: : Education Through Mobile Van : :

Today, India is vibrant with innovative ideas in the field of usage of Information Technology and is keen to see that the fruits of this new technology brings happiness into their life, which can change the plight of millions, who are deprived of knowledge about the strength of science and technology reaching at their door step. Most Indians live in villages and are still living with the curse of poverty and helplessness. So far, to reach them is a Herculean task. But, not today. Today VIIT is teaching them on wheels and giving them a call to awake from their sleep of poverty and ignorance. The knowledge of information is the magic wand in the hands of the staff of VIIT on the wheels, who are teaching the poor and backward villages into the place of their living and pulling them out of their homes to know about all of us and to know about them. The mobile computer vans of VIIT are not only providing computer education but also providing the basic knowledge component to kindle the minds of the sleeping millions.

The Philosophy behind……

………to teach only those computer skills which can be immediately used by the student, using interesting examples from the student’s world. This technique of need-based learning with applications in one’s (learner’s) immediate environment is imbibed by the student as a life-skill.

IT Training in Rural India – Problems ::

• Non-availability of hardware
• Lack of skilled teachers
• Maintenance of hardware
• Lack or inconsistent Power Supply
  

The Objectives behind ::   Awareness of computers as a window to knowledge Enhancing interest-levels in learning Recognizing the importance of information Introducing the multidisciplinary approach to education Using computers as a tool for daily task Encouraging collaborative learning Developing interpersonal skills technology awareness amongst rural community equal opportunities for rural youth

Why This Mobile Van?....

Mobility brings easy access to isolated and disadvantaged groups in rural areas and thus we can deliver Computer E-literacy and IT-enabled education for rural, poor school children. Because of these Mobile Computer Vans maximum access for rural, poor children, especially girls, who would otherwise not have access to computer education is possible now. There is maximum utilization of hardware, as the van is used to cover 12-13 schools daily. Same skilled teachers give training to different schools and thus providing quality and consistent knowledge.

Challenges ::

• All schools identified were Marathi-medium
• Care was taken to make the explanations easy to understand for the non-English speaking students, at the same time giving them enough & requisite exposure to the English terms & Computer jargons
• Similar care was taken while designing activities for the Programme with respect to the resources available
  

Advantages ::

• maximize the utilization of hardware, as each bus is used to cover 2-3 schools daily
• use the scare resources of teachers to deliver content, as only 3-4 teachers per bus are required
• reduce downtime on the buses, as they return to base every evening for any required maintenance
• offer uninterrupted delivery tools by fitting generators on the buses and ensure that the entire lab works on a 12V Battery