The National Council of Educational Research Training (NCERT) is an autonomous education body established by the Government of India in 1961.
NCERT is responsible for enhancing India’s overall education system by upgrading the curriculum, integrating modern technology, and making education as inclusive as possible.
As we all know, modern technology is significantly changing the global education system. NCERT is also working to utilize modern technology to its full potential to improve the Indian education sector.
This article will explore NCERT’s role in developing educational technology and how it benefits the country.
Before diving into the topic, we must know what NCERT exactly is and understand its historical background.
NCERT: The National Force Behind Educational Innovation and Research
As mentioned above, the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research Training) was established in 1961 to improve the Indian education system. NCERT works to create a cohesive, inclusive, and high-quality educational environment that meets global standards.
Role of NCERT’s definition of education goes beyond regular physical textbooks. This government body is trying to integrate advanced technology with education so India can effectively utilize its demographic dividend, which is currently the highest globally.
From early initiatives to recent digital learning platforms, NCERT’s commitment to advancing educational technology reflects its vision to equip students with the skills and knowledge required in today’s competitive environment.
Their approach is anchored in accessibility. They aim to reach every student regardless of socioeconomic background and ensure that technology is integral to the learning journey.
A Look Back: The Evolution of Educational Technology in India
If we analyze NCERT’s history closely, we can see that the body recognised the importance and impact of technology in education in the 1970s.
In the 1970s, NCERT introduced audiovisual aids in classrooms, recognizing the potential of multimedia in enhancing student engagement.
Programs like the Educational Television project in the 1970s and satellite-based instruction in the 1990s laid the foundation for future digital initiatives.
As the country’s digital infrastructure expands, NCERT is trying to speed up technology integration in education.
Today, initiatives such as the National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) and the National Digital Library of India demonstrate NCERT’s commitment to leveraging technology for accessible and equitable education.
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Driving Change: NCERT’s Role in Educational Technology Innovation
Content is at the core of NCERT’s technological initiatives. With initiatives like ePathshala and DIKSHA, NCERT has enabled the country’s students and teachers to have access to a sea of quality educational materials.
The digital platforms have a treasure of interactive content, namely digital study material, video lessons, and fun quizzes, in the NCERT curriculum.
NCERT ePathshala is yet another initiative that provides students and teachers with free access to digital textbooks and other high-quality content, making it accessible even in the most remote places.
The second initiative is DIKSHA, a digital infrastructure that provides teaching resources and tools to create content that can be more easily developed and shared across the country.
In this way, digitization of content leads to making high-quality material available to every learner at their fingertips.
Another great thing is that NCERT has pasted QR codes on all its physical textbooks. Students and teachers can scan QR codes to study and understand concepts in digital format.
This makes education much more fun and exciting for students, increasing their attention spans and improving their academic performance.
NCERT has released the PRAGYATA handbook, which contains guidelines for digital education. This booklet is designed for educational institutions and teachers and has essential student guidelines.
This booklet provides step-by-step instructions for giving digital education in the classroom, simplifying teachers’ tasks.
The booklet also discusses students’ physical and mental well-being, one of the most critical factors in their development. The PRAGYATA also mentions guidelines for educational administrative bodies of the state government.
In short, PRAGYAT is an all-in-one booklet for all stakeholders of Indian education to integrate technology into education effectively.
Tap the link to download the PRAGYATA – Guidelines for Digital Education PDF.
In line with the National Education Policy 2020, NCERT also plays a vital role in the National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR), which aims to streamline digital learning resources across educational institutions.
Through this framework, NCERT fosters a digital culture in schools, ensuring students are prepared to thrive in a technology-driven world.
NCERT research reveals that using intelligent whiteboards in classrooms can significantly boost students’ attention spans and interaction levels. With advanced features and numerous benefits, smart whiteboards transform learning into a highly interactive and engaging experience for students.
Due to this, NCERT is promoting smart whiteboards in classrooms, enhancing the learning and teaching experience.
The Impact of NCERT’s Educational Technology
Due to the role of NCERT’s nonstop efforts to integrate technology into education, we can clearly see some positive impacts in the education sector.
Here are the top 3 benefits of NCERT’s educational technology initiatives –
1. Enhanced Learning Experiences
As the use of technology in the classroom increases, the quality of the learning experience also grows for students. Technology is simplifying all complex topics and also making them more engaging.
Due to this, the graph of the attendance rate of students in school is going upward. The report published by the National Library of Medicine also shows that integrating technology is helping schools and colleges increase enrollment and lower absenteeism.
2. Equal Access to Resources
Advanced and modern educational devices allow students to easily access their classes and lectures from anywhere in the world. These educational devices are affordable, and some state governments are distributing them for free.
This is making education much more accessible and increasing our country’s literacy rate.
On the other hand, the internet has brought all the libraries to students’ fingertips. As a result, students do not have to spend vast amounts of money on physical textbooks. They can access most of the digital libraries for free.
The SWAYAM portal deserves a special mention here because more than 3000 free courses are available, working towards the target of inclusive education. This government initiative is helping students nationwide sharpen their skills and get their dream jobs with high salaries.
3. Support for Educators
The technology integrated by NCERT is not only helping students grow more but also helping teachers simplify their daily tasks. Technology such as intelligent whiteboards assists educators in lesson planning, exam planning, and developing classroom management techniques.
This shows that technology is simplifying the teaching process and improving its quality.
Apart from these three benefits, there are other significant advantages as well, such as –
- Adaptability to Diverse Learning Styles
- Real-Time Feedback & Assessment
- Cost-effective
- Environment Friendly
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Challenges NCERT Faces in Bringing Educational Technology to Classrooms
Implementing education technology on a pan-India basis throws up its own different set of challenges. NCERT has seen many problems, but one major challenge in terms of connectivity is limited connectivity in rural areas.
Digital resources are now available; however, the absence of high-speed, stable internet connectivity in most isolated locations prevents equal distribution to all students.
Budgetary constraints also limit the speed of technology development for NCERT projects.
For instance, the organization needs to cover every nook and corner of the country, but budgetary limitations can slow the pace at which digital infrastructure is deployed.
Moreover, constant teacher training is essential, as most teachers cannot employ digital tools and must be continuously trained in using technology in their classes to reap maximum benefits.
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Final Thoughts on NCERT’s Role in Educational Technology Development
NCERT’s efforts to integrate technology into education are increasing and improving the quality of education. Educational devices such as smartboards are helping the NCERT and educators achieve their desired targets. This shows that investing in technology should be prioritized along with other educational expenditures. This may give expected results in the long run.
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