Showing posts with label online study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online study. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2012

How to make quality notes from ICSE books

Preparing the right kind of personalized study notes from ICSE books is an important step towards obtaining a great score in the final ICSE exams. Quality notes from ICSE books not only promote effective understanding of all concepts but often re-kindle students’ interest in subjects they usually consider difficult. Therefore, while preparing notes from the ICSE books it is important for students to keep a few essential points in mind that will help make these notes effective and relevant for the final ICSE examinations.

To help all students studying under ICSE board prepare quality notes, here are a few important pointers on how to go about preparing such notes.
  • Before starting to prepare notes from ICSE books, it is important for students to first go through the chapter and highlight all the important concepts, assess their understanding for all the highlighted concepts and then identify the learning gaps. Customizing study notes as per the current level of understanding will help students emphasize on areas/topics that require more attention. Such an exercise will eventually result in a thorough understanding of all concepts.
  • While preparing study notes, students should make sure that it is not a word-to-word replication of what is actually given in the ICSE book. Students should try to prepare notes that are crisp and in their own language. This will facilitate a quick understanding and easy recall of all the concepts during the revision sessions. Such an exercise will also help students to optimize benefits from such an extensive note-making exercise.
  • Student should also ensure that their ICSE book notes are complete. Students should practice caution that they do not miss out on any important concept/topic in the chapter while preparing such notes. Such comprehensive notes can aid as a ready-to-use booklet for anytime reference.
  • While preparing notes from ICSE book, students should structure the notes as per their unique learning styles. For example, if a student is a visual learner and understands concepts faster through visual learning aids, he/she should try to include as many diagrams, illustrations, mind maps etc in his/her notes. He/she can also use colour highlighters to stress on important points in the notes. Notes that are customized as per the preferred learning styles helps students with an accelerated pace of learning.
  • If students are not interested in performing such an elaborate activity to prepare notes and want some readymade curriculum-aligned study material/notes, they can seek help from websites that provide such online learning resources. ICSE study material for Maths & Science available at such websites are prepared by a team of highly qualified educationists. These notes are in easy-to-understand language supported with high quality, value adding graphics for a quick understanding. Along with the study material, students can also try their hands at curriculum-aligned interactive puzzles, tests, revision notes etc. to solidify their understanding in weak areas. 2D/ 3D/ real-life videos help students understand concepts much faster and ensure that their learning is permament.

If all you students out there preparing for ICSE exams keep all these essential points in your minds, the notes made from ICSE books will not only make learning fun and effortless but will also make scoring good marks easy.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Distance Education Takes You From Where You Are Now To Where You Want To Be

Distance education classes can be a great idea for professionals who want to earn an advanced degree but don't have time to attend school. Online classes meet whenever you're free. You usually do not have to be online at any certain time and can set your own study schedule as long as you meet class deadlines. These special classes have become very popular because of their convenience.

One thing you want to consider is whether the degree you're opting for requires hands-on learning. It might be hard to get the best veterinary assistant schooling without actually working physically with animals. However a degree such as English represents just one of the ideal areas of online study.

Be sure the school you sign up for is accredited by a national board. If it isn't, your degree may not qualify when you go to get a job. Of course the school isn't going to tell you they are not accredited, so do some digging on your own first.

The professors are another consideration. What is their education requirement? Are they PhDs? Are they forerunners in their field? Find out who you will be studying with and don't just assume the professors must be ok. Check it out so you will feel comfortable. And don't be afraid to ask all the questions you like. A good school will be happy to help you get answers to them all.

Find out if there are any hidden fees. Does the upfront cost cover everything? Since you're not an on campus student, you should not have to pay the same fees as a college student does. There's no ID necessary and certainly no activities fee. So be sure you check out the bill carefully. A good school will not try to sneak in hidden fees under the radar.

Be sure you read the entire curriculum for your particular program. Do you have the necessary base knowledge to succeed in the path you've chosen? If you need a few more courses before you feel confident leaping into a new degree, take some basics first.

Be sure that you'll be able to keep up with the assignments. If your job forces you to be at work until eight at night and you have an hour's commute home, don't plan on doing five hours of homework. You'll be beat and it's unrealistic to push yourself that hard every night. With a proper amount of upfront research distance education can facilitate all your top business and personal goals.

Monday, May 2, 2011

The Benefits Of Enrolling In Online Colleges

Time has a way of getting past us and while some attend college directly after graduating from high school, there are many who put off going back to school until "later". However, life does not always allow a "later" to come easily especially when working, marriage, children and possibly a mortgage enters the picture. Luckily, there is an alternative to physically attending a brick and mortar school. Online colleges offer several benefits to students who opt to use this type of education source.

Probably the most attractive advantage for many who choose to attend online colleges is the flexibility. Whatever your particular area of study, you are afforded the opportunity to take as many or as little courses as you need. If your schedule only allows you to study at two o'clock in the morning, this is completely feasible with online classes. And with a right of entry to all of your school work and lessons through an online forum, you are able to access anything you need as long as you have a computer with an internet connection. Having a flexible schedule not only pertains to when you take the course, but also the speed of which you complete it. This is pertinent to those with other important obligations like a job or family that requires daily attention.

Another attractive feature of enrolling in online colleges is the specialty options offered by these types of higher institutions. As colleges online are practically a database of learning tools and information, there is practically no limit to the kind of education you can receive. All you have to do is find an institution that offers the specific field of study you are interested in. Everyone can benefit from a higher degree in their particular area of interest and taking specialty courses from accredited institutes can easily facilitate your personal quest for knowledge.

Cost of a college education through a brick and mortar institution has risen dramatically over the past five years. Not only are you responsible for your tuition, books and other learning materials, you also have to take care of housing, transportation to and from school and food as well as other bills. It is easy to see so many college graduates are extremely deep in debt. The fiscal beauty of online colleges is how doable it is financially for a majority of students. In many cases, the degrees earned through a brick and mortar school are exactly the same as one earned through completely online courses.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Online education

How about studying the most difficult concepts in Physics of the luxury of sitting in your cozy room? Sounds interesting! If this entices you enough to try your hand at online education, hold on! You will be happy to know that this is only one of the several benefits of online education. There is a lot that online education has to offer to school students in terms of the quality and quantity of subject specific study content and a host of other related benefits. 

To elucidate on the benefits of online education to all you students in school out there studying under various boards such as CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Matriculation Board, here are a few points.

  • The anywhere, anytime factor! Unlike tuition classes which have fixed hours, students can study online anytime, as per their own convenience. All that a student needs is a computer and an internet connection. Once the necessary hardware components are in place, students can start surfing their way through the plethora of information available online. The advantage of round-the-clock availability of interesting study content has indeed made more students get inclined towards this medium in addition to using other conventional study mediums and methods such as books.
  • A Student-centric teaching approach! Unlink the regular classroom teaching at schools and tuition centres, the online education follows an approach that is more student-centric rather than being teacher- oriented. Students not only have a say in the timing of their study schedules but are also equipped with the power to decide their own pace of learning. While studying online, students are under no pressure whatsoever to complete their studies within a stipulated time period. Online education is especially a boon for students tend to learn at a pace slower than most others in the class, as they can take as much time to understand and learn a concept well as they wish to. While studying online students need not feel shy in asking questions and wanting to read the said study material over and over again.
  • Involvement of multiple media! Studying from simple black and white text is no more a compulsion for students studying under CBSE, ICSE, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Matriculation board. Online education offers a lot of interesting and innovative methods in teaching concepts to these school students. Apart from the regular study material, students can study using videos, animations, multimedia enriched puzzles etc. There are various websites that provide curriculum aligned study content for these boards using multiple media that can make studies very interesting and learning easy.
  • Low cost! With very low cost involved, online education will not burn a hole in the pockets of students. Unlike study courses at tuition centers that involve a hefty monthly or a yearly fee, online education is a comparatively low cost affair. Apart from the subscription costs, there is no significant cost involved in studying online. Studying using online education, students can save a lot of money and time that is saved in doing away with unnecessary commuting to and fro schools, colleges, tuition centers etc.

I am positive that all these benefits of online education will help you understand and use this medium better and will also help you with your studies in school.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Online education


Online education is often considered as the ‘Gen Y’ way of studying. For Generation Y, online is fast becoming the popular way to study. With broadband connection penetrating to the farthest destinations, the internet is truly going places! Online education attempts to counter the problem of poor quality of education and absentee teachers in schools, right at the outset. However, in spite of numerous benefits of online education, many are still unaware about the scope and benefits of this virtual world of online education.

For all you students out there here is a list of a few benefits of online education. I am sure that these benefits will draw you towards this medium and will also help you make your studying effective.

  • The fist and foremost benefit of online education is the ‘anytime-anywhere’ advantage that sit has to offer. With online education, students can now choose to prepare their own study schedules and study as per their own convenience. Gone are the days when students had no option but to regularly attend their classes at tuition centres or schools so as to complete their syllabus within the stipulated time period. With online education, students can now choose to set their schedule sheets.
  • Apart from study schedules, online education also enables students to stay in control of their study pace. Online education is a boon for both slow and fast learners. Slow learners can go through their study lessons as many times as they wish to, whereas fast learners can look forward to umpteen practice tests and revisions to further solidify their learning.
  • Online education has an added advantage for students studying under the international boards. Finding a good tutor or quality study material is not always an easy task for the Indians studying under the various Indian educational boards outside India. With quality online education coming into play, students can be sure of complete and stress-free study content that will help make scoring great marks in exams easy.
  • Online education imparts instructions using a variety of mediums thereby making studies interesting and engaging. Students now can study by reading online study material in text form and support it with video explanations of various concepts using real life/ 2D/ 3D videos and animations. Curriculum aligned puzzles and a variety of online and offline tests that give you instant results are some of the other benefits of online education.  Thus, use of multiple media helps make studies very interesting and learning easy.
  • Students can get themselves hooked to online education without burning a hole in their pockets. Apart from low subscription costs, there is significantly no additional or hidden cost involved in online education. By studying online, students can save a lot of money and time by doing away with unnecessary expenses incurred while commuting to and from schools, colleges, tuition centers etc.

I am confident that by now students must realized the benefits of online education. So all you students out there, the next time you face any difficulty while studying, just log on to the internet and surf you way through online solutions.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

How to Study Online

If you wish to add some zing to your monotonous study schedule, start studying online. Studying from textbooks has always been the norm for school students; however the concept of online studies is catching up fast. Innovative and multimedia enriched learning tools available online make the entire learning experience interesting and engaging. There are a lot of websites that equip students with the right online study tools that help make studying easy and scoring great marks easier. To ensure effective learning students are advised to refer to only those websites that focus on learning in the correct sequence. Students who are new to the world of e-learning, the following information focuses on the right sequence that is to be followed while planning to study online.
  • Before starting to study online, the first step is to take a test that is geared to test your level of understanding of the chapters that have already been covered in school. Such diagnostic tests will help you assess your knowledge of related concepts that are important to obtain a complete understanding of the topic concerned. Such tests will also help you arrive at an understanding of your extent of mastery of the said chapter will enable you to plan your studies for that chapter.
  • After taking a diagnostic test, the next step is to go through the multimedia enriched study material available at such websites. To obtain complete conceptual clarity, students should make it a point to go through the study material supported with relevant videos, 2D/ 3D animations etc. Such an extensive exercise at this step will help students solidify their conceptual understanding of the subject and will make them better equipped to take exams head-on.
  • To make the most of your online study sessions, after going through the study material the next step is to try your hand at the chapter-wise practice tests. Try to seek help from websites that provide both MCQ and descriptive practice tests. Such an extensive testing exercise will help you test your learning at various levels. Also such chapter-wise tests will help you identify the learning gaps and will provide you ample opportunity to take remedial action to fill those gaps. While taking tests on such e-learning/ online study websites, students should try to resist the temptation of looking into the study material for answers beforehand in order to ensure that the assessment process is thorough.
  • After taking all the chapter-wise practice tests, the next step is to take full-length model tests. Such model tests available at e-learning/online study websites help students gain the much required confidence to beat exam-related stress. While preparing for final examinations, students usually witness high anxiety levels thinking about their performance in final examinations. Such model tests will help students gauge their preparation levels and will also allow them to take remediation steps to ensure a high score.
  • An ideal online study session should end with a sturdy revision exercise. Students should refer to websites that provide crisp revision notes in printable format that make it possible for student to refer anytime.

Now that all you students know the right approach to online studies, make a note of it to be sure of an enriching study experience.

K-12 Education

K-12 education refers to the primary and secondary education that a student obtains during his schooling. K-12 education is an abbreviated term used for education from kindergarten to twelfth. The term K-12 education per se is relatively new to India and is generally more commonly used in western countries like United States of America, Canada etc and in parts of Australia. With technology transcending borders, the term K-12 education is fast gaining popularity in other parts of the world as well, with minor/ no modifications. In some countries the term has been replaced with PK-12 or P-12 that means prekindergarten to twelfth or preschool to twelfth. Whatever nomenclature any country adopts, the concept of K-12 education primarily revolves around the education imparted in the school.

K-12 education scenario in India
The constitution of India guarantees a free and compulsory education to all till the age of 14 years.  Imparting quality K-12 education to the largest possible student population across the country has always been a ‘top of mind’ issue for the government. A step forward in this direction has been the amendment of the Right to Education act that make this right stricter than before. Under the Right to Education act, 2009 private schools shall admit at least 25% students from poor families and no seats under this quota shall be left vacant. Through this amendment, government has attempted to ensure that the ideal of free and compulsory education is achieved in the true sense.

Online content provider for K-12 students
Students studying in schools can enrich their studies with the help of curriculum aligned videos and animations made available on he internet by a lot of websites. These videos and animations not only add the much required zing to the monotonous study regime followed by students, but also help them learn beyond what is taught in the books. These videos and animations are supported with quality study material and a variety of tests that help make learning thorough and effective.

The study material available at such websites is in easy-to -read language that makes understanding of concepts easy and quick. After going through the study material, students can also try their hands at curriculum-based interactive puzzles. These interactive puzzles not only raise the involvement of students in their learning process but also help assess their understanding of concepts in the chapter/subject. After going through the chapter, students can check their knowledge levels by practicing from chapter-wise and full-course model tests. This will help students get a clear picture of their weak and strong areas and will allow them to channelize their efforts in topics that require more attention. Once through with preparing for exams, students can also refer to end-of-chapter revision notes for those quick revision sessions before exams.
Conclusion
Studying in the right manner and using the correct tools to prepare for exams determines the extent to which students can achieve success during the K-12 years. It is also advisable for students to have a concrete understanding of core concepts so as to be sure of a high scoring academic ride.

How to make quality notes from ICSE books

Preparing the right kind of personalized study notes from ICSE books is an important step towards obtaining a great score in the final ICSE exams. Quality notes from ICSE books not only promote effective understanding of all concepts but often re-kindle students’ interest in subjects they usually consider difficult. Therefore, while preparing notes from the ICSE books it is important for students to keep a few essential points in mind that will help make these notes effective and relevant for the final ICSE examinations.

To help all students studying under ICSE board prepare quality notes, here are a few important pointers on how to go about preparing such notes.
  • Before starting to prepare notes from ICSE books, it is important for students to first go through the chapter and highlight all the important concepts, assess their understanding for all the highlighted concepts and then identify the learning gaps. Customizing study notes as per the current level of understanding will help students emphasize on areas/topics that require more attention. Such an exercise will eventually result in a thorough understanding of all concepts.
  • While preparing study notes, students should make sure that it is not a word-to-word replication of what is actually given in the ICSE book. Students should try to prepare notes that are crisp and in their own language. This will facilitate a quick understanding and easy recall of all the concepts during the revision sessions. Such an exercise will also help students to optimize benefits from such an extensive note-making exercise.
  • Student should also ensure that their ICSE book notes are complete. Students should practice caution that they do not miss out on any important concept/topic in the chapter while preparing such notes. Such comprehensive notes can aid as a ready-to-use booklet for anytime reference.
  • While preparing notes from ICSE book, students should structure the notes as per their unique learning styles. For example, if a student is a visual learner and understands concepts faster through visual learning aids, he/she should try to include as many diagrams, illustrations, mind maps etc in his/her notes. He/she can also use colour highlighters to stress on important points in the notes. Notes that are customized as per the preferred learning styles helps students with an accelerated pace of learning.
  • If students are not interested in performing such an elaborate activity to prepare notes and want some readymade curriculum-aligned study material/notes, they can seek help from websites that provide such online learning resources. ICSE study material for Maths & Science available at such websites are prepared by a team of highly qualified educationists. These notes are in easy-to-understand language supported with high quality, value adding graphics for a quick understanding. Along with the study material, students can also try their hands at curriculum-aligned interactive puzzles, tests, revision notes etc. to solidify their understanding in weak areas. 2D/ 3D/ real-life videos help students understand concepts much faster and ensure that their learning is permament.

If all you students out there preparing for ICSE exams keep all these essential points in your minds, the notes made from ICSE books will not only make learning fun and effortless but will also make scoring good marks easy.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Live Virtual Class: The Burgeoning trend

Education brings man out of darkness. As the society becomes more enlightened, education takes the centrestage. The synergy of Internet network has created a technically favourable environment for elearning. The Internet is now the world's largest learning resource. It has opened new gateways for learning through various digital learning tools and also brought in the concept of live virtual class, which imitates a normal classroom.

Elearning technology has opened up a plethora of opportunities for students who require quality study support anywhere, anytime. The online classroom, which provides after school study support has become a much sought after option for students around the world. It creates a virtual collaborative learning environment and optimizes the learning process. The accessibility of virtual class is unprecedented. And at the same time students do not have to travel anywhere; they get teachers help from the comfort of home, 24x7.

Live Virtual Class is delivered on a platform truly built for a smooth, seamless interaction between the student and the tutor. Classroom activities like usage of white board technology and personalized attention make learning more interactive and stimulating. Online class makes the subject experts accessible to a wider audience irrespective of geographical boundaries. This promotes an effective dissemination of knowledge from tutor to student. The student gets an opportunity for one-on-one interaction with the tutor who allays the student’s concerns and answers all questions. It even enables a student to study with subject experts in real time - beyond the boundaries of school. Flexible and convenient in nature, these sessions allow the students to learn at their own pace.

Students may feel more confident in a Live Virtual Class, even during a real-time chat session, and can ask their queries without hesitation. Unlike a traditional teacher, the online tutor is available in real time to help the students. The subject experts deliver short lessons, which leaves enough time for practice and discussion to make the concepts clear. Short lessons are impractical in the traditional classroom setting due to the economics of travel.

Live Virtual Classroom allows dialogue and discussion to enable a better understanding of the complicated concepts. Further usage of state of the art multimedia tools enhances the learning experience. The online tutor uses power point presentations, SLMs, Mind Maps and other digital learning tools to explain the various topics during the online sessions .The tutor creates a learner driven study program which enables optimal interaction and active participation in the class. The online tutor improves understanding of the student through assessment features and regular feedback, which provide holistic study help.

If you have an Internet connection, a computer along with microphone and speaker, you can turn your room into a Live Virtual classroom at the click of a button. So if you are worried about your pending assignment, approaching exams, or just bugged by some mindboggling Math’s equations, just access the wonderful sites available online to help you score extra marks. Now is the time. Take charge of studies and put your best foot forward to ensure that you are at the helm of race to being the next class topper.


About the Author
Extramarks brings students, teachers and parents together on a single platform to ensure that a child excels academically. To know more about online education, live virtual class, e Learning, e-tutorial, school education support, CBSE, ICSE, and Rajasthan Board, log on to http://www.extramarks.com

Mind Maps: Maximize Your Learning Power

Growth in information and communication technologies (ICT) has brought an immense impact in the way education is imparted in today’s world. Elearning has emerged from being a radical idea to a mainstream-learning tool. The pervasive nature of Internet has helped in easy availability of sophisticated elearning technologies. The vast movement towards elearning is motivated by the extensive advantages that it offers to both the students and the professionals.

Elearning websites are a boon to this stressed out generation. Gen Z is turning to the Internet for help in learning and study support. New innovative websites are providing digital teaching aids to improve the teaching process. Various learning tools like Mind Maps, SLMs, Live Class, and Test Centre are making it easier for the students to study, comprehend and grasp intricate topics with considerable ease.

Mind Maps for students are important study tools as they augment the learning procedure and makes studying and understanding complex topics easier. These are graphical representational tools, which can be used to organize complex concepts through association and diagrams using key words. These simplify the learning method as our mind has a power to retain better through graphic and visual association.

Our brain functions best when it compares, integrates and synthesizes what is shown to it. It associates every word with an image or a concept. The mind forms associations almost instantaneously, and "mapping" allows you to write your ideas quicker than expressing them using only words or phrases. Various studies have proved that thinking visually improves our memorizing potential. These infact improve our creativity and foster innovative thinking pattern.

Mind Maps give an overview of large subject thus making memorizing the key points better. Through this tool, a picture gets embossed on our minds, thus, making it easier to recall. It becomes easier for the students to remember large amount of information through remembering a concise, but descriptive Mind Map. Due to their aesthetic appeal, students find them easier to recall, enjoyable to look at and study. Their attractive layout catches the eye and retains our attention, which makes it all the more easy to remember them.

Other than Mind Maps, Smart Learning Modules also facilitate learning. They aim to simplify the subject and reinforce understanding with the help of various graphics, animations and presentations. The chapters are explained using these methods, which aid in increasing the student’s attention and the subsequent retention powers. The contents are mapped as per class; subject and chapter that in turn form an immense help for a systematic study program.

Live Classroom imitates a classroom, which means that classes take place in real-time and connect the subject experts and students through the Internet. Students can solve their queries and interact with online tutors who are available 24x7.

In addition, Test Center is another pivotal feature of online learning. It comprises of previous years solved board papers, model test papers and practice papers to name a few. This exhaustive bank of questions help the students in assessing their concepts by taking regular tests and thus makes them more confident in facing the exams.



About the Author

Extramarks brings students, teachers and parents together on a single platform to 
ensure that a child excels academically. To know more about online education, mind map, online class, school education support, CBSE, ICSE, e learning and Rajasthan Board, log on to www.extramarks.com

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Elearning: Studying in the Digital age

Change has become the order of the day to keep pace with our fast, stressful and competitive lifestyle. So, as an important component of our life, even education in the 21st century is acquiring a new form - from traditional learning to technology driven elearning. With the advent of Internet in every home, learning has become more web-oriented. New-age digital formats of study modules are very much attention grabbing and learner centric.  Further, elearning is becoming popular option for home study support as it amalgamates the fields of online learning, web-based training, technology-delivered instruction and distance learning.

With changing times, the convergence of Internet and learning has facilitated an individualized, comprehensive, dynamic learning content in real time. Elearning is designed keeping in focus the individual requirement and convenience. It is fast becoming the preferred choice for self-learning by a majority of youngsters as it provides, economical, flexible and anywhere, anytime study support. The unique and accessible features of elearning make it a preferred option for Gen Z. Furthermore; it provides the edge required to score extra marks in exams and climb the ladder of success.

Elearning offers interactive online learning supports in the form of chat rooms, forums, online class, online bulletin boards, live virtual class to name a few. Various educational sites give anxious students round the clock after school study support to help them with their queries and homework thus maintaining continuity in the learning process. In addition, study support via online tutoring enables the learners to put forth more specific questions and get the simple explanations of complex queries immediately. Elearning has definite benefits over traditional private tuitions. It offers flexibility of time and saves cost of travelling incurred in private tuitions.

Students can study directly with subject experts in Live Virtual Class and avail study help anytime, anywhere. It gives students the freedom to select their own subject, topic on their preferred date and time. This gives them instant access to subject experts and one-on-one personalized attention to help them with the problem concepts. The online tutor is available 24x7 to assist the students with school assignments and answer their queries. Elearning saves students from the trouble of mugging up answers as this new integrated approach to studies aims at learning with the help of visual representation that lead to a better and in-depth understanding of the subject.

Online study aids like Smart Learning Modules, which are graphical and pictorial presentations of chapters, increase the attention span of the students and make the complex concepts easier. Other learning modules like Mindmaps enable students to get a better understanding of complex topics. Mindmaps give a logical and hierarchical presentation of chapters in flowcharts, which help in increased retention and a better grasp of the idea.

Increasingly used in all websites of similar nature, these learning mechanism tools are appreciated globally for their advantageous attributes, which eventually help in better understanding of the concept to students with varied mental abilities. Along with self-learning, even the classroom teaching pattern is evolving. The universally adapted model of classroom teaching is being actively blended with Elearning technology to make learning a more fruitful experience.

Promoting Quality Education in India

Education in India isn't something a new concept. It was always an integral part of the very foundation of the Indian society. With modern India, education too has taken a giant leap which has captured global attention not because of the number of illiterates the country has but the quality of education system it has evolved. The Indian economy has observed an immense growth in the recent past as an effect of the flourishing literacy rate in the country. With the history stretched back to the times of Vedas, Puranas, Ayurveda, Yoga, Arthasahtra…extending from formal education under the Gurukul system to the modern new age eLearning concept, India has for sure has travelled an exhaustive journey crossing each milestone.
It would be extremely interesting to understand and analyze the present and future developments of the educational scenario in India.


Education in India
The present statistics states that primary education has crossed the mark of approximately two-third of the total population. Out of which, 40% of the population is illiterate and only 20% of the students go to schools. Since time immemorial, discrimination based on caste and gender has always been a major deterrent when healthy development of the society is in question. So to avoid such prejudice, the Indian Constitution has made elementary education a fundamental right for every child falling between the age group of 6 to 14 years. According to the 2001 census, the sum total of literacy rate in India is 65.38% where the female literacy rate is only of 54.16%. With the fact that only 59.4% of rural population is literate compared to 80.3% of the urban population, there is a humongous gap between rural and urban literacy rate.

University Grants Commission (UGC) has been established by the Indian government to accelerate higher education system in the country. The chief role of UGC lies in controlling and co-coordinating the standards of higher education in the country.

Current Scenario
With a view to promote elementary education in the country, the Indian government has also prohibited child labor to protect children from working under unhygienic conditions. However, both free education and ban on child labor are difficult to be enforced simultaneously due to poor economic disparity and social conditions. Moreover, shortage of adequate resources and lack of political support are some of the reasons due to which the system has been adversely affected by the gaps that include high teacher-student ratio, poor infrastructure and insufficient teacher training. In fact, professionals from established institutes are often called to support vocational training for these kids.

The government has initiated Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2001 with a view to provide instigate the education system and make its reach wider and more accessible to every child. The program focuses specially on girls and children with challenged social or financial backgrounds. In order to aid children firmer their grip in the computer sector as well, special schools are being set up in the rural areas.

Education for the Marginalized in India
Apart from Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the government has also introduced reservation system where 7.5% seats in the higher educational institutes are reserved for the Schedule Tribes (ST), 15% for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and 27% for the non creamy layers of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Efforts are also being made to improve the education accessibility for the women section. The growing acknowledgment of concepts like eLearning and distance education courses along with expansion of the Open University system is also contributing a lot in standardizing education in India.

However, in spite ofconstant efforts being put forth to develop qualitative education system in India, there are still some major loopholes and widespread prejudices. With renewed emphasis laid on the education sector in the 11th five year plan and increased expenditure in both primary and secondary education, this can eventually act as an analgesic for the chronic Indian educational system.

About the Author
Extramarks.com is an effort to bring students, teachers and parents on a single platform to ensure that a child excels academically. It utilizes Internet to provide anywhere, anytime after school educational support for children studying in classes VI to XII and is presently focused on Indian students.

Hassle Free Online Quiz For Students

Hassle Free Online Quiz For Students

Author: Extramarks

Solving puzzles is an innovative way to develop an interest in the subject area. During the early years of student life they used to keep away from tests. Doing online quiz was a much-dreaded affair and students were under constant pressure from their parents to do well in the subject in test. As for students, the simple mention of words like formulas, theorems, trigonometry and probability could instantly send me into a state of distress. A student used to wonder why he has forced to learn these ‘mindless theorems' and what purpose would it serve to learn that formula. They has after all not really planning to do a PhD, But what possibly did not realize back then is the immense advantage that being comfortable with numbers brings to us in our lives in general.

With an online quiz you can usually choose from multiple question types to ensure you find the right one for your audience. With most software you will be offered a choice of at least true/false, fill in the blank, multiple choice and short answer question types. But some online quiz organizer has more variety of question types and allows you to shuffle questions and provide instant feedback to test takers.

A student should be fond of general knowledge! Co-curricular activities are part of our studies. And in co-curricular activities, general knowledge is important. For everybody however clever, general knowledge is necessary. Did you know that answering a free General knowledge quiz might provide you with some insight into yourself that you may not have known previously? So here is some exciting stuff for you! Here are some questions for you to improve your general knowledge with their answers. The questions are taken randomly from various fields. There are questions from Politics, Games, Current Affairs, Bollywood, Technology, Fashion, etc. The answers are provided here for you to not to be finding anywhere else. Read on and try to give answers yourself without reading answers. This questionnaire will help you improving knowledge and impress your friends with that.

The online quizzes offering course ware and general knowledge questions allow the students to recognize their individual errors, thereby creating an individual learning experience. Also several sites offering these informative online quizzes allow for detailed feedback report on the performance of the student. These reports contain detailed explanations of topics covered in the quiz together with correct answers for the questions. The student may even retry these online quizzes and learn from his/her mistake. Participating in these online quiz offering fun trivia and general knowledge questions is a fun to way to test ones knowledge and increase IQ.

There are many ways to do that on the Internet. One of most effective way is to join rewards based online quiz sites. Why these quiz sites are important? There are many reasons for that: First, if you want to test your knowledge, scores in these quizzes can easily tell your level. Second, you can use these quizzes to increase your knowledge because it also corrects you if you give any wrong answers. Third, many of online quiz sites are free to use, so you don't need to pay anything. Forth, you can play these quizzes any time of the day when you are FREE, which makes them very convenient and flexible. And last but not the least; you may also win some prizes, which gives you the feeling that at least you have not wasted your time.


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