BalaSwecha

BalaSwecha is an initiative of Swecha which aims at bridging the growing digital divide in education at the school level between the privileged and underprivileged. BalaSwecha is a complete learning platform which introduces computer aided education and virtual lab environment to the schools.

Teachers in the schools for the underprivileged are not well equipped with technology. Hence they are forced to follow the traditional teaching methods. BalaSwecha gives them an opportunity to teach with the help of multimedia content and the students to explore subjects with the help of applications.

The applications in BalaSwecha create a virtual lab environment where the teacher/student can conduct their experiments and allow them to explore concepts in way that textbooks can't. It is designed to increase inquisitive thinking among the students. Students will be exposed to platform where they can explore and learn while conducting experiments.

BalaSwecha is a tool which is built to compliment the teachers than to replace them.

Swecha conducts a series of workshops for the teachers from the schools for the underprivileged on BalaSwecha across Andhra and Telangana states. There are around 300 teachers (as of May, 2015) who had attended the workshops.

The feedback collected during the Teacher Training Workshops and our interactions with various educational specialists.



Teacher Training Workshops

Teacher training workshops are conducted twice every year. One during the summer vacation which includes teachers across the Andhra and Telangana. The other, during vacations like Dussehra / Pongal where teachers get long holidays.

During these workshops, teachers are introduced to computer aided teaching, using BalaSwecha as the platform.

Road Map

Current Status

• The learning platform in BalaSwecha is equipped with more than 100 applications which create a virtual lab environment.
• With a new user interface, BalaSwecha looks more appealing.
• The Teacher Training Workshop conducted in May 2015 got another 50 teachers engaged with BalaSwecha

Things to do: (Road map for the next release) =

• The user interface needs additional modules to accommodate curriculum mapping
• Work needs to be done on distro
• Size, Desktop Environment, Wubi, Ncomputing, etc.
• Website
• Develop applications to cater to class VIII & IX
• Develop application for Biology and Social

           Cell Division, Microscope, Base Framework, etc 

• Improve the Knowledge/Content sharing platform for Teachers
• Should target X number of schools and train X teachers / District level TTW / Something on the field

Applications

To be developed

• Pulleys