BSSS Journal of Education, Volume XII, Issue-I

SHIKSHARTH: AN INITIATIVE OF IITE FOR CURRICULUM TRANSACTION

Dr.Viral Bharatbhai Jadav

Associate Professor,

Indian Institute of Teacher Education, Gandhinagar

 viralj@iite.ac.in

 

ABSTRACT

The present research was carried out to study the awareness about Shiksharth: An Initiative by Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE) for curriculum transaction among the teacher trainees of Indian Institute of Teacher Education. A random sample of 448 teacher trainees was drawn from the 59 affiliated B.Ed. training institutes and Centre of Education, Indian Institute of Teacher Education. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher to know the answers of research questions about Shiksharth initiative. The researcher developed the Google form to collect the data from teacher trainees. The research revealed that the Shiksharth initiative is popular among the students and they found it useful for support learning.

Keywords: Shiksharth, Initiative, Curriculum Transaction

INTRODUCTION: SHIKSHARTH

The National Education Policy 2020, emphasis on digital mode of education from primary to higher education. The teacher has to be tuned with the use of such digital media. Indian Institution of Teacher Education (IITE), Gandhinagar has expanded the ground of learning from classroom to airways and satellites. In the beginning of the year 2021, IITE initiated to educate prospective teachers through digital medium. The transaction of curriculum is reached to mass from classroom by the means of Shiksharth the ICT based innovation. Shiksharth provides platform for learner to learn from renowned educationist and opportunity for the teacher educators to share their knowledge to mass of prospective teachers and other learners. Launching of Shiksharth - Initiative for Curriculum Transaction was done by Hon. Education Minister, Shri Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on 3rd Janauary, 2021. Education from satellite started from 18th of January 2021 in the morning from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM and re-telecast in the evening from  6:00PM to 9:00PM (Mon-Sat) on Vande Gujarat channel no 1. 

Students can also access these programmes through Dish TV’s Channel No. 1264, DD’s Free DTH and ‘JIO TV’ mobile application and YouTube channel IITE Gandhinagar.

            The vision, mission and objectives of Shiksharth are as follows.

Vision of Shiksharth Initiative

To provide opportunity to prospective teachers and prospective educators to learn from eminent educators of entire Gujarat state at their convenient place, time and speed.

Mission of Shiksharth Initiative

To provide learning experience through recorded video lectures to prospective teachers and teacher educators in Gujarati language.

Objectives of the Shiksharth Initiative

·         To provide opportunity to strengthen learning related to various educational phenomena.

·          To provide platform to teacher educators and educationist to share their knowledge and expertise with massive learners through digital and satellite mode.

·         To provide opportunity to teacher educators to develop skills to adopt digital platform.

·         To make available digital reference materials to learners from the field of education.

·         5 To develop research aptitude with the help of digital platform and create research scope.

·         6. To collaborate with other degree colleges and universities and create opportunity for updating knowledge of teaching faculties.

 

PRESENT STATUS OF SHIKSHARTH

            Shiksharth was launched on 3rd January 2021 and during this one year and three months 240 video lectures are telecast through Vande Gujarat Channel no 1 and same has been uploaded on YouTube channel of IITE Gandhinagar. More than 100 experts from all over the Gujarat have delivered lectures through the medium of Shiksharth. Various 30 subjects of eight different programmes named B.Ed., M.Ed., B.Ed.-M.ED., B.Sc.-B.Ed.,B.A.-B.Ed., M.Sc.-M.Ed.,M.A.-M.ED. and Ph.D. in Education is covered under the umbrella of Shiksharth. IITE YouTube channel has 1867 subscribers on 19th January 2021 and after the uploading of Shiksharth videos on this website the number of subscribers has increased up to 7,233(dated 6th March 2022) during this one year journey. Total viewers of the YouTube channel of IITE Gandhinagar is 23.9 K up. The top most famous video of Shiksharth till now is “Panel Discussion of Gujarati Language” with 7311 views. The average age of the viewers is 18 years to 24 years. There is 68.4% viewers are of this age group. This channel is equally popular among male and female teacher trainees. Because 52% viewers are Female and 48% viewers are male. These data was driven from the analytics of you tube channel of IITE Gandhinagar.

LITERATURE REVIEW

EDUSAT Awareness among Women Student - Teachers of B.Ed. in Distance Education at Annamalai University (Shivkumar R., 2015). Main objective of the study was to find out the EDUSAT awareness among Women Student-Teachers of B.Ed. in Distance Education at Annamalai University. The study concluded that there was no adequate EDUSAT Awareness among Women Student-Teachers of B.Ed. in Distance Education at Annamalai University. However, Women Student-Teachers who are Above 25 years, Post-Graduate, Science Subject, and Urban have EDUSAT Awareness. The Student - Teachers whose Father’s qualification is Degree holder have EDUSAT Awareness.

Awareness of MOOCs - SWAYAM among Student – Teachers (Sivakumar, 2019). Main objective of the research was to find out the Awareness of MOOCs - SWAYAM among Student - Teachers.  It is found that the Awareness of MOOCs - SWAYAM among Student -Teachers is not adequate. This study has revealed that Student - Teachers are not having basic idea about MOOCs - SWAYAM. There is confusion regarding the role of the MOOCs for teacher training.

According to Noetel, M., Griffith, S., Delaney, O., Sanders, T., Parker, P., del Pozo Cruz, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2021) videos are unlikely to be detrimental and usually improves student learning. Singh Gaurav (2022) conducted a study on “Why do MOOCs fail on completion Rate? An Analysis of SWAYAM Courses” and the findings reveals that many learners are dropping out from SWAYAM MOOC because they have never joined the course with the intent of certification. Other important reasons identified in the study are course instructors’ failure in sustaining the interest of learners and engaging them in class; non-availability of all modules at the same time; offering the courses in English and not in Hindi or other regional languages; lack of clarity in announcements, longer duration of lectures, and the challenge of sustaining learners’ motivation such courses. Study of Ali,S.(2019) concluded that watching educational videos affected the academic activities and performance of the respondents positively. The majority of the respondents used mobile phones and laptops to watch videos. The study further confirmed that most of the respondents preferred short length videos and animated educational videos. Result of the study of Chtouki, et al. (2012) revealed that students understand and can remember the complex concepts much better when they are exposed to a visual explanation video. According to Caudron (1997) Videos engage students and generate a higher amusement value than other technologies

            Looking to the above researches it seems necessary to know the awareness among the teacher trainees of the institutions affiliated with IITE about the Shiksharth initiative.

 

RATIONAL OF THE STUDY

From the year 2020 due to the Covid 19 pandemic entire world shifted form offline on campus class to online classroom. Students from K.G. to P.G. started to learn through mobile, TV, Radio and laptop. Even the rural area students used the various online platforms to learn. The Shiksharth video lectures are available on Vande Gujarat Channel no 1 as well as on YouTube. It is very essential to know that how much students are benefited by this initiative. Even to make it more accessible and more useful the opinion of the teacher trainees are very important. Thus to know about the awareness and effectiveness of the video lectures telecast through Shiksharth this study has been carried out.

The Shiksharth initiative, introduced by the Indian Institute of Teacher Education (IITE), aims to enhance curriculum transaction in the field of education. This study intends to investigate the opinions of teacher trainees towards  the Shiksharth initiative in facilitating curriculum transaction among teacher trainees in institutions affiliated with IITE. The present study is important for the following reasons.

Assessing the Implementation: The Shiksharth initiative is a relatively new program designed to improve curriculum transaction. Evaluating its implementation and effectiveness is crucial to understand how it is being utilized and to what extent it is meeting its intended objectives. This study will provide insights into the practical application of the initiative in real educational settings.

Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses: Investigating the Shiksharth initiative will help identify its strengths and weaknesses. By examining teacher trainees' perceptions and experiences with the initiative, the study can shed light on the aspects that are working well and those that may require further refinement or support. Understanding these strengths and weaknesses can contribute to the on-going improvement and enhancement of the initiative.

Informing Policy and Practice: The findings of this study can inform educational policy and practice. By examining the experiences and perceptions of teacher trainees regarding the Shiksharth initiative, the study can provide evidence-based recommendations for enhancing curriculum transaction strategies in teacher education programs. These recommendations can be used to guide policy decisions, program development, and instructional practices related to curriculum transaction.

 

Addressing Research Gap: There is no research work done specifically focused on the Shiksharth initiative and its impact on curriculum transaction. Conducting this study will help bridge the research gap in this area and contribute to the existing literature on innovative curriculum transaction practices in teacher education.

In summary, this study on the Shiksharth initiative aims to assess its implementation, identify strengths and weaknesses, inform policy and practice, and address the existing research gap. By conducting this research, we can gain valuable insights about the initiative, ultimately contributing to the improvement of curriculum transaction strategies in teacher education programs.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The research has carried out the present study to find out the answers of the following questions.

·         Which medium is popular among teacher trainees to watch Shiksharth videos?

·         How much the lectures broadcast by Shiksharth program useful?

·         Which device is used mostly to watch this program?

·         How many hours during the day viewers watch this program?

·         Who share the information about the Shiksharth program with students?

·         Is online education through TV and YouTube medium effective?

·         Is there any problem of internet connectivity?

·         What is the feeling of teacher trainees towards the quality of the presentation of the lecture being broadcast?

·         Whether teacher trainees like studying through TV and online education?

·         Is the syllabus covered in the lecture given by Shiksharth program sufficient for examination?

·         Which time is most suitable for live telecast (live broadcast)?

·         Which expert’s videos is most useful broadcast through Shiksharth according to teacher trainees’ opinion?

·         What do teacher trainees think about the aptness of the content of PPT used in the lectures broadcast by Shiksharth program?

·         Which subject lectures teacher trainees watch the most?

·         Do teacher trainees discuss the knowledge gained through Shiksharth program with their professors?

·         Do teacher trainees discuss the knowledge gained through Shiksharth program with their friends and classmates?

·         Whether teacher trainees subscribed to YouTube channel of IITE Gandhinagar or not?

METHOD OF THE STUDY

To find out the answers of the above questions the researcher developed the questionnaire and collected the data from the randomly selected sample. Thus the method of the present study is survey method.

POPULATION AND SAMPLE

            Teacher Trainees of 59   colleges affiliated with IITE Gandhinagar and Center of Education, IITE Gandhinagar are the population of the present study. Thus total 5500 teacher trainees of these institutions become the population of the present study. Out of these institutions total 25 institutions are selected randomly and the Google form prepared by the researcher was shared with the students of these all 25 institutions. When the researcher received the first 448 responses the researcher has stopped receiving responses. Therefore, we can say that out of 5500 students about 8.2% students were selected randomly as sample for the data collection. Out of these 448 students 218 students were from the first year and 230 students were from the second year.

TOOL USED

The researcher developed the questionnaire to collect the data from the teacher trainees regarding their views and opinion about the Shiksharth. The questionnaire has total 20 items according to the research questions. And the researcher converted the questionnaire in Google form to collect the data from the teacher trainees of different 25 institutions spread all over the Gujarat.

DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ANALYSIS

Data collected through the Google form and data was analysed using the percentages only. Details are given in the below mentioned table.

Table 1: Percentage of the responses

1) By what means do you watch the Shiksharth program?

·         Vande Gujarat Channel no 1

4.03

·         YouTube (IITE Gandhinagar)

94.85

·         TV Channel No. 1264

0.24

·         Geo TV mobile application

0.89

2) How do you find the lectures broadcast by Shiksharth program useful?

·         To understand the contend in depth

71.36

·         To revise the content

17.24

·         It is not useful to understand the content

0.89

·         To revise and understand limited content

10.51

3) Which device do you use to watch this program?

·         Mobile (smart phone)

96.42

·         Laptop

0.89

·         Desktop

0.23

·         TV

2.46

4) How many hours during the day do you watch this program?

·         1 hour

74.72

·         2 hours

21.25

·         3 hours

2.24

·         More than 3 hours

1.79

5) From whom did you get the information about the Shiksharth program?

      By classmates

11.86

      By professors

74.94

      via FB page

3.58

      via WhatsApp

9.62

6) Is online education for you through TV and YouTube medium effective?

1.      Not at all

1.79

2.      Normal

17.45

3.      Effective

47.65

4.      Very effective

33.11

7) Is there any problem of internet connectivity?

·         Yes

18.57

·         Yes but only for a short time

41.16

·         Not at all

40.27

8) How do you feel about the quality of the presentation of the lecture being                broadcast?

·         very good

48.54

·         Good

43.18

·         Medium

7.61

·         Weak

0.67

9). Do you like studying through TV and online education?

5.      Yes, I like

49.00

·         Yes, I  sometimes like

39.10

·         No, I don't like it

06.70

·         It Sounds boring

05.20

10) Is the syllabus covered in the lecture given by Shiksharth program sufficient for examination?

·         Yes, very much

53.02

·         Yes, in part

30.87

·         Not effective

2.91

·         More topics need to be covered

13.20

11) What do you think about the method used in the lectures broadcast by the Shiksharth program?

·         Entire syllabus is covered

25.27

·         Can give proper justice to the syllabus

53.47

·         May involve only a few study topics

17.23

·         Most of the topics of the course remain

4.03

12) In your opinion, which time is most suitable for live telecast (live broadcast)?

·         8 am  to 11 am

35.12

·         12 noon  to 3pm

14.99

·         3 pm to 6 pm

14.99

·         6 pm  to 9 pm

34.90

13) Which expert’s videos did you find most useful broadcast through Shiksharth?

 Teacher trainees did not replied specific answer. Most of the students replied all experts videos

14) What do you think about the aptness of the content of the PPT used in the lecture broadcast by Shiksharth programme?

·         Proper

74.50

·         Improper

0.89

·         Effective

22.82

·         Poor

1.79

15) Which subject lectures did you watch the most? Teacher Trainees did not replied specific answer.

16) Give your suggestions to make the lecture broadcasted by the Shiksharth program more useful:

Suggestions: Videos should be prepared in English language also, Real life examples should be given, live interactive sessions should be arranged, animation and visual effect should be used, all the topics should be covered, Digital board should be used, Decrease the length of the video, lecture should be of 30 minutes, some teachers are not explaining in detail.

17) Do you feel like a classroom environment while watching the lectures broadcast by Shiksharth program?

·         Always

20.13

·         Mostly

34.23

·         Sometimes

36.24

·         Never

9.40

18) Do you discuss the knowledge gained through Shiksharth program with your professors?

·         Always

21.48

·         Mostly

31.54

·         Sometimes

42.51

·         Never

4.47

 

 

19) Do you discuss the knowledge gained through Shiksharth program with your friends and classmates?

·         Always

38.70

·         Mostly

32.66

·         Sometimes

26.18

·         Never

2.46

20) Have you subscribed to YouTube channel of IITE Gandhinagar?

·         Yes

86.80

·         No.

13.20


MAJOR FINDINGS OF THE STUDY

From the data analyses following findings are found.

·         The data revealed that 94.85% teacher trainees watched Shiksharth Videos through YouTube channel of IITE Gandhinagar. Only 4.03% watched the Shiksharth Videos on Vande Gujarat Channel No.1.

·         71.36% teacher trainees found the Shiksharth program useful to understand the content in depth and 17% teacher trainees found it useful for revision purpose.

·         96.42% teacher trainees used Mobile phone(Smart Phone) to watch the Shiksharth videos

·         74.72% teacher trainees watch the Shiksharth video for one hour only.

·         The major role of sharing the information about the schedule of Shiksharth was of the professors. 74.94% teacher trainees got information from professors and 11.86% teacher trainees received information from classmates. Near about 13.2% Teacher Trainee got information via Facebook or what’s app.

·          33.11% Teacher Trainee found the online education through TV or YouTube very effective and 47.65% Teacher Trainee found it effective.

·         18.57% Teacher Trainee have problem of internet connectivity to watch the Video lectures.

·         Regarding the quality of the presentations of the lectures 48.54 % Teacher Trainee found it very good and 43.18% found it good.

·         Only 5.20% Teacher Trainee feels it boring to study through TV and online media.

·         About the coverage of syllabus in the lecture for examination 13.20% Teacher Trainee said that more topics should be covered, and 53% Teacher Trainee said that it is sufficient for the examination. 30% Teacher Trainee fount it useful in some part and according to 2.91 % it is not effective for preparation of examination.

·         According to 25.27% students the entire syllabus is covered, 53.47% students said that it can give proper justice to the syllabus, 17.23% said that it may involve only a few study topics and 4.03 % students said that most of the topics are remain to cover.

·          According to the teacher trainees either morning or evening time is more suitable for the live telecast of the lectures.  35.12% said that morning 8 to 11 is more suitable, 34.90% Teacher Trainee said that evening 6 to 9 is more suitable and 14.99% said 12 noon to 3 pm is suitable and another 14.99% said that noon 3pm to 6 pm is suitable time.

·         When the researcher asked that which expert’s video is most useful broadcasted through Shiksharth? Most of the teacher trainees avoid giving the direct name of any expert. Most of the teacher trainees replied all the experts’ videos are useful.

·         About the content of PPT used in the lectures 74.5% Teacher Trainee found it proper and 22.82% found it effective. Only 1.79% students said that it was poor.

·         When the researcher asked that which subject lectures teacher trainees watch the most? Again most of the trainees avoid giving the direct answer. And they replied that all the subjects are useful.  According to the YouTube Analytics following panel discussions of various subjects, Internship lecture series and Educational Psychology related topics are mostly watched.

SUGGESTIONS

·         Following suggestions are received form many teacher trainees to improve the quality of the Shiksharth

·          Videos should be prepared in English language also, Real life examples should be given, live interactive sessions should be arranged, animation and visual effect should be used, all the topics should be covered, Digital board should be used, Decrease the length of the video, lecture should be of 30 minutes, some teachers are not explaining in detail

·         Approximately 20.13% of the respondents always feel like they are in a classroom environment while watching the lectures broadcast by the Shiksharth program. About 34.23% of the respondents mostly feel like they are in a classroom environment. Around 36.24% of the respondents sometimes feel like they are in a classroom environment. Only 9.4% of the respondents never feel like they are in a classroom environment while watching the lectures.

·         Among the respondents, 21.48% teacher trainees always discussed the knowledge gained through Shiksharth program with their professors. About 31.54% of the respondents mostly discuss the knowledge with their professors. Around 42.51% of the respondents sometimes discuss the knowledge with their professors. Only 4.47% of the respondents never discuss the knowledge with their professors.

·         A significant majority, 38.70% teacher trainees discuss the knowledge gained through Shiksharth program with their friends and classmates always.

·         A large majority, 86.8% of the respondents, have subscribed to the YouTube channel of IITE Gandhinagar. A smaller percentage, 13.2% of the respondents, have not subscribed to the channel.

CONCLUSION

The data revealed that the Shiksharth is very popular among the teacher trainees and most of the teacher trainees watch the Shiksharth videos through YouTube channel. According to their opinion such video programmes are useful to understand the content in depth. Trainees can get the benefit of the knowledge of different experts. Therefore, such video lectures should be made available in all the subjects and it should be made available on various platforms for the easy access of the students.

REFERENCES

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Caudron, S. (1997). Can generation Xers be trained? Training and Development, 15(3), 20–24.

Chtouki,Y. H. Harroud, M. Khalidi and S. Bennani.(2012). "The impact of YouTube videos on the student's learning," 2012 International Conference on Information Technology Based Higher Education and Training (ITHET), Istanbul, Turkey. pp. 1-4, doi: 10.1109/ITHET.2012.6246045.

Noetel, M., Griffith, S., Delaney, O., Sanders, T., Parker, P., del Pozo Cruz, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2021). Video Improves Learning in Higher Education: A Systematic Review. Review of
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Shivkumar, R. (2015). EDUSAT :Awareness among Women Student - Teachers of B.Ed. in Distance. International Women Online Journal of Distance Education, 7-13. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/

Singh,Gaurav (2022). Why do MOOCs fail on completion Rate? An Analysis of SWAYAM Courses. Indian Journal of Educational Technology, Volume 4, Issue 1, January 2022. https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/publication/journalsandperiodicals/indianjournalofeducationaltechnology/IJET_Jan_2022.pdf

Sivakumar, R. (2019). Awareness of MOOCs - SWAYAM among Student - Teachers. Shanshodhan Chetana, 62-68. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/