MultiPoint combined with our customers in
education telling us that to help fulfill the amazing promise of
technology in the classroom, they needed access to affordable computing
that was easy to manage and use has inspired us to work on other
shared computing technologies. Windows MultiPoint Server is a solution
that meets these needs and delivers an up-to-date, trusted Windows
experience.
The solution allows upto 10 stations to be connected to one traditional
PC via a simple USB device Linksmart. With this solution, a
in India can now look to increasing the power of its available
computers at half the cost it would take to buy and run a conventional
set-up.
Though there have been similar efforts from tech giants in the past
too, the education scenario in India has changed too much. However,
with the government waking up to the fact that technology is the only
medium through which education can reach the masses, things might
improve.
There are a lot of vendors in the education space now, and if this
effort is to translate into action, then primary school education can
be a huge opportunity for the tech industry.
Technology, the New Educational Enabler
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